Now one of these books was a DNF after I’d posted the last one in August, one in September, but it seems I had a bunch in October.
The Mix Up (Meet Cute Book Club #6) by Rebecca Wilder
I received this book for free from Indie Pen PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Mix Up by Rebecca Wilder Series: Meet Cute Book Club #6
on August 25, 2022
Genres: Adult Contemporary Romance
Pages: 158
Source: Indie Pen PR
Format: E-galley
My Rating:
Goodreads
Arlowe
“I think that there’s been some kind of mix up.”
That’s my first clue that my stay in Lilac Harbor isn’t going to go according to plan.
There’s been a mistake with my rental booking and now instead of having the charming little bungalow on the shore all to myself, I’ve got a not so charming roommate.
Yates Warner.
He’s a grump in every sense of the word, but there’s something about the guarded translator that tugs at my heartstrings.
I’m determined to make the best of this situation, and who knows? Maybe my grumpy giant and I can even be friends.
Yates
Yeah, we’re definitely never going to be friends.
Arlowe Mitchell is too sweet for a grouchy loner like me. She’s too friendly, too generous, and way too optimistic.
Also, way too tempting.
The more time I spend with her, the more I want her.
When she tells me about the newest book her book club is reading and says how she always wanted to have a summer fling like the characters, I finally get my opening.
A four-week fling. No strings attached and we part at the end of the month to go our separate ways. The only rule we have is to not get attached.
I thought it would be a piece of cake to follow but the more time I spend around my new roomie, the more I realize that I’m in real trouble of breaking our one and only rule.
My thoughts:
This was part of a series that I was enjoying, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me. The dialogue was awkward, there was a lot of telling vs. showing. He didn’t come off as grumpy really, and she was kind of annoying and oblivious. I see it got high ratings, but it just didn’t work for me.
The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on September 6, 2022
Genres: Adult Holiday Romance, Adult LGBTQ Romance
Pages: 448
Source: the publisher
Format: ARC
My Rating:
Goodreads
For fans of Alexandria Bellefleur and Alexis Hall comes a charming, hilarious, and heartwarming LGBTQIA+ romcom about two separate couples finding love over the holidays from acclaimed author Roan Parrish!
Greta Russakoff loves her tight-knit family and tiny Maine hometown, even if they don't always understand what it's like to be a lesbian living in such a small world. She desperately needs space to figure out who she is.
Truman Belvedere has just had his heart crushed into a million pieces when he learned that his boyfriend of almost a year has a secret life that includes a husband and a daughter. Reeling from this discovery, all he wants is a place to lick his wounds far, far away from New Orleans.
Enter Greta and Truman's mutual friend, Ramona, who facilitates a month-long house swap. Over the winter holidays, each of them will have a chance to try on a new life...and maybe fall in love with the perfect partner of their dreams. But all holidays must come to an end, and eventually Greta and Truman will have to decide whether the love they each found so far from home is worth fighting for.
My Review:
The book started out okay, I was enjoying the bit that was taking place in NOLA. But some of it annoyed me in the romance part, and I also didn’t care for the little bit of drug use in it. Yes, they’re adults, but I can have the things that I don’t care for. Like someone they just started dating asking them to come in and smoke marijuana and all of a sudden it’s something that they do when it didn’t seem like a part of them before. So I quit, based on that and some other issues I was having.
Anne of Greenville by Mariko Tamaki
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Anne of Greenville by Mariko Tamaki Published by Melissa de la Cruz Studio on October 4, 2022
Genres: YA Contemporary, YA LGBTQ, YA Retelling, YA romance
Pages: 304
Source: the publisher
Format: ARC
My Rating:
Goodreads
This is the story of how I became Anne of Greenville. It’s also the story of how I found my true true, and how I needed to maybe come to Greenville, of all places, to make that happen.
In this modern reimagining of Anne of Green Gables, Anne is an ABBA-loving singer/actor/writer of disco-operas, queer, Japanese-American who longs to be understood for her artistic genius. Recently relocated to middle-of-nowhere Greenville and starting at a new school, Anne has a tendency to A) fall in love quickly, deeply, and effervescently and B) fly off the handle in the face of jerks. Both personality quirks quickly come into play when the soccer team boos the premiere of her disco performance, which—in a roundabout way—introduces her to her new BFF, Berry, and she soon after meets the girl of her dreams, Gilly.
Falling quickly into that age-old trap of ignoring the best friend for the new crush, Anne soon becomes embroiled in a series of dramatic and unfortunate events, and quickly finds herself wrapped up in a love triangle she never expected. Is she MTB with Gilly? Or is Berry her true soul mate? Only time (or 304 pages) will tell.
In this coming-of-age novel by fan-favorite author Mariko Tamaki, see the classic tale in a whole new light. Refreshingly bold and unapologetically unique, Anne of Greenville will make you want to stand up and sing!
My thoughts:
So, to be honest, I think I maybe read Anne of Green Gables once when I was younger, but I don’t remember much about it. The main character in this book was just too weird for me. I just couldn’t and quit pretty quickly.
Love & Agita by Grayson Avery
I received this book for free from Rachel's Random Resources in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Love and Agita by Grayson Avery on September 30, 2022
Genres: Adult Contemporary Romance, Adult Romantic Comedy
Pages: 312
Source: Rachel's Random Resources
Format: E-galley
My Rating:
Goodreads
"The Hating Game meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding!"
You think you have a crazy family? Meet Leo Donati, a great guy from a wacky New York Italian family, who is expected to live his life a certain way. There are a few family rules etched in stone that he has done his best to follow:
1. Attend Sunday family dinner. It’s at 2:00. Nobody knows why.2. Love your mother. 3. Never tell Nonna you're full. Unless you have a death wish. 4. Marry Italian. 5. Family comes first. Always. Friends come and go, but family is forever.
The only problem? He's not living his best life. Not even close. Single, lonely, and spending way too much time at the gym burning sexual energy and ungodly amounts of pasta, Leo hopes his life will change when his father hands over the family business. If only things were that simple. A takeover offer on the business puts Leo on the war path against a strikingly sexy, but overly competitive Jewish woman who is seemingly intent on ruining his life. At least that's how Leo sees it.
As tension rises and Italian tempers flare, Leo wonders if perhaps hate isn't the most accurate word for how he feels about his new nemesis. But it could never work. Yeah, the pizza bagel exists, but real-life cultural divides are more complicated than that, aren't they?
Humor abounds as corporations and cultures collide. Leo tries to thwart the takeover, find love and happiness, while also trying to avoid being bludgeoned to death by his Nonna's wooden spoon.
Love & Agita is a laugh-out loud, romantic comedy that has it all: twists, turns, emotional depth, sparkling chemistry and hilarious banter that flies off the page.
My thoughts:
At first I thought I was going to really enjoy the book because I come from a big Italian family on my dad’s side, so some of the stuff was familiar. But the dialogue was kind of stilted at times, and then some of the conversation just seemed really out of place and like I said, awkward, so I gave up on this one at 21%.
The Witch Hunt (The Witch Haven #2) by Sasha Peyton Smith
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Witch Hunt by Sasha Peyton Smith Series: The Witch Haven #2
Published by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers on October 11, 2022
Genres: YA Paranormal Romance
Pages: 352
Source: the publisher
Format: ARC
My Rating:
Goodreads
Deluxe edition with special embellishments on first printing only!
The lush and pulse-pounding sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Witch Haven follows Frances and her fellow witches to the streets of Paris where family secrets, lost loves, and dangerous magic await.
Months after the devastating battle between the Sons of St. Druon and the witches of Haxahaven, Frances has built a quiet, safe life for herself, teaching young witches and tending the garden within the walls of Haxahaven Academy. But one thing nags; her magic has begun to act strangely. When an opportunity to visit Paris arises, Frances jumps at the chance to go, longing for adventure and seeking answers about her own power.
Once she and her classmates Maxine and Lena reach the vibrant streets of France, Frances learns that the spell she used to speak to her dead brother has had terrible consequences—the veil between the living and the dead has been torn by her recklessness, and a group of magicians are using the rift for their own gain at a horrifying cost.
To right this wrong, and save lives and her own magical powers, Frances must hunt down answers in the parlors of Parisian secret societies, the halls of the Louvre, and the tunnels of the catacombs. Her only choice is to team up with the person she swore she’d never trust again, risking further betrayal and her own life in the process.
My thoughts:
I tried this one. I really had enjoyed the first book, The Witch Haven. So I was really excited when the publisher reached out to offer me a copy of the second book. Unfortunately the story dragged, not a lot happening really, and I just gave up at about 17%.
Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things by Maya Prasad
I received this book for free from Books for trade, the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things by Maya Prasad Published by Disney-Hyperion on October 18, 2022
Genres: YA Contemporary Romance
Pages: 464
Source: Books for trade, the publisher
Format: ARC
My Rating:
Goodreads
Four sisters, four seasons, four flavors of romance.
The Singh sisters grew up helping their father navigate the bustle of the Songbird Inn. Nestled on dreamy and drizzly Orcas Island in the Pacific Northwest, the inn's always been warm and cozy and filled with interesting guests—the perfect home. But things are about to heat up now that the Songbird has been named the Most Romantic Inn in America.
Nidhi has everything planned out—until a storm brings a wayward tree crashing into her life one autumn . . . and along with it, an intriguing construction worker and a yearning for her motherland. Suddenly, she's questioning everything she thought she wanted.
Avani can't sit still. If she does, her grief for Pop, their dad's late husband, will overwhelm her. So she keeps moving as much as she can, planning an elaborate Winter Ball in Pop's memory. Until a blizzard traps her in a barn with the boy she accidentally stood up and has been actively avoiding ever since.
Sirisha loves seeing the world through her camera, but her shyness prevents her from stepping out from behind the lens. Talking to girls is such a struggle! When a pretty actress comes to the Songbird with her theater troupe, spring has sprung for Sirisha—if only she can find the words.
Rani is a hopeless romantic through and through. After gently nudging her sisters to open their hearts, she is convinced it's finally her turn to find love. When two potential suitors float in on a summer breeze, Rani is swept up in grandeur to match her wildest Bollywood dreams. But which boy is the one she's meant to be with?
Ultimately, the magic of the Songbird Inn leads the tight-knit Singh sisters to new passions and breathtaking kisses—and to unearth the truest versions of themselves.
Perfect for fans of Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before, this sparkling YA rom-com celebrates sisterhood, family, and the love all around us.
My thoughts:
I wanted to love this one so much!! I mean, first I got a copy from a books for trade deal on Twitter. Then a day after I made the trade, I got two copies of the ARC from the publisher, so I ended up with three copies, lol. And it wasn’t that it was bad. But it was really slow, and third person which makes things slower for me. There were also great food descriptions, so I kind of wanted to read on just for that, but it was also a long book, over 400 pages.
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All these look so good! I’m sorry they didn’t meet expectations.
Yeah, just didn’t work for me, while they might work for someone else though!
It seems like you had good reasons for DNFing these, and with all the books you read, this isn’t too bad!
Yeah, I feel guilty sometimes, and other times I don’t. But I have to learn that if I am not getting into it, there are too many other books to read to continue wasting time.