The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1) by Jenny Han Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

As a preface, I have seen both seasons of The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime Video before reading this book, so I knew what I was getting myself into from the start. I still cannot get over the fact that our main character's nickname is Belly -- if that was me and someone decided that Isabel needed to be shortened to Belly, I would go insane. 

I am a Team Conrad girlie for life -- no amount of convincing could ever make me change my mind and end up rooting for Jeremiah. That boy is always up to something and only became interested in Belly when he realized that Conrad was into her, because he has this weird urge to one up Conrad on getting into a relationship with Belly, even though it is obvious that Conrad has been in love with her for years.

Jeremiah is one of the most pick-me boys I have read in fiction, neck in neck with Mal from Shadow and Bone, and continued to annoy me throughout the entire book. He never really looked after Belly, he would only become protective after Conrad would protect her. He and Belly may have had one or two semi-cute moments, but they were brief and I spent the entire time begging them to end. He was more oblivious and not present in the book compared to season one of the show in my opinion -- I actually enjoyed him more in the show.

Taylor throughout her time in the book was something so incredibly agitating to me and it was solely because she was giving me whiplash every other page. One minute she is telling Belly that she likes Conrad, and then two chapters later she is completely over that and now is interested in Jeremiah. It felt irrelevant to have her mention to Belly that she was interested in both of the boys, especially when it was obvious that Belly was definitely struggling with her feelings.

I high-key felt bad for Cam throughout the entire book -- he could tell that Belly was not really into him as much as she was into Conrad, and the way that she treated him was more like a placeholder than a boyfriend. Belly may have been battling her emotions over Conrad and Jeremiah, but she basically used Cam as a pawn during the summer to make them jealous and then continued to deny it for nearly three months.

The "flashback" chapters definitely aided the story's development regarding helping readers understand how Belly felt about the boys since she was younger, but I found myself getting bored of essentially reading the same scenario of how she would feel left out when Steven, Jeremiah, and Conrad would exclude her from things, only to have Jeremiah or Conrad find her later and "make up" for it with a two minute conversation. I wish we got to see more summer romance in the second half of the book with either of the boys (preferably Conrad) rather than Cam, but I can imagine that will be in store for the rest of the series.

It was incredibly obvious that Conrad was really going through something, and even though Belly acknowledges to herself multiple times, she still treated him horribly when she did not get her way. She basically expects him to confess his undying love for her just because she finally decided that she was ready to acknowledge her feelings after nearly six years of falling for him.

Belly seemed to exchange all of her brain cells to get tan over the summer, because that girl was not using a drop of common sense the entire book, and she sounded very self-centered for the majority of the story, making her as a main character insufferable at times. There was so much back and forth with Belly on who she liked... Jeremiah in one chapter and then Conrad two pages later because he glanced at her for two seconds... back to Jeremiah because he wanted to go to the boardwalk too... Belly girl, stand up!!!

This is a super quick read that is perfect to get you back into that summer mindset as we make our way further into fall. It certainly was a good choice to read over a rainy weekend, and it was a light read that can pull you out of a reading slump. I was a big fan of the To All the Boys I've Loved Before trilogy back in high school, so it was nice to revisit a fun little romance.

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Cruel Beginnings: A Blackmore University Prequel by Cora Kent Review

This review contains spoilers fro Cruel Beginnings.

A super quick read clocking in at under forty pages, this novella sets up for the first installment of the Blackmore University series, Cruel Intentions, with Kaye and Xavier's story. I downloaded this on Stuff Your Kindle day and did not even realize the page count was that of a short story, but I have been in a reading slump for nearly two weeks and needed something to get me back into the groove of things.

When Xavier returns home from France, he finds his parents fighting over the fact that his father is leaving her for another woman, a client nonetheless, that he helped get a divorce from an abusive man. His father gives him the choice to move in with his new girlfriend and her daughter, but Xavier is anything but excited by the prospect. After showing up to this woman's house, he causes a scene and his father quite literally knocks some sense into him, really adopting the "these hands are rated E for everyone" lifestyle by punching his own son. Ridiculous.

You can tell that tensions are going to be high for the rest of the series, especially between Xavier and his father, but most importantly between Kaye and Xavier. He really has set his eyes on this new person in his life, essentially just collateral damage in his wave of destruction to retaliate against his father. I do wish that this novella was a touch longer and covered a little more on Kaye -- we learn a lot about Xavier in this short installment, but barely get to know anything about Kaye except for her age and a little backstory on her mother.

Xavier is about to start college and well, Kaye... is fifteen. Nothing happens between them in this novella that is more than a kiss, but this series is definitely leaning on the more taboo side of romance. Right off the bat, Xavier wants nothing to do with Kaye and her mother -- after all, her mother is the reason that his parents are divorcing. He essentially makes it his mission in this prequel to tell Kaye that he is going to make her life as complicated as possible because of what her mother has done.

This prequel definitely has me intrigued on what happens next in Cruel Intentions, and I may find myself revisiting this series in the future. If you are a fan of bully romances, I would recommend the Saint View High series by Elle Thorpe and The Dare by Harley LaRoux.

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Uncovering Lily (MacKay International, #1) by Rene Webb Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Stuff Your Kindle Day is yet again the culprit to me not making my way through my physical TBR pile and it is taking a toll on the never-ending growing list of books I need to read. Webb jumps right into Lily and Finn's story as Lily has been kidnapped while studying abroad and is now in a Hong Kong brothel, where Finn happens to be meeting a business associate. To no one's surprise, Finn remembers Lily from years ago, but Lily does not recognize the man before her, and she is under the impression that he is just another customer in the brothel.

Through dual perspective we are able to see Lily process what she has been through and Finn try to get her out of this horrible situation while still maintaining the mystery of why he is so interested in her. The chapters move quickly and are fairly short, which allows the plot to maintain a fast pace while not skipping over too many details. 

I personally think Lily was way too trusting of Finn when they met at the brothel, especially since she was just kidnapped and no one seems to be looking for her. Finn on the other hand low-key gave some creeper vibes when he was first introduced, and I was second guessing how much I was going to root for him in this book.

There is a definitely a sense of urgency throughout the book since Lily desperately wants to be free from this brothel and get back to her life, which makes the suspense aspect of the book work well with the dilemma of her being attracted to Finn. Get free from your captors? That's the plan! Leave this mystery man behind? Now that is where Lily draws the line. Finn does a pretty good job of keeping his cool when he realizes that Lily is who he thought she was, and I would say that he is one of the more collected male leads I have seen, especially since blowing his cover would be bad for the both of them.

Finn is certainly a character, and I found him more interesting than Lily as his character development seemed to be given much more attention compared to Lily's development. For the majority of the book, Lily was just going back and forth in her mind on what she thought of Finn, whereas Finn was really doing the most to make the situation better for them.

The spicier scenes were... well... pretty much the bare minimum at best and were not entirely entertaining to read. Honestly, every time a scene would come up, it was overshadowed by Lily constantly thinking that she wanted to be out of the brothel, so it kept creeping me out that Finn was pretty much using her situation to get what he wanted. The book was so short that everything exciting pretty much happened in the last ten pages, and I only see myself going back to finish this series is if I have the time, but overall it is a quick read that makes decent filler book in between other reads.

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Ouch! My Vampire Doms Keep Biting Me (Vampire Doms, #1) by Calista Jayne Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Thank you to the author for providing me with an advanced copy for review! You can also read my reviews of Falling for Them and Playing by Their Rules.

Jayne introduces Autumn, Xander, and Will in this first installment -- a quick read for anyone looking for something to introduce themselves to her writing or to the genres in general. If memory serves, this is one of the first -- if not the first -- vampire romance books I have read, and I very much had a fun time reading it. This book certainly was filled with both plot and spice, and starting out hot with Autumn bearing witness to a crime that causes her to go on the run.

The pacing of the book definitely keeps the reader interested, so much so that you could finish this in one sitting in just about an hour if you have the chance to do so. I enjoyed that we were given perspectives from Autumn, Xander, and Will -- it really allows the reader to get into the headspace of all of the characters, which is a commonality in Jayne's writing that I definitely appreciate.

Xander and Will are similar, but both have very distinct characteristics when it comes to what they want from Autumn, which takes a toll on their relationship as they both get to know her on their own terms. The reader is able to see Will and Xander's internal struggles with Autumn coming into their lives, especially with their conflicting views on what they should do with her now that they know her and she has become a presence in their lives.

Autumn is really just trying to get by while on the run and starting over when she has a chance encounter with Will and Xander, which certainly takes her life for a turn in more ways than one. She becomes introduced to a whole new world while trying to rebuild her own, and she just happens to have two vampires to show her the ropes. I did find it hilarious that she did not even seem fazed by the fact that vampires were real and that she was in the presence of two of them -- she really rolls with the punches when it comes to obstacles in her life.

The spicier scenes are more mild compared to Jayne's other novels I have read, but still tasteful and enjoyable nonetheless. Jayne does a great job in making them move at an entertaining pace and places them into the story at opportune moments rather than just throwing them in for shock factor.

I do wish that we were given a bit more background on Will and Xander in regards to their relationship and how they came to live their lives together. It felt a little rushed when it came to introducing them into Autumn's life and then glossed over their actual presence in town. Autumn's choices while on the run also had me just a touched confused, because as a person on the run, I personally would not be stopping to read books at a library, but hey, a girl does what she wants.

With this book ending on a cliffhanger, I may find myself gravitating towards the series later on to see what exactly is in store for Autumn, Xander, and Will. For readers looking to get into paranormal romance, this is a great book to get yourself off the ground and into the genre.

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His to Keep (Club Wyld Doms, #1) by Violet James Review

This is a spoiler-free review! His to Keep is currently available for free on iBooks and Kindle.

Once again the free book section on iBooks has roped me in and I just had to see what this book had in store. Clocking in at under 200 pages, His to Keep is a quick read that gets right to the point with Luke and Rebecca, who have a chance encounter that is the catalyst for their relationship. 

Much like the coincidence we see in Fifty Shades of Grey, Rebecca and Luke find themselves drawn to each other right off the bat and have an immediate connection. With Luke being extremely protective of Rebecca from the start, we can all imagine how their relationship plays out the more they become involved with one another. There is a hint of will-they-won't-they in the beginning of their story, but as it plays out you can tell just how much they cannot stay away from one another.

Now when I say we jump right into the story, I really mean it -- within the first twenty pages we see Luke and Rebecca already enamored with one another in a less than conventional way of meeting. With two perspectives, we see how both characters are feeling during this very intense first meeting, especially when it comes to Luke trying to understand what Rebecca is going through. The author spends a lot of time making sure the reader -- and Rebecca -- understand the lifestyle that Luke participates in and the dynamic they need to have in order to make sure that they are both being taken care of.

Even though this is a quick read, it does not feel too insta-lovey, which is a pleasant surprise considering I half expected Luke and Rebecca to start declaring their love for each other three chapters in based off the page length alone. It was refreshing to see how concerned Luke was for Rebecca, and his constant reassurance to her when she was in a vulnerable position really stood out as a great characteristic.

The more spicier scenes were pretty good, but definitely on the shorter side for the sake of the plot -- which we do get a decent amount of and led to a pretty good plot in this story that had me intrigued. So much so that I would have loved for the book to be a touch longer so we could have gotten some more angst and action regarding the situation that Rebecca was in. To avoid any spoilers, the book's plot point keeps a pretty strong focus on Rebecca's struggles, and that includes a not so great partner, Aden, that continues to wreck havoc on her life.

This was a quick and fun read that made for a good palate cleanser in between books. To those who enjoyed His to Keep, I would recommend Praise by Sara Cate, one of my top recommendations to give for fans of this genre.

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Playing by Their Rules by Calista Jayne Review

This is a spoiler-free review! The version I am reading is an ARC -- any changes made for the final publication are not reflected in this review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an advanced copy for review! Playing by Their Rules will be available on September 12, 2023. You can also read my review of Falling for Them (Cinderella's Daddies, #1) on my blog, here.

Calista Jayne does not disappoint in this fun new standalone -- when Maisie gets a second chance to win Chance and Ethan over for a very special relationship, she goes in with a clear mindset and a plan that would put war battles to shame. Maisie is such a great character when it comes to understanding her own feelings as well as when it comes to experiencing so many new things as once. I really enjoyed her characterization, and it reminded me a lot of Ella from Jayne's Cinderella's Daddies series.

I loved that we had perspectives from Maisie, Chance, and Ethan -- it made the story become cohesive and the reader does not feel as though they are missing out on certain characters and their thoughts. Jayne really allows readers to understand exactly what is going through everyone's minds as the relationship begins to develop, which makes it all the more entertaining to read. 

Once I started reading, I could barely put it down and nearly flew threw the book in one sitting. The pacing of the plot works in the reader's favor, as it makes you feel as if you are going through these new and exciting decisions and moments with Maisie at the same rate as her thought process.

Bradley and Mina made interesting supporting characters, and I loved the relationship that Maisie had with Bradley -- it is a rare find in romance books to have a female lead with a male best friend that does not try to get into a relationship with her, and I found it very refreshing to see such a great dynamic between the two of them. Mina is an entire beast on her own, and low-key felt like a bit of a stage five clinger when it came to doing anything with Maisie -- she really was basically trying to become another version of Maisie and her character definitely added some tension to Maisie's life.

Ethan and Chance were overall great characters that really had maturity behind them when it came to doing anything with Maisie, which once again was refreshing to see in a more taboo romance novel. I love a good age gap romance, and their age difference with Maisie was just the right amount where it was an age difference and not a power difference in the sense that everyone was in control of what was going on in their relationship.

I absolutely loved the thriller element to this book -- much like Falling for Them, Jayne is able to expertly incorporate thrilling, interesting plot twists that compliment the story's relationship without overshadowing the main theme. This was such a fun read, and easily one of my new favorite erotic thrillers. I really enjoyed the pacing of the story and plot development, and the relationship between Ethan, Chance, and Maisie was well-established and overall a great pairing.

This was a super fun read and I will definitely be reading more by the author. If you are a fan of Praise by Sara Cate or Credence by Penelope Douglas, this book will certainly become one of your new favorites. I would definitely recommend Forever Only Once by Carrie Ann Ryan once you read this book, especially if you are looking for a romance book with a touch of thriller to it.

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Recreated (Reawakened, #2) by Colleen Houck Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

It had been seven years since I read the first installment, Reawakened, and as I make my way through my physical TBR pile, I thought it was finally time to get the ball rolling on finishing this series. Should I have refreshed my memory on the events of the first book before diving right back in? Probably. Did I? Absolutely not. Yet here we are, and I made it through in one piece and just a touch of confusion during the beginning of the book.

Gosh, I could not get into the Tia storyline to save my life. I understand that it added a different dynamic to Lily's character development, but it felt like my eyes were glazing over every single time I had to read those italic remarks. If this plot line did not exist, I honestly do not think it would have drastically changed the story -- maybe a little bit regarding the journey Lily was taking, but it surely could have been resolved eventually.

Lily is running around all over the place and not listening to anyone's advice, and making decisions quite literally based off of vibes. Solving riddles? She is starting to sound like first graders trying to solve a multiplication problem for the first time. Absolutely just throwing guesses out there that somehow are always correct. And when it comes to battling random creatures or traveling through dangerous areas? She always manages to come out with barely a scratch on her. For a journey that is supposed to be one of the most deadly to go on, this seventeen-year-old girl seems to have it in the bag.

I did enjoy the new dynamic that Lily gains with two characters in particular, and for the sake of spoilers, when you get to that part in the book, you will absolutely know who I am talking about. The way that her influence on others starts to really shape the progress of her journey was interesting, but as the story went on, it started to feel like a constant back and forth with Lily as the culprit when it came to creating unnecessary obstacles for herself.

Amon and Lily's relationship -- I wish I was more invested than I was, because from what I remember about their relationship in the first book, I really enjoyed it. Obviously, circumstances are much different in this installment, and while there were some moments that were heartfelt, I was just not loving it as much as I thought I was going to. There was a lot going on with Lily internally, and it really put a strain on their relationship, as well as introduced a bunch of new conflicts with her other relationships with characters.

This is a quick read clocking in at under 450 pages, and the plot eventually picks up enough in the second half that you will fly right through it -- I will say that the beginning of the book certainly is something you have to work through, but once the pacing gets going, you will be fine. There were moments that could have been scrapped from the story and the plot would have moved on just the same -- a decent amount of chapters were heavily leaning towards being filler rather than actually helping the plot. Towards the end of the book is really where the action picks up and the plot is finally moving forward, but that is essentially in the last few chapters and then the book is over.

I will definitely be seeing this series through and am determined to finish the final book (and maybe the prequel, only time will tell). Fans of Rick Riordan's The Kane Chronicles will get a slight kick out of this series, but I would say to not get your hopes up regarding the depth the author went into her research. It covers the basics, but does not dive too far into as much detail about Egyptian mythology as I wish it did.

 

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