This Man (This Man, #1) by Jodi Ellen Malpas Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I wish I could get every minute I spent reading this book back. The premise of this book reminded me subtly of Fifty Shades of Grey only in the slightest, but good grief Jesse Ward is hands down one of the most ridiculous male leads I have ever come across. He is a man child and a whiny little boy when he does not get exactly what he wants. And when what he wants is Ava to basically never leave his sight, you can only imagine how out of control he becomes. Jesse basically is terrorizing the town whenever Ava has to go to work, sees her friends, or literally just tries to go to the office to do her job. His hobbies are literally stalking and mild breaking and entering in order to have eyes on her at all times. Get a grip!!

That being said, Ava is basically no better than Jesse, but in a different regard. She is setting feminism back decades every minute she spends with Jesse. Yes, she does have her moments where she tries to hold her ground and give him a reality check, but it literally never works and always ends up with her crying, fleeing the scene, or having Jesse barge in like a caveman at her place of work or her apartment. I wanted so badly for her to actually grow a spine at some point, and just when you would think she was about to, all of her progress would go out the window. I found myself rolling my eyes at nearly everything she did - she became unbearable towards the end. What grown woman acts this way?

I literally cannot express it enough on how much this book gave me a migraine. Jesse keeps far too many secrets and Ava does not seem to have the motivation to even uncover them. For crying out loud, she does not even know how old Jesse is!! Like girl, if the man you are sleeping with will not even tell you his age, you need to be running across state lines, not running into his bed. I was literally losing brain cells while reading this book - there was not a redeemable quality of this story that I could find - even the side characters would not get involved in Ava and Jesse's drama. Jesse's friends low key are just as evil as he is because what do you mean you literally instigate so many situations where you know he will freak out on Ava? Ava's friend is relatively fine in the sense she kind of just hangs around - I will give her props for giving Ava a place to live though.

The smut scenes were... something. I have read better material written by a 13-year-old on Wattpad. We seriously need to be reevaluating the content of books that are being published because how in the world did anyone ever think that this was readable content? The writing is not nearly at the caliber it should be and the plot is mind-numbing. Now if you see me reading the rest of the series in the future... mind your business. I like to see series through to give a cohesive opinion.

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Tough Guy (Game Changers, #3) by Rachel Reid Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of Game Changer and Heated Rivalry on my blog, now! Heated Rivalry is now streaming on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in select countries.

Ryan and Fabian's relationship was certainly... interesting. On one hand, you have hockey star Ryan who has been playing in the league for years and on the other hand, you have musician Fabian who hates hockey. I think their personalities definitely complimented one another, but they also brought out things in each other that were not being explored when they were not together. I really enjoyed how Reid explored Ryan's anxiety throughout the book and did not shy away from the struggles he faced and how it impacted his daily life and his hockey career. Ryan's chapters were definitely the most compelling to me as a reader - it felt as though his character had more care taken in developing his internal development. While Fabian did have development as well, I just could not find myself leaning towards his story. He was not as likable as Ryan in my eyes, and I found him constantly stating how much he hated hockey while literally dating a hockey player becoming increasingly annoying.

Ryan's journey with his anxiety was the most captivating plot of this book. Since Reid makes it clear from the beginning that Ryan is out, there were no undertones of him being in the closet or hiding his relationship from the public for the sake of his career. This meant that we were able to explore new avenues with his character and see how even though Ryan is a "tough guy," he still had a lot going on in his life that was outside the world of hockey. Fabian was sympathetic towards Ryan's anxiety, but it still seemed that Fabian wanted Ryan to quit playing hockey every single chapter, which I felt fed into his anxiety even more.

Fabian has reasoning for not liking hockey players, but I found it odd that he basically let it fester his whole life and then when he finally is dating a hockey player. he spends the majority of his time thinking about how he wants Ryan to quit or watching Ryan's games and wondering why he would play. There were a few times in the book where Fabian was watching a game on television and thinking "why would Ryan be this violent during the game?" which I found absurd because it is literally hockey... they fight every two seconds during a game. I found myself becoming more agitated with Fabian as the book went on because of this, and truly tried to like him more, but just could not find it within my to want to take his side.

I really enjoyed the little Shane and Ilya crumbs in the book - while they were only mentioned a few times and made a guest appearance briefly, it was nice to see how they were being perceived by other hockey players. Ilya's one-liners are still a hit in my eyes and he truly is a hilarious character, even when he is not trying to be.

I think I was expecting a lot more out of this book than what was given, and was hoping Fabian and Ryan's relationship would be as enticing as Scott and Kip's or Shane and Ilya's relationships. Instead, I honestly found myself wanting Ryan to stop dating Fabian multiple times during the book - I did not think in the beginning and middle of their relationship that Fabian was the right man for Ryan. I am glad they both were able to be more vulnerable with each other and have their own growth, but would have loved if Fabian's character was not always on a mission to have Ryan literally quit his career because of his hatred towards hockey players. 

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Deep (Stage Dive, #4) by Kylie Scott Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of Lick, Play, and Lead on my blog, now! Lick is now available to stream on Passionflix.

I should have read the blurb for this final installment - color me surprised when I was thrown into one of my least favorite tropes in the prologue / first chapter. Accidental pregnancy trope is already a top contender for gag-worthy plot points, but add in the fact that the female lead is twenty? Probably my worst nightmare. This series was already cruising the line of "do I like these books or are they just easy to read?" but this book truly takes the cake on me deciding that they were just quick and easy to read. I will say that the books did improve as the series went on, but that all went down the drown with Deep. That being said, Ben is definitely one of the better male leads and actually takes accountability for his actions, unlike some of the other band members.

Lizzy is so incredibly frustrating and just downright annoying during this entire book. I truly felt as though I was going to pull my hair out if she made one more ridiculous decision - yes, she is twenty and pregnant with no idea how she and Ben are supposed to coparent and embark on this journey together, but good grief the girl does not have a single brain cell floating around in her head. To make matters absolutely worse, she tries not to curse, which just results in the most annoying fake curse words known to man being sputtered every other page. Considering Lizzy was still working on her psychology degree, you would have thought that she would have been able to become more well-adjusted and maybe actually take the time to think about what having a baby at twenty would mean for her.

Ben is likable in the sense that he is in the running in being the best male lead of this series - Jimmy was no walk in the park, Mal truly had me second-guessing how much I originally liked him, and David was the most avoidant man on the planet. I was glad that he was actually taking accountability for getting Lizzy pregnant, and even though they were not in a relationship, he was still focused on making sure she was feeling well and had a support system from him as a coparent. He really wanted to provide for her even with the uncertainty of where their relationship stood, so I have to give him credit for being responsible.

The smut was a mildly redeeming aspect of this book - it honestly was the only thing keeping me going at one point because the plot was just not doing it for me. I truly wish I enjoyed this installment as much as I enjoyed Lead, but not every interconnected stand alone is built the same and unfortunately it shows in this final book. If you are looking for quick romances, this series certainly can be up your alley - they are easy to read and always tie up the relationships by the end of the book. I hope Passionflix decides to adapt the rest of the books into movies because I honestly think I enjoyed the movie of Lick more than the book.

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Heated Rivalry (Game Changers, #2) by Rachel Reid Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Game Changer on my blog, now! Heated Rivalry premieres on November 28, 2025 - only on Crave.

Oh I ate this up so bad... some of my new favorite boys. Obviously I wanted to read this before the show premieres later this month, and now I wish I could wipe my memory and read it all over again. I have been seeing some "arguments" online with some people stating this book was porn without plot, but the plot in this book is so extremely vital to Shane and Ilya's individual struggles and their relationship. That being said, the smut was well written and tasteful as their relationship develops. We see two newly drafted teenagers enter the world of professional hockey while trying to figure themselves out and navigate this rivalry that has been thrust upon them, all while engaging in one of the most complex secret relationships I have seen.

When I heard I had to brace myself when reading the prologue, I could not imagine what Reid had in store for us - when I tell you my jaw dropped. There was no holding back with this book, and it is certainly a leg up on Game Changer. I will say that the timeline of this story was a touch hard to keep track of, but once you get the hang of the way the book flows, it becomes much easier to follow. Typically I am not a major fan of text message usage in books, but I found myself loving Shane and Ilya's conversations - you could really get a sense of their own personalities and humor even when they were not together.

Ilya's storyline felt like he was going through the horrors every two seconds, meanwhile Shane was trying to tell himself he was not gay even though he was literally sleeping with Ilya every chance they could get. Shane's story felt more lighthearted in my opinion - you could tell that he was going to be surrounded by supportive family members, while Ilya's story had me clutching my seat waiting for the next blow. Both experienced some major battles but they were basically there for each other the entire time, even when they would hold back on telling the other something that made them more vulnerable.

I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and from what I hear, this is certainly not the last we will see of them. Their relationship was more intriguing than Scott and Kip's, and while I would not consider this a true "rivals to lovers" trope, I can say that I can see how their "rivalry" made the relationship development more interesting. There was a more significant amount of depth to both characters in this book compared to the first and I was glad to see that Reid was able to create some more complex characters. I already placed a Libby hold for the next book in this interconnected series and I am excited to see where it leads readers with the new couple.

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Game Changer (Game Changers, #1) by Rachel Reid Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Heated Rivalry premieres on November 28, 2025 - only on Crave.

I will be completely honest and say that I started this series solely because Heated Rivalry begins streaming soon and I have heard nothing but great things about that book - I wanted to read it before watching the show, and I am very pro-read the interconnected stand-alones in order. I have not read a hockey romance in some time and was excited to get back into them, especially considering the weather is getting colder. Scott Hunter's pre-game ritual of a smoothie has led him to Kip Grady, the kind juice bar barista that captured his eye and led him down a road of a secret romance. Scott's frequent visits become an excitement for Kip, and their friendship blossoms into an attraction that neither can avoid.

However, Scott seems to be the one making all of the rules and has Kip over on his own terms, leading to Kip feeling somewhat isolated from his "old" life and like a secret in the dark. As he spends more time thinking about what he wants and what his future holds career-wise, Scott is focused on playoffs and winning the Stanley Cup. Their different goals seems to cause a rift on the relationship but more so with Kip's perspective, and as playoffs come even closer, Kip is set to make up his mind on what he needs. Sure, Scott is not out to the world, but with Kip being out, he feels as though he is a second thought to Scott when it comes to hockey and what to focus on. I can definitely see both sides - Scott wanting to wait until playoffs are over in order to not overshadow the games, and Kip wanting to be able to go out with his boyfriends without Scott having to hide from the public eye.

Kip and Scott's friends definitely provided them support in different ways - Kip was able to at least confide in a friend regarding his relationship, whereas Scott had to keep everything to himself. You can certainly see how badly Scott wanted to share about his personal life, but also understand why he was keeping that part of him to himself and Kip. It hurt to see Kip go through so much and seemingly alone - you could tell that it was eating him up inside that he would be spending all of his time waiting for Scott to come back from games or practices, and yet barely get to see him when he did get home - not to mention the fact that Kip was not going to any hockey team functions with Scott as his partner - he had to watch from home.

This was definitely a good start to the series, and you can clearly tell where the next installment is headed considering the number of times a certain Russian player was mentioned throughout the book. There are things that I would have changed, but overall the book read well and there was a decent balance of inner turmoil, lightheartedness, and smut. I already have Heated Rivalry on loan from Libby, and cannot wait to see what Shane and Ilya's story has in store.

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Not in Love (Not in Love, #1) by Ali Hazelwood Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I have gone back and forth over the years deciding if I should dive into Ali Hazelwood's books, and I am honestly glad that this one was my first read of her work. I love a good forbidden romance, and throwing the workplace in there? Even better. Rue and Eli meet before they are thrown into a diverging working environment, as Eli and his business partners actively work to acquire the company that Rue works for - the very company her friend created. Hazelwood provided us with a dual perspective in this book, which is very much appreciated from me - I love to see the male lead's perspective, and Eli's chapters certainly clear the air for so many obstacles that come their way.

Rue has set boundaries when it comes to sex and hook ups - never the same man twice. Amongst her other preferences, she is very clear on what she likes and what she is willing to try. When Eli and her match on a dating app, it provides an opportune moment for her to continue her non-committal endeavors. However, Eli's presence soon becomes much more than a one-and-done situation when Rue's personal life is thrust out into the open during their meet-up, and becomes even more entangled when he is part of the group seeking to take ownership of the biotech company. You can literally feel their sexual tension on every page, and with Eli giving off major lover-boy vibes and Rue giving grumpy vibes, they are an opposite match made in heaven - at least in Eli's eyes; in his mind, Rue will eventually get there.

I loved how involved Rue's friends were with her - they were concerned for her when they thought she was entering dangerous territory with her situationship with Eli, and supportive towards her when it came to her familial struggles with her brother. On the other hand, Eli's friends and business partners were just as involved in his life as Rue's friends were in hers - they checked in on him, and almost always tried to talk some sense into him, even when it was not the best advice or uncalled for commentary. His friends were definitely focused on the business acquisition when it came to their conversations, so they fall slightly lower on the supportive scale when comparing friend groups.

Eli and Rue's backgrounds were heartbreaking and intriguing at the same time - they both went through so much at young ages, and seeing how that impacted their current lives created much more fleshed-out characters than what I had expected from this book. Eli was so incredibly obsessed with Rue throughout this entire book, and it was low-key so funny to see her ignore him - we love women in male-dominated fields! In all seriousness, it was fun to see the female lead be the grump in the relationship, and to have such a gold retriever male lead follow her around no matter what was refreshing. Their spicy scenes were also top tier, and good lord Eli had my jaw on the floor.

This was a fun read that unexpectedly got very deep at times, while still maintaining an air of comedic relief. You will breeze right through this book and experience a whirlwind of science, secrets, and a touch of spice. I definitely would have loved to see Eli and Rue's relationship develop a little bit more before the epilogue, but it became a satisfying ending. I would definitely recommend this romance if you are looking for something fun and not afraid to lean towards erotic romance rather than the typical contemporary romances Hazelwood appears to have leaned towards.

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Funny Story by Emily Henry Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can also read my review of Book Lovers on my blog, now!

I picked this up unexpectedly as I wanted to use up store credit at my local bookstore - I did not have the faintest idea of the book's plot, but since I enjoyed Book Lovers so much, I figured I would add it to my cart. Emily Henry seems to have such a way with writing unexpected pairings, and I found myself totally sucked into the absolutely insane predicament that Daphne and Miles were thrown into - I cannot even imagine being in their shoes. With relationships in shambles and exes off galavanting with each other, Miles and Daphne find themselves as roommates when their respective partners abandon them for one another.

Seeing how Miles and Daphne seem to have opposite personalities, their sudden living arrangements causing them to live one room over from one another proves to be more entertaining than either of them imagined. With an unconventional plan to make their exes believe there is something more going on between them than meets the eye, they form an unlikely alliance in order to make everyone believe that they are doing just fine. This was such a fun concept to me, and as a lover of the fake dating trope, I knew I was going to eat this book up as soon as I realized what was going on.

Daphne's relationship with Patrick was always playing it safe and following his lead, whether it came to working out together, spending time with his family, or eating certain foods. It felt as though Daphne could not be her own person in their relationship, and from an outsider's perspective, it was a relationship that was destined to fizzle out one way or another. Miles and Petra's relationship mirrored Daphne and Patrick's, in the sense that Miles was longing for something more while Petra was determined to have Patrick fall into the same ways as her family. While we do not get a super in depth look at both of the relationships, it is clear that they were on roads headed south, and it was only a matter of time before they fell apart.

I loved how much Miles was able to make Daphne come out of her shell and finally start living her life - from what we saw from her relationship with Patrick, the man was holding her back from experiencing everything life had to offer. And for a woman in her thirties, she certainly should have been taking advantage of her youth and exploring the area. On the other hand, Daphne's influence on Patrick when it came to sticking up for himself -- and often times, sticking up for Daphne -- showed how much he was able to mature and really take a look at his life.

If you are looking for a fun, fast-paced romance, Funny Story is in the cards for you. I do wish there were a few less pop culture references, only because I felt like they date a book and it gives off millennial vibes to me. Some plot points felt as though they were repeated from another one of Henry's works, but I still had an absolute blast reading this book, and can't wait to dive into another one of her works.

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Lead (Stage Dive, #3) by Kylie Scott Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of Lick and Play on my blog, now! Lick is now available to stream on Passionflix.

Jimmy has also intrigued me as a character since his introduction in Lick, so I was excited to see how he developed in his own story and how he would welcome the idea of a romantic interest in his life. Since I am a sucker for the personal assistant trope, I knew this book would keep me hooked, especially considering Jimmy is not the picture perfect man - he has his ups and downs, which makes him all the more interesting to read about. When Lena ends up as his personal assistant, she certainly does not expect it to be as intense as Jimmy makes it for her.

Lena wants to keep everything professional between her and Jimmy, and seems to be the only person in his life that does not walk on eggshells around him when it comes to his past, and she is the only one able to put him in his place. They have pretty solid banter and while we only get Lena's perspective in the book, we can tell how much Jimmy cannot stay away from Lena, despite his somewhat idiotic actions he does in order to make her stay. Despite Lena's determination to stay professional is definitely put to the test throughout this book, and she has to deal with a lot personally as she manages Jimmy's professional life.

Of the three leading ladies that we have seen in the Stage Dive series, I have to say that Lena is at the top of my list - all of them have their own strengths and compliment their romantic counterparts, but there was just something about the characterization of Lena that was more compelling. Her relationship with Jimmy was one that seemed the most organic out of the other relationships, and as I have said before, I love the tropes in the other books, but this one really takes the cake for me.

Once again, the friendships in this book series really make everything work - the support systems they have solidify the characters and their personalities without sacrificing the romantic development between the main leads. It was nice to see that the other band members went to bat for Lena when she was being wronged, or even when Jimmy was not acting in the best light towards Lena when he was upset at the consequences of his own actions. These books are great when you just need a moment to have a low-stakes romance that you know will work out in the end, but there are still obstacles that keep the story moving.

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Play (Stage Dive, #2) by Kylie Scott Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Lick on my blog, now! Lick is now available to stream on Passionflix.

I had a mixed review of Lick, and while I truly enjoyed the film adaptation, my experience reading Play felt like I was reading a different series. As much as I love interconnected stand-alones, it read as if it was still David and Evelyn's story - they are present for a majority of the book, and a decent amount of events occur that are centered around them as a couple, with Mal and Anne suddenly taking a step to the side. Mal was the highlight of Lick for me, but in his own book, I found myself questioning how I considered him a favorite. His light-heartedness and comedic relief were present in the beginning of this book, but died off and he became a different person.

Anne... where do I even begin with this girl. I do not understand the way she thinks approximately 60% of the time. She gets mad at something one minute, then does not care the next, and considering the way people constantly treat her like a doormat, you would think she would learn to grow up and stand up for herself. I understand that she wants to give people the benefit of the doubt, but it often lands her with the short end of the stick, and she is always surprised with that outcome when it just happens over and over again. It would have been great to see her become more developed through this book - you could tell the author attempted to strengthen her character in the second half of the book, but the process felt abandoned and short-lived.

I wanted Anne to have more friends - instead, she had a boss that was jealous of Mal the entire book, reporters wanting to learn every detail about her relationship, and people in her life that just took advantage of her. Evelyn's friend group was at least more established and she had a lot of support, and while Anne did interact with a lot of the band members, it still felt like she was isolated from others in this story. Mal was pretty involved with Anne - you could tell that he enjoyed her company and actually liked her - but with him as the only constant, it made their agreement feel more contractual than real. While their feelings did mature and they were able to work through everything, their bedroom relationship was wild and definitely complicated what they had started.

The spicy scenes were definitely better than the ones in Lick, and they felt more intimate than David and Evelyn's scenes - not that they were poorly done, but I do think Anne and Mal had more tangible chemistry than Evelyn and David. I found the balance of actual plot and spicy scenes to be pretty well established, and the pacing of this book felt much smoother compared to the first installment. There were definitely some questionable actions throughout the book, but overall, I did enjoy the book and will continue on with this series. If you are looking for a fake relationship romance, this will certainly satisfy that craving.

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Accidental Puck Bunny by Eliza Beth Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I downloaded this forever ago on a Stuff Your Kindle Day, and since I have been riding on the hockey romances, I figured I should jump to another one and keep the ball rolling. When Declan needs to turn his image around in order to sing for a better hockey team, his PR team decides a fake relationship is exactly what he needs in order to win the public favor and get back in good graces with the hockey world. Hattie, an up-and-coming cookbook author, just so happens to spark a connection with Declan, and falls into a situationship turned fake relationship in order for them to both get what they want - what could possibly go wrong?

This book is riddled with pop culture references, which is not my cup of tea - considering it was published in 2023, I would have hoped that the writing style of 2013 would have been long abandoned. I understand some millennials have an attachment to Harry Potter, but I am begging them to let it go!! Hattie's self confidence seems to appear and then disappear throughout the book - I could not get a read on her, considering she seemed shy in the beginning but then suddenly became super confident after meeting Declan. And with a friend like Brooke, I was surprised to see that she was not as outgoing as I expected her to be. I would have loved to see a smoother transition of her self-confidence throughout the book, it would have enhanced her characterization.

To be honest, Declan's characterization was the best by far - he has a much clearer journey compared to the rest of the characters, and I enjoyed his perspective chapters a lot more than I enjoyed Hattie's chapters. He was easier to be sympathetic towards, and that may be because of how much more of a backstory we got of Declan's and his current internal struggles. Brooke and Jax were fun side characters, but I will say that Brooke annoyed me beyond belief - it felt as though she would just abandon Hattie at any chance she got to go and try to hook up with a hockey player, and Hattie was usually just left sitting by herself or going home. Jax was a decent comedic relief when the story needed one, but he was not in the book enough for me to actually form a solid opinion on his character.

The writing is... something. I truly believe this should have gone through another round of editing or two before being published - at times, the writing felt choppy and unfinished. You can somewhat tell where the author wanted to take the story, and then it would either cut off completely or change perspectives. This was more so for a light and quick read - it reads like every other TikTok blurb book you see about hockey romances, and while I am a sucker for fake relationships, it never truly felt as though their relationship was fake, so the stakes felt low and the miscommunication was not my favorite aspect.

If you are also riding the hockey romance train, this could be a palette cleanser in between series or just a quick read to throw you into the genre before you embark into a planned reading schedule. The concept for this book was there, but I would not reach for it again unless the author acquired some serious editors to go through it. The story moves quickly, but at the cost of characterization and to be quite honest, plot. The author sacrifices a lot of pages in place of smut, and while it was decent, it was not something that had such a wow factor that I could forgive the plot being put on the back burner.

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Book Lovers by Emily Henry Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Emily Henry... I am sorry I doubted you without knowing anything about you. I am sorry I bought Happy Place a year and a half ago and still have not cracked it open. Please, forgive me. I honestly did not know what to expect when going into this book, but I was in the mood for a little romcom, and with the added bonus of what sounded like a very loose enemies-to-lovers, this caught my eye. They definitely are not conventional "enemies" but rather the multiple not-meet-cutes and first impression in the city sets them up for a grumpy beginning.

I truly believe Emily Henry has been following me around for my entire life simply because Nora feels like a carbon copy of myself, with the only difference being that our careers are different. In the very beginning of this book, every single time Nora began to describe her thought processes or how she approached life, I felt like she was staring into my soul and my brain. I will say, Nora's obsession with goat cheese salads was something I could not relate to, but the dirty martinis were certainly something that called to me.

Charlie is definitely up there as a solid book boyfriend - even after his and Nora's first encounter, I could tell this man was going to turn out for the best. After a fateful turn of events, they end up in each other's lives and somehow manage to become integral parts as they navigate their own obstacles while slowly becoming weaved into each other's days. It was low-key hot that he would come back to his town and help his mother run the store - he has already made a name for himself, and yet he is willing to drop things for his family.

If I was Nora... I would have strangled Dusty... for reasons I will not mention due to spoilers, that girl has some NERVE. Nora is a much better person than I am, and truly has the gift of patience when it comes to dealing with people doing the absolute most. She does nothing but sacrifice things for her sister or for others, and yet people constantly speak to her as if she is the selfish one for knowing what she wants and putting her career or routine first when the time comes.

No WiFi in these small town cafés... I would have gone absolutely insane. Especially in Nora's situation, where she constantly needs to be in contact with certain people, even when publishing somewhat dies down during the month of August. Dusty's presence as the needy writer was actually getting on my nerves so much, I felt as though I was her editor. I cannot fathom someone throwing fits if their editor does not immediately answer their calls, and considering what she was turning into Nora, she had no room for the dramatics.

"What are colleagues for?" What if I died. Nora and Charlie's unique relationship and dynamic was such an interesting thing to see in a romance novel, and given that Nora has been haunted my the small town trope, I rooting for her to find someone that matched her lifestyle and energy. Charlie matched Nora's energy so well, you could tell that he would be the one to appreciate the way she did things and be understanding when she would put work first at times.

By the end of this book, I was firmly standing on the belief that Nora should be allowed to kill someone. My word, the things that this girl has gone through, and on top of it all, being the eldest daughter? My girl needs a vacation immediately. The side characters were high-key putting Nora through the ringer, and as sweet as her sister, Libby, is, she seemed to be oblivious to some of the things she asked of Nora or situations she put her in.

If you are looking for a quick, fun read to get you out of a slump or something to cleanse a genre-binge, Book Lovers will do just that. I am glad that I finally gave this writer a chance, and was pleased to see how much I did enjoy this book. Since I tend to be a mood reader, a romcom was finally calling to me and I had to pick up the phone before the feeling passed.

You can add Book Lovers on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date with releases and publications.

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Lick (Stage Dive, #1) by Kylie Scott Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Lick is now available to stream on Passionflix.

I will admit that I watched the movie before reading this book - sue me!! I had a great time watching the movie, and when I saw Lick available on Libby, I knew I had to give it a read. Accidental marriage trope will always be famous in my house, and I was eating this up. Maybe I am biased because I watched the movie first, but this book was fun to read and I had a blast the entire time. I am an absolute sucker for the "he falls first AND harder" trope, and this hit the spot - David is a true yearner, and it was actually hilarious to see how serious he took everything from the very beginning, even when Evelyn was utterly confused on what was going on.

After an accidental, drunken marriage in Las Vegas, Evelyn finds herself married to David, the guitarist of a popular rock band. I will say, I wish that she did remember what happened the night they had gotten married, and not have had to have it pieced back together for her throughout the book. While it did give bonding moments between Evelyn and David, it made David's feelings toward Evelyn seem much more genuine compared to Evelyn's feelings for David. You could literally feel his demeanor shift when he realized she did not remember anything that morning, and he held it against her for longer than was necessary, especially considering they knew each other for about four hours before getting hitched.

A five year age gap and they are acting like this man snatched her from the playground. Mal's nickname for Evelyn being "child bride" was funny though, and honestly endearing, considering everyone seemed to have their opinion on her and David's unconventional nuptials. I really enjoyed Mal's presence throughout this book - he was a great supportive character, and someone that Evelyn really needed in her corner as she navigated her unexpected marriage to a rockstar and being away from her family and roommate. David's protectiveness of Evelyn definitely came through anytime he felt threatened by literally anyone with a pulse breathing near Evelyn, and I ate it up.

The friendships and relationships in this book really tied everything together for me - it was well-rounded, and allowed David and Evelyn to have support systems in various places without having to constantly turn to each other. Since we only get Evelyn's perspective in this book, it was a treat to still be able to see how David interacts with other characters. I would have loved for him to have his own chapters, especially with the whole "he remembers, she doesn't" feelings realization the author created for them. I wish Evelyn's family was more supportive of her and her decisions - it felt as though they were never in her corner.

This was a quick read that is able to wrap up Evelyn and David's story nicely while setting up for the next character for their own relationship developments. The Passionflix adaptation is super true to the book, and is essentially a word-for-word recreation of Scott's story. If you are looking for a fun, mildly spicy read for a rainy afternoon, Lick will fill that void.

You can add Lick on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter (X), and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Terms and Conditions (Dreamland Billionaires, #2) by Lauren Asher Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Fine Print on my blog, here.

I was apprehensive going into this second installment - The Fine Print was not my favorite read, but when I realized that Terms and Conditions was an actual marriage of convenience book, it spiked my interest. And with a marriage contract that accidentally gets printed on print paper because Mr. Billionaire heir does not know how to reload the printer? I could not have been happier.

Declan Kane is up to inherit billions and the CEO position of Dreamland, on one condition - marry and have a child. When his bride-to-be ditches him at the last minute, his younger assistant takes her place, and his sanity along with it. He sees the wife and child as collateral damage in the path to becoming CEO, and for some reason is set on low-key being an absentee father? I understand he is doing this in order to secure his inheritance, but man, it is a literal child, not a toy you put away after getting tired of playing with it after a few years.

Iris unironically needs to be an actress - she is so hilarious and is always fooling everyone around her, especially Declan. She makes up rumors at work so people get things done faster, and Declan is so shocked that she is able to do it without anyone catching on. The way she is able to get people to do what she wants without them realizing it made me really enjoy her character, and the friendship she has with Cal was so refreshing to see. It was an added plus that Declan was obviously jealous of the relationship she has with Cal, because he wanted her to be that open with him from the start.

The way that Iris and Declan clearly are interested in each other before anything even truly starts with their contract had me dying - the perspective changes gave a great view of what they each thought of each other. Declan's inner thoughts are high-key hilarious - at one point, he sees Iris apologizing to her plants because she had to move them, and immediately thinks she is insane. I knew he would be obsessed with her immediately after that. Their banter is pretty funny when they are actually agreeing with each other, and Iris jokingly saying "Are you sure you're a virgin?" to Declan had me audibly snorting, she is so unserious when her guard is down.

Declan is 36-years-old and needs to learn to act like an adult - there were a number of times that he consistently puts his needs and wants above everyone else's, and then acts shocked that Iris is upset with him. And Iris... she is 23-years-old... she should be at the club!! Not working twelve hour days and sacrificing her relationships to please Declan. 

I was a little off-put by the way Declan did not seem to help Iris with nearly anything in this book - she was always the one making plans, setting up dinners, fixing proposals, and so many other things. I did not love the way he was putting work above her, especially during important moments - it made him really feel like a villain, when he was the one who needed her, not the other way around. His groveling texts to Iris made him feel like a major boomer who does not know how to act like an adult and hold himself accountable for the way he acted and the things that he said to her in anger.

There is not a ton of spice in this book, and it really does not even start to pop up until over two-thirds of the way into the story. It is definitely tame, but I do wish it showed up a little more in this story - more often than not, it would be in dreams that Declan or Iris had of each other. 

I enjoyed this much more compared to The Fine Print - Declan was much more interesting than Rowan, and sure, he may have made some not so great choices throughout this book, but I still have him ranked above Rowan. Rowan and Zara's scattered appearances in this book only had me interested in Iris and Zara's potential friendship - considering Iris does not really have anyone outside of her mother, Nana, and Cal, I really wanted her to gain some female friends. Declan's father plays such a large role as an antagonist in Declan's life, and we see it overtake the plot when I wish it could have focused more on Iris and Declan's relationship.

You can add Terms and Conditions on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!