Tag Archives: review

Review: Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne

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Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: January 18th 2022
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Central Park Pact comes a reverse My Fair Lady for the modern era about a pampered and privileged Manhattan socialite who must teach an unpolished and denim-loving nobody from the Louisiana Bayou how to fit in with the upper crust of New York City. Perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne.

Violet Townsend has always been a people pleaser. Raised in the privileged world of Upper East Side Manhattan, she always says the right things, wears the right clothes, and never rocks the boat. Violet would do anything for the people closest to her, especially her beloved grandmother. So when she asks Violet to teach the newly-discovered grandson of her friend how to fit in with New York City’s elite, Violet immediately agrees. Her goal? To get Cain Stone ready to take his place as heir to his family company…but to say he’s not exactly an eager student is an understatement.

Born and raised in rural Louisiana and now making his own way in New Orleans, Cain Stone is only playing along for the paycheck at the end. He has no use for the grandmother he didn’t know existed and no patience for the uppity Violet’s attempts to turn him into a suit-wearing, museum-attending gentleman.

But somewhere amidst antagonistic dinner parties and tortured tux fittings, Cain and Violet come to a begrudging understanding—and the uptight Violet realizes she’s not the only one doing the teaching. As she and Cain begin to find mutual respect for one another (and maybe even something more), Violet learns that blindly following society’s rules doesn’t lead to happiness…and that sometimes the best things in life come from the most unexpected places.

I’m a big Lauren Layne fan so when I heard she was releasing a reverse retelling of My Fair Lady, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Was it everything I was hoping for? …Not quite. It wasn’t a bad read, but I did struggle with our main characters. I liked the idea of this romance, and just wish I could’ve loved it more!

Violet has been asked by her surrogate grandmother to do a makeover for her newly discovered, long-lost grandson. (Violet and Cain are NOT related, lol.) This seems almost an impossible task for the NYC socialite, especially when Cain is very reluctant to go along with any of her suggestions. But he needs to transform himself, to learn how to fit in with the Park Avenue elite, in time to become the new CEO of his family’s company.

Violet and Cain were a bit hard to like for me. She’s snobby and stuck-up, and he’s just plain rude to her all the time. But I liked that they embodied “opposites attract” and they did have some cute banter together. Thankfully, Violet does go through some character growth and I enjoyed her by the end of the book. It was Cain I couldn’t stand and I truly didn’t see why Violet liked him so much.

Still, it’s a quick and easy read, and good if you’re in the light-hearted mood, which Lauren Layne can deliver on. I just had higher expectations for this and it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.


lacey

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Review: Gentleman Seeks Bride by Megan Frampton

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Gentleman Seeks Bride by Megan Frampton
Series: Hazards of Dukes #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 30th 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

In this delightful flip of a classic romance trope, Megan Frampton creates a handsome, witty, hero in need of a wealthy bride who meets his match in Lady Jane Capel, from A Wicked Bargain with the Duke. Perfect for fans of Sarah McLean, Tessa Dare, and Eloisa James.

It’s a well-known fact that when a man is in search of a bride, a good dowry is never a hindrance.

Thomas Sharpe is handsome, well-bred, and desperately in need of a wealthy bride. His father has lost their income, his sister needs looking after, and so to save them all from a life of poverty he travels to London in search of an heiress.

Enter Lady Jane Capel. After her fiancé ended their engagement two years ago, Jane boldly left her parents’ home and moved in with her half-brother Percy. What does one more scandal matter to a family with such a curious reputation? Jane is independent, but not as well versed in life—and love—as she wants.

The two of them strike a deal: Thomas will show her all there is to know about the world —and intimacy—and Jane will help him find a bride. But the more time they spend together and the closer they get, the two of them soon realize that things aren’t so simple when it comes to men and women…

My main reason for wanting to read Gentleman Seeks Bride was the cover. Yes, I totally judged this book by its gorgeous cover. It was also my first read by Megan Frampton! I’d been wanting to read her for the longest time and I’m glad I read this one. I’m looking forward to reading the series from the start now!

Thomas is in need of a wealthy bride to save his family after a bad investment that cost his family fortune. Jane is a scandalized lady who’s living with her half-brother and in need of lessons in intimacy. The two strike a deal: she’ll help him land an heiress and he’ll teach her all the ways of the world and bedroom. I love reading these kinds of historical romances and I thought Megan Frampton did a great job at writing it!

Even though this is book 4 in a series, it read totally fine as a standalone. I wasn’t lost about anything and did enjoy the characters. The steam is great – Jane and Thomas share a lot of chemistry and they definitely act on it. The only reason why this isn’t quite a 4 star read, even though it was close, is because the second half of the book fell flat and wasn’t as engaging as the first half.

Still, for my first Megan Frampton read, it was solid! I can’t wait to read more historical romances by her and would love more covers like this one.


lacey

Reading Order: Hazards of Dukes series

 

#1 ~ Never Kiss a Duke: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Tall, Duke, and Dangerous: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ A Wicked Bargain for a Duke: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Gentleman Seeks Bride: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Four Weeks of Scandal: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads (June 28, 2022)

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Review: Love, Comment, Subscribe by Cathy Yardley

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Love, Comment, Subscribe by Cathy Yardley
Series: Ponto Beach Reunion #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 1st 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From award-winning author Cathy Yardley comes Love, Comment, Subscribe, a fun, feisty romance about high school frenemies turned unlikely collaborators.

Back in high school, Lily Wang wanted to be popular, but she considered herself lucky to be part of a tight group of oddballs and honors students called the Nerd Herd. Now, at twenty-eight, she feels like she’s finally on the cusp of succeeding as a beauty influencer—if she can hit five million subscribers, brands will take notice and she could get her own makeup line.

Fellow Nerd Herd alum Tobin Bui has had a lot of success as a YouTube gamer. But the road to online stardom has been rocky. First, he disappointed his parents by dropping out of college, and now, after years of pranks, skits, and playthroughs, he’s struggling to come up with new content to satisfy his ever-growing fan base. His agents say he needs cross-audience appeal, a new twist.

When Nerd Herd frenemy Lily approaches Tobin about teaming up to do a video to bolster her brand and reinvigorate his, he agrees. But when their first collab video goes viral, their relationship heats up too. With the whole internet watching, will these two former misfits finally realize they’re perfect together?

An Asian romance between YOUTUBERS!!! I LOVED the premise of this one: she’s a beauty guru, he’s a vlogger, and they were part of a nerdy group of friends back in high school. He also had a crush on her back then! They collaborate on YouTube to try to revive their channels and end up falling for each other.

Love, Comment, Subscribe was so fun and adorable. It was my first time reading Cathy Yardley and I already can’t wait to read more of her, especially from this series. I really enjoyed the main characters Lily and Tobin, with their silly and sweet banter. They knew each other back in high school but were never really that close, and now they’re feeling each other out as adults. They’re very opposite people – she’s rigid and he’s laid-back, which is also how they approach their YouTube channels. They somehow make it work between their channels and people are eating their videos together up. But how much of their relationship is real and how much of it is for the camera?

I had an amazing time reading Lily and Tobin’s romance. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and sexy. I also appreciated the more emotional aspect the story, with both Tobin and Lily struggling in their careers, dealing with anxiety and burnout. It’s not as easy as it looks to be a YouTuber. Overall, this was a fantastic start to a new contemporary romance series. Their friend group is also great and I can’t wait to read more of them, especially the second chance romance!


lacey

Reading Order: Ponto Beach Reunion series

#1 ~ Love, Comment, Subscribe: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Gouda Friends: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads (March 22, 2022)

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Review: Dance of a Burning Sea by E.J. Mellow

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Dance of a Burning Sea by E.J. Mellow
Series: Mousai #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 19th 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From award-winning author E. J. Mellow comes the thrilling second installment in the Mousai series, featuring a powerful sorceress who finds her loyalties tested by a ruthless pirate lord.

Within the world of Aadilor, there is a hidden place called the Thief Kingdom, where both magic and pleasure abound. There, the Mousai, a trio of deadly sorceresses bound by oath and blood, use their powers to protect the kingdom’s treasures.

Niya Bassette brings the potent gift of dance to the Mousai, but behind her tempting twirls, she carries a heavy secret—that the infamous pirate lord, Alōs Ezra, has been threatening to exploit for years. Now banished from the Thief Kingdom for smuggling, Alōs resurfaces in Niya’s life with a plot to hold her hostage, leveraging what he knows to extort a pardon from the Thief King.

But Niya makes her own deal with Alōs to guard her secret and guarantee her freedom—yet in doing so binds herself aboard his pirate ship, where she must navigate deadly waters, a bloodthirsty crew, and her own traitorous heart. Soon, a simmering attraction between her and Alōs threatens their delicate truce and makes for a tumultuous ride on the open seas. Far from her kingdom, Niya is entangled in a dangerous dance indeed.

Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where dark deeds can mask noble hearts and the most alluring of sways often ends with a burn. Care for a spin?

When I read the first book in the Mousai series, I saw a lot of potential in this fantasy world. I liked the dynamic between our three Mousai sisters and was looking forward to reading more about them. I ended up liking this second book slightly more than the first! I’m still not completely sold on the series, but it’s still an enjoyable fantasy romance. Plus, pirates!

Dance of a Burning Sea is an enemies to lovers romance and reads perfectly fine as a standalone in this series. Niya is the second sister to get her romance – she’s a fire dancer and her romance is with pirate lord Alos Ezra. To say they don’t get along would be an understatement. They constantly go head to head and there’s a lot of great banter between them. They’re forced into some close proximity as they set out on an adventure at sea. I really enjoyed the setting here – I found it a lot more fun and exciting than the first book! Even though it was a bit long for my taste, I was never really bored while I was reading. Niya and Alos get to travel to distant lands, look for lost treasure, and pretty much live the pirate’s dream.

The only thing about this book is that I never truly fell for our main characters. I enjoyed their dynamic but wasn’t quite as immersed in their romance as much as I wanted to be. But if I just focused on the adventure aspect of the story, I had a great time reading this book. So if you prefer your fantasies more on the action and adventurous side, I would definitely recommend this one!


lacey

Reading Order: Mousai series

#1 ~ Song of the Forever Rains: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dance of a Burning Sea: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Symphony for a Deadly Throne: Ebook • Goodreads (February 14, 2023)

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Review: Homecoming King by Penny Reid

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Homecoming King by Penny Reid
Series: Three Kings #1
Publication Date: December 14th 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Rex “TW” McMurtry’s perpetual single-hood wouldn’t bother him so much if all his ex-girlfriends didn’t keep marrying the very next person they dated, especially when so many of those grooms are his closest friends. He may be a pro-football defensive end for the Chicago Squalls, but the press only wants to talk about how he’s always a groomsman and never a groom. Rex is sick of being the guy before the husband, and he’s most definitely sick of being the best man at all their weddings.

Bartender Abigail McNerny is the gal-pal, the wing-woman, the she-BFF. She’s dated. Once. And once was more than enough. Privy to all the sad stories of her customers, ‘contentment over commitment’ is her motto, and Abby is convinced no one on earth could ever entice her into a romantic relationship . . . except that one guy she’s loved since preschool.

The guy who just walked into her bar.

The guy who doesn’t recognize her.

The guy who is drunk and needs a ride home.

The guy who has a proposition she should definitely refuse.

This was ADORABLE! If you’re in the mood for a romance that’s sweet, feel-good, and fun, you need to read Homecoming King. It’s got a grumpy football player hero, a bartender heroine who used to crush on him back in school, and a marriage of convenience. I legit could not stop smiling while I read this book.

Abby is a bartender who’s sworn off romantic relationships after the mess that was her previous marriage. Then in walks the boy she used to love all throughout school, except Rex is all grown up now. He’s a professional football player who’s had some terrible luck with his own romantic relationships. Every woman he’s ever dated ended up marrying the man she met after dating Rex. He’s sick and tired of being known as “training wheels” for the women he dates so he concocts the perfect plan to stop the moniker: enter a marriage of convenience with Abby.

I loved Abby and Rex’s relationship! Abby is a lovable dork who’s still got a her schoolgirl crush on Rex but is trying to be professional/the best fake wife she can be for him. Even though we don’t get the hero’s POV, you can clearly see Rex slowly fall for Abby and simply adore everything about her, even as she’s a little oblivious to his feelings. Both are endearing, lovely characters I enjoyed reading about so much.

Also, I should’ve realized this was a holiday romance from the cover. I wish I read this a month earlier, but still, it was so good!


lacey

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