amateur_bookworm's reviews
525 reviews

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

My summary:

Ellie Sinclair is a live-in nanny taking care of Nico, the eight-year-old son of billionaire Rafael Lopez. She moved back to her small hometown of Lake Wisteria after being betrayed by her best friend who made it big as a singer without crediting Ellie for being her songwriter. Rafael is a billionaire after designing a popular real estate app with his cousin years ago. After being badly hurt by his ex-wife, Rafael swore off getting close to anyone again. As both Ellie and Rafael struggle with past trauma, they can’t help but be drawn to each other.

My thoughts:

Love Unwritten by Lauren Asher is the second book of the Lakefront Billionaire series. The books are interconnected but this could be read as a standalone book.

Nico has my heart. This adorable 8-year old was introduced in Love Redesigned as the godson of rivals-to-lovers Julian and Dahlia. My heart just breaks for his eye condition, his POS mom, and his strained relationship with his dad. Thank goodness for Ellie and her music!

This is a slow burn romance with small town vibes. I enjoyed aspects of the story and the overall ending, but it just moved a little too slow and was a little too long for me to really love it. I absolutely adored Love Redesigned and I had extremely high expectations for this second book of the series. And it was fine—just not as great as I was expecting and hoping it to be. I didn’t feel much chemistry between Ellie and Rafa. I found myself annoyed with their lack of communication. But I did love Ellie’s songwriting storyline and I got literal goosebumps at one point when one of her songs was played!

It is absolutely worth the hassle to download the extended epilogue from BookFunnel. I really enjoyed it and it left me with a smile and feeling good at the end of it.

I feel like I must be a bit burnt out on romance and I’m probably overdue for a genre switch for a bit. This is one of those books where I am left wondering if I would have had a better perception of it if I’d been less stuck in a rut of the same genre leading up to reading it.

Overall, I do enjoy Lauren Asher’s books and this series enough to [im]patiently wait for the third installment of the series with Lorenzo and Lily’s story!

Content Warnings

House of Earth and Blood: Part 2 of 2 by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

My summary:

Bryce Quinlan is a half-fae, half-human party girl living in Crescent City. Her roommate and best friend since college is Danika Fendyr, a powerful wolf shifter that will someday lead her pack. The two are inseparable, as well as with Danika’s pack, until gruesome murders occur that rock Bryce’s world to her core. Two years later, when another similar murder occurs, Bryce finds herself pulled into the investigation to try to find the killer and avenge the deaths of those closest to her. Bryce is saddled with Hunt Athalar, the Shadow of Death, a fallen angel and a slave to the Archangels, in the investigation. In a world ruled by the Asteri and governed by the Archangels, the constant war between the Vanir and the humans set a backdrop of Bryce and Hunt trying to save Crescent City in their quest for vengeance.

My thoughts:

If you haven’t yet listened to a GraphicAudio version audiobook, then you are absolutely missing out! I really love the Graphic Audio version audiobooks.

GraphicAudio says it’s a “movie for your ears” and they’re not wrong. It features a full cast, sound effects, and music. It is so much more fun than listening to a traditional audiobook, especially for fantasy books. They are not an unabridged version of the books though, so if you’re not ok with the adapted version then you should listen to the traditional audiobook version.

I have read all of the Crescent City books and I really love this series! Listening to this version of the audiobook is so fun, I’d completely forget I was actually working while listening along. It’s so easy to be completely immersed in the story with the full cast and sound effects. I really felt pulled into the story the entire time while listening.

The irreverent Bryce never serves to disappoint, and I feel like this audiobook really made that shine! I enjoyed the casting of every character. My favorite part of listening to the audiobooks of fantasy books is always finding out that I was mispronouncing every name and place. It always makes me chuckle a bit to hear the right pronunciation versus what I thought it was all along.

I can’t wait for the rest of the Crescent City series to be released as GraphicAudio versions. Hopefully it will tide me over until the next book in the series is published!

Content Warnings

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

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emotional funny sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

My summary:

Rue Siebert has a chemical engineering PhD and works with her best friend, Tisha. Rue loves her job and the company she works for, Kline. The woman who founded it, Florence, has always been a friend and a mentor to her. Not one for relationships, Rue depends on a hookup app and meets Eli through it, and although instantly attracted to each other, their night is waylaid by an interruption. The next day, an announcement is made at Rue’s company that Harkness, a private equity firm, has acquired the company’s loan. Rue is shocked to find Eli there, as he is an owner of Harkness. As the hostile takeover begins, Rue and Eli are pitted against each other on opposite sides but their attraction is too much to resist.

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book and the longer I sit and reflect on it, the more I like it. Not in Love is NOT a typical Ali Hazelwood STEM romcom. At all. There is a strong STEM female main character, and there is romance, but this is the darker and grittier sister to the otherwise lighthearted and flirtier preceding books of hers. I found it to be tragically beautiful.

I suggest everyone read the author’s note at the beginning before reading, or better yet, before purchasing. Especially if you’re expecting Ali’s typical lighthearted rom-com. It’s a very accurate summation of the plot. I’ve already seen a handful of other reviews that DNF or disliked it. And one didn’t even start it because of the author’s note and the themes in the book. This is a book best enjoyed if you know what you’re diving into.

I liked this book right off the bat. It’s witty but you have to work a bit to really absorb it all. Her humor reminds me of a masterful stand-up comedian whose best jokes and stories circle back to phrasing or references from earlier.

And apparently a smutty yet still science-y Ali Hazelwood is exactly what I need in my life. I knew before it was released that this book would be a lot spicier than her other books. And it is, but I’d call it smut with a brain (Intelligent smut?). It didn’t feel like the main focus to me. The smut isn’t THE plot, the smut is a tool used to advance the plot (plus, to entertain. I mean, it’s still smut in a romance book).

Overall, I was really invested in how everything would play out for Eli and Rue. I love Eli’s patience with Rue. I enjoyed the descriptions of Rue’s thoughts as she grappled with her feelings. I really enjoyed Eli’s friends and Tisha (and even Nyota) for Rue.

I love the little details in this book, especially the chapters having titles. I’m not sure why books seemed to get away from this but it always feels like a little treat when they are included.

This book is witty, but it’s definitely not a rom-com. It’s spicy, but it’s not pure smut and there IS a plot. It’s a romance, but it’s just as much a recovery from past traumas and healing enough to love.

I love that Ali’s last few books have been so different. YA, paranormal, and now a darker sister of STEM. (I loved the Mallory Greenleaf reference!) I enjoy Ali’s writing and I like to see her branching out. Although I love all of her STEM romcoms, if you’ve read one then you’ve read them all. I love seeing her writing showcased differently now.

Also, Ali Hazelwood has a STEM background. Her bio says she pursued a PhD in neuroscience. This story really makes me wonder if she got screwed in academia and, then, instead went on to be a writer. I’m wondering if there’s any of her truth in here. It feels pretty raw. I’m also sure that this exploitation of grad students and their intellectual property is likely a real and life-changing issue in the world of academia. Either way, this book really hit it out of the park for me.

Content Warnings

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

My summary:

Alexis Montgomery is coming off of a bad breakup with an emotionally abusive man and trying to find herself under the heavy expectations of her parents. She is an ER doctor with a family legacy at her hospital, where a Montgomery has worked for the last 125 years. With both her parents retired and her brother working abroad, the legacy is squarely on Alexis’s shoulders. When Alexis finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere on her way back to the city, Daniel Grant rescues her. Living in the small town of Wakan, Daniel is a local mainstay in the community. As sparks fly between Alexis and Daniel, it seems as though their worlds can never merge despite their feelings for each other.

My thoughts:

The Part of Your World Series by Abby Jimenez is truly phenomenal. I have read and now listened to all three books of the series. They can be read or listened to as interconnected standalones, although reading or listening in order would be best. It also ties in here and there to Abby’s Friend Zone series, which I also enjoy as a series.

This audiobook is so witty. I was literally laughing out loud and smiling along while listening. I absolutely adore both narrators. It’s narrated by Julia Whelan and Zachary Webber. They both do a fantastic job with a fantastic story.

First of all, Daniel has a baby goat in pajamas. Where exactly is the conundrum in deciding to date him? Like, what more could you possibly ask for??!? C’mon, Alexis, pull your head out of your ass already.

Secondly, Daniel is just perfect. He is so wholesome, kind, selfless, and down to earth. And he tows women out of ditches and makes the best grilled cheeses.

And third, Alexis made me want to beat my head on the wall at times. She is snooty, spoiled, too worried about her image, and self-centered through almost all of the book. And I get that she’s a spoiled rich girl that’s always had someone clean her house. But to not know how to use a broom? C’mon. It’s so dumb.

Lastly, the group effort of the dick pic was amazing. I laughed so hard. Everyone needs friends like Doug and Liz.

Overall, this is a great and heartwarming story. I love the small town vibes and the message of finding what is truly important to yourself. Abby’s books just have so much more substance than what it seems on face value. I highly recommend the books or audiobooks of this entire series.

Content Warnings

Holding the Reins by Paisley Hope

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

My summary:

Cece Ashby returns to her small hometown in Kentucky after calling off her engagement to Andrew, a hotshot lawyer that she’s dated for the last seven years. She started dating him in college but has now realized he’s a cheating scumbag. Moving back from Seattle is bittersweet for Cece since her beloved dad passed away only a few months ago. Although happy to be with her mom, brothers and niece, Cece is not prepared to see Nash Carter. Nash is a retired NHL star and grew up like an annoying brother to Cece and is still best friends with her brothers. The Ashbys took Nash in after he traumatically lost his parents as a teenager. Now, sparks fly when Cece takes a job under Nash at the ice rink he owns in town. And it takes all of Nash’s control to try to keep his hands off his best friend’s little sister.

My thoughts:

Holding the Reins is Paisley Hope’s debut novel and the first book of the Silver Pines series. It is a small town, spicy romance and a lot of my favorite tropes are here! Best friend’s little sister, return to hometown, retired NHL star, found family, secret relationship, and workplace romance.

It is originally self-published and was released in February 2024. And now it’s been picked up by a traditional publisher and is being re-released in August 2024. Paisley has a lot more in the pipeline already and her writing is really promising as a new author!

The characters are really lovable. Everyone, from the main characters to the side characters, are really fun and impossible to dislike. Nash Carter can be so swoony at times and Cece is adorable. There is witty banter, especially in the text messages. And Nash’s backstory is so heartbreaking and tragic, so you can’t help but hope for his happy ending.

I really enjoy the small town aspects of this story! The people, the gossip (literally everyone knew about the vibrator at the beginning), and the sense of community. I love the Sangria Sundays with all the women in town together at the bar and then collectively hungover on Mondays.

The bones of a good story are here but it needs more refinement. I’m really excited to watch the glow up that Paisley is sure to have under a big publisher. There were a lot of typos. The writing style feels fairly amateur and some of the phrases were really repetitive (we get it, your boss is a hard-ass). I also found most of the spice to be pretty cringey.

Overall, the foundation of a great series is here and the carpet is rolled out for Wade and Ivy’s story and Cole and Ginger’s story. I’m excited to see not only what happens at the Silver Pines Ranch, but also to see Paisley Hope’s career take off!

Content Warnings

Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver

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dark funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

My summary:

Lark Montague is a singer—and a serial killer. Once the victim of abuse at her boarding school, she has since made it her mission in life to rid the world of as many other abusers as she can. When one such event goes wrong, Lark has to call in a cleanup crew. The responding guy is a complete asshat, who she later finds out is Lachlan Kane. Lachlan’s brother, Rowan, is marrying Lark’s best friend, Sloane. And now Lachlan, a leather worker by day, is stuck in his contract job even longer after he botched Lark’s cleanup job. When a threat emerges against Lark’s family, the only way to save those she loves is to do the unthinkable and marry Lachlan. And also find the person hunting them.

My thoughts:

Leather & Lark is the second book of the dark romance Ruinous Love trilogy by Brynne Weaver. This book, just like the first in the series, is a wild ride.

This book is completely fecking unhinged, right off the bat. Lark is the beautiful singer and sparky serial killer that I never knew I needed in my life. And Lachlan’s determination to win over Lark is, well, sweet and hot.

I love the little bit of overlap in time between this book and Butcher & Blackbird. Somehow this was a more tender and less murder-y book than Butcher & Blackbird. There is still plenty of dark humor here but not quite as much as I hoped to have.

Brynne Weaver does say the injured dog listed in the trigger warnings will be ok. But seriously, if he wasn’t, I would throw hands over it. I can deal just fine with the serial killers but I absolutely cannot deal with dogs being harmed. So, I will confirm that she told the truth and the dog is ok.

I enjoy that it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I do *not* enjoy now having to wait for the third and final book of this trilogy.

Content Warnings

The Empowering ADHD Workbook for Women by Estelle Rose

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informative medium-paced

4.0

My summary:

The Empowering ADHD Workbook for Women starts out with an easy-reading and succinct overview of ADHD and then launches into an easy to follow overview of coping strategies to not only help you survive, but thrive in life.

My thoughts:

The Empowering ADHD Workbook for Women is a no-nonsense guide to basics that can help anyone function better in life, with ADHD or not.

The publisher reached out to me and asked if I’d be willing to read this book and leave a review. Although I don’t have ADHD, nor do I have anyone close to me with it, I agreed. I hoped some coping mechanisms or techniques discussed might just be generally helpful in life.

This book is a good reminder that basics matter.

It lays out easy steps to take in every facet of life. Instead of making whole, sweeping lifestyle changes, it recommends manageable ideas to form lasting habits. For example, in the food section, it recommends picking 1-3 of the suggestions to implement instead of the entire list.

I already practice a lot of the recommendations in this book, so although not life-changing in that respect, it does feel validating.

Some great recommendations mentioned in this book, that I personally use daily and that have been nothing short of life-changing for me, are the Balance app and the 5-Minute Journal. I also have read and highly recommend Atomic Habits by James Clear, which would be a great supplement to this book to help put suggestions here into practice.

Overall, I found this book to simply lay out some practical life tips. Although a lot of it is not applicable to me or new information for me, it is still a good reminder of the important basics in life.

Hopeless by Elsie Silver

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emotional funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

My summary:

Beau Eaton has always been the happy-go-lucky golden boy of Chestnut Springs and an elite special forces soldier. After going missing on his last mission and then returning home injured, Beau has struggled to find a purpose in life without his military career. That is, until he starts spending time around Bailey Jansen. Bailey has grown up in Chestnut Springs with the stigma of being the youngest daughter of the trashiest family in town. Her only goal is to save up enough money to get away from this town and never look back. But then Beau offers Bailey a fake engagement that seems too good to be true. And as Bailey helps Beau feel whole again, Beau makes her feel loved for the first time ever.

My thoughts:

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the Chestnut Springs series and I was really excited to get to Beau’s story to wrap it up.

Beau is introduced early in the series as the fun brother and a badass special forces soldier. Then, we find out he is missing in action. And after he returns home from convalescing from his injuries, he is quiet and withdrawn. And now we get his story.

Bailey is adorable and I just want to scoop her up but also simultaneously knock out every jerk in town that is rude to her. I enjoy the banter and interactions between her and Beau. And Beau is complicated, yet sweet with Bailey. But all of the age gap references do get a little tiresome. I get it, I get it—she’s a lot younger than him.

I love that the other books in this series have sweet nicknames: Princess, Red, Sunny, Tink (as in, Tinkerbell), ….. and then we have Sugar Tits. Hilarious!

This series has been so good that I’ve even overlooked her use of the word “folds”. And it takes an excellent romance book to overcome that usage.

Overall, I adore this series and every book is so good! My favorite is Heartless, then Flawless, Powerless, Reckless and, lastly, Hopeless. My favorite girl is Willa and I’m going to have to go with Jasper as my favorite guy (followed closely by Harvey!). And I’ve found out that I really enjoy cowboy romances!

Content Warnings

Reckless by Elsie Silver

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emotional funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

My summary:

Winter Hamilton is a resident physician with her life falling apart. Her perfect heart surgeon of a husband is really a douchebag, her perfect plastic surgeon mother is only concerned with public opinion, and the only person she wants a relationship with is her estranged sister. After deciding to get a divorce and switch hospitals, Winter goes out to Chestnut Springs for Christmas with her sister, Summer, at the Eaton ranch. Sparks fly when Winter first meets Theo Silva, a cocky and charming bull rider, and the protégé of her sister’s fiancé. After a fiery first exchange, the night ends with Winter and Theo making an agreement for a one night stand with no strings attached. But that plan goes to shit with a surprise pregnancy.

My thoughts:

This fourth book of the Chestnut Springs series does not disappoint. It starts off with a bang. Well, actually, more of a tease. And I was immediately hooked!

I would never have guessed that I would like the one night stand and secret baby trope as much as I do in this book. It’s somehow sweet and still pretty hot at the same time.

There is a point early on in this book where I saw no redemption possible for Theo. But Elsie Silver worked her magic and I am Team Theo all the way.

I feel like Winter is a little too relatable at times. I hate for the bitchy girl in the series to be the one I see myself in, but, here we are. It is nice to get her point of view after only getting her sister’s side of the story in the previous books. And it’s really nice to see her character develop through the story and for her to get a happy ending (c’mon, it’s a romance book, I’m not spoiling that there’s a happy ever after).

I’m still loving the Harvey bonus scenes at the end! They are in the Blooms edition books and it feels like its own fun series.

I can’t believe how fast I’ve read this series and I’m sad that I only have one book left, but I’m really interested in getting Beau’s story.

Content Warnings

Powerless by Elsie Silver

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funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

My summary:

When Sloane Winthrop’s entire life blows up moments before her wedding that she never wanted, all she wants to do is go to her uncle’s ranch. As a kid, the Eaton’s ranch was a safe haven during the summer away from her stuffy parents—and also where she spent time with Jasper Gervais, her childhood crush. Jasper escaped an awful home life when Beau Eaton took him home when they both were in high school. The Eatons raised Jasper just like he was one of the family. Now a big-time NHL goalie, Jasper has always stayed friends with Sloane, a prima ballerina at a big dance company in the same city. After Jasper busts Sloane out of her wedding and takes her to the ranch, they get the devastating news that Beau is missing in action from his special forces unit. Jasper and Sloane turn to each other to cope, as they always have—but this time they may finally be on the same page together with their feelings for each other.

My thoughts:

I just adore Elsie Silver’s writing style. It’s sassy and hilarious and tugs at the heartstrings and the characters are just perfect. I’ve really enjoyed the Chestnut Springs series so far and switching from cowboy romance to a bit of a hockey romance in the third book just works perfectly for me.

Jasper had me swooning in the first six pages. His story is so heartbreaking and redeeming at the same time. The scene with him and Harvey at the table with the news of Beau missing had me gutted. This book is much more sad and emotional than the others so far in the series. And Sloane’s support of Jasper ever since they were kids is, just, everything.

The slow-burn friends-to-lovers plot had me chomping at the bit for Jasper and Sloane to just make it happen already. But when it does finally happen, it does not disappoint!

Also, Sterling Woodcock?!? Excuse me while I die over Sloane’s douchebag fiancé’s name. And anytime I have to put a book down to Google a reference of a person, with the accurate premonition that I should use private browsing mode for said search, well, I was cackling as I found out who Peter North is (yeah—I’m clearly not Canadian).

I’m excited for Winter and Theo’s story in the next book. But, now, what I’m really here for is Beau’s story. I feel so invested in his outcome after his bit in this book.

Note: I’ve found myself really looking forward to the Harvey bonus scene at the end of each Bloom edition book. It is just a great little cherry on top at the end of each story.

Content Warnings

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amateur_bookworm's reviews 525 reviews

amateur_bookworm's reviews
525 reviews