Book Review: Flawless by Elsie Silver

Flawless (Chestnut Springs #1)
Pub Date: 24 June 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

The rules were simple… Keep my hands off his daughter and stay out of trouble. But now I’m stuck with her… And there’s only one bed… Oh well, rules are made — to be broken… aren’t they?

I’m the face of professional bull riding — the golden boy.
Or at least I was, until it all blew up in my face.
Now my agent says I have to clean up my image, so I’m stuck with his ball-busting daughter for the rest of the season as my “full-time supervision.”

But I don’t need a goddamn babysitter — especially one with skin-tight jeans, a sexy smirk, and a mouth she can’t stop running.

A mouth I just can’t stop thinking about…

Because Summer isn’t just another conquest.
She sees the man behind the mask, and she doesn’t run—she pulls me closer, even when she shouldn’t.

She says this means nothing—but I say this means everything.

She says there are boundaries we shouldn’t cross.
That my reputation can’t take any more hits — and neither can her damaged heart.

I say I’m going to steal it anyway.

TL;DR: I can see why this is such a popular romance. I enjoyed their hate-to-love dynamic and how they got to know each other. Despite moments in the end when both characters irritated me with their decisions and drama, Summer and Rhett complemented each other well. This was a lot steamier than I expected but overall, a fun small-town cowboy romance!

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ARC Review: Do Me A Favor by Cathy Yardley

Special thanks to the author for providing me a digital ARC of this book via the publisher on NetGalley!

Do Me A Favor
Publisher: Montlake
Publication Date: 25 June 2024
Genre: Adult Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Willa Lieu-Endicott moved from California to the Pacific Northwest to start over. Since her husband’s death, she’s been struggling to get back her old career as a cookbook ghostwriter. Unfortunately, her latest project—ghostwriting for a viral cooking sensation known more for his washboard abs than his meals—has her stuck.

Until she meets her new neighbor.

Hudson Daws, the handyman next door, lives on a farm with his parents and two adult children. He’s the opposite of everything she’s ever known. His happily chaotic life includes biker barbecues, an escape artist dog, and adorably menacing goats. He’s also got a sinfully sexy smile and a rumbling bass voice that makes her shiver. He inspires her.

From their first meeting, the two fall into an escalating cycle of favors, paybacks…and attraction, even though Willa’s trying to keep her distance.

They both have their own pasts to deal with. Now, they just have to figure out if they have a future.

A delectable rom-com about a widowed cookbook writer and a divorced handyman who find that it’s never too late for a fresh start.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Parental estrangement and abandonment; death of spouse (off-page); chronic illness – type 1 diabetes (secondary character); brief mention of infidelity; drug use; sex on page

TL;DR: Do Me A Favor was a sweet, wholesome and sexy romance featuring older protagonists who just needed a bit of a push to love themselves first. This was a really enjoyable romance to devour (and I didn’t put it down until I finished it)! It gave me great comfort to read and I would recommend it to those who love a soft love story that balances the romance and character growth beautifully, plus a HEA for characters who couldn’t be more deserving of one.

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Book Review: The Singles Table by Sara Desai

The Singles Table (Marriage Game #3)
Publisher: Berkley
Pub Date: 16 November 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Opposites attract in this romantic comedy about a free-spirited lawyer who is determined to find the perfect match for the grumpy bachelor at her friend’s wedding.

After a devastating break-up, celebrity-obsessed lawyer Zara Patel is determined never to open her heart again. She puts her energy into building her career and helping her friends find romance through the wedding season. She’s never faced a guest at the singles table she couldn’t match, until she crosses paths with the sinfully sexy Jay Donovan.

Former military security specialist Jay has no time for love. His life is about working hard, staying focused, and winning at all costs. When charismatic Zara crashes into his life, he’s thrown into close contact with exactly the kind of chaos he wants to avoid. Worse, they’re stuck together for the entire wedding season.

So they make a deal. She’ll find his special someone if he introduces her to his celebrity clients. But when their arrangement brings them together in ways they never expected, they realize that the perfect match might just be their own.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

PTSD, panic attack, car accident (happens to secondary characters off-page), war-time flashbacks

TL;DR: I ended up loving The Singles Table! From the moment Zara’s beautiful vibrant personality is introduced and they get their meet cute (she shoots him in the ass with a paintball gun as he’s being an insufferable prick!), I was fully sold on their romance. We get more meddling aunties, badass mums with sweet biker boyfriends, an eccentric artist father who… paints intimate portraits and so much great banter. This is by far my favourite in this series and I would recommend it if you love the grumpy/sunshine trope because Zara and Jay were the perfect pairing.

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ARC Review: Change of Heart by Kate Canterbary

Special thanks to the author for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Change of Heart
Publication Date: 25 June 2024
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Grey’s Anatomy meets a gender-swapped Wedding Crashers in this spicy rom-com about a one-night stand with The One, walking the tightrope of love and workplace ethics, and knowing which rules are worth breaking.

Every summer, superstar surgeon Whitney Aldritch crashes weddings with her best friend. The first one was an accident though after a decade of dropping in uninvited, they’re masters of their craft. They keep the rules simple and they never go to bed alone.

Then there’s Henry Hazlette, best man and the best one-night stand of Whit’s summer. She never imagined she’d see him again but now he’s one of her new surgical residents—and completely off-limits.

Whitney has staked her reputation on leading the hospital’s new ethics initiative. While Henry is under her supervision, they have to keep it professional. But it doesn’t help that she can’t turn around without running face-first into his offensively broad chest or rubbing up against him in crammed elevators. Also not helping: the way he smiles at her like he can hear her every not-safe-for-work thought.

All they have to do is survive this residency—and the accidental tarot card readings that hit too close to home, a few uninvited houseguests, and the hospital’s hyperactive rumor mill—but only if they’re prepared to bend some rules as the feelings go from just for tonight to get it out of our systems to mine.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Parental estrangement and abandonment; parental divorce; chronic illness (secondary character); brief mention of suicide (in the past, not detailed, not a central character); mention of infidelity (secondary characters); frequent medical, hospital, and surgical discussion (no blood, no gore); discussion of donor organ retrieval and organ transplant surgeries (no blood, no gore); brief discussion of mountain rescue situations (not detailed); discussion of workplace bullying (off-page)

TL;DR: I didn’t think I would feel a little weepy reading Change of Heart but that’s how much I loved these characters and their romance. Canterbary somehow manages to do this to me every time and let’s be real: I would willingly let her keep doing it, too! I adored Henry and Whitney and their relationship journey but as much as I loved Whitney and her boss energy, I LOVED Henry! Oh, my granola, this man had my heart ready to burst with his acts of service, loyalty and big golden retriever energy. Help, THE FEELINGS! Also, I’m 100% here for the Grey’s Anatomy vibes and I sincerely cannot wait until Canterbary gives us more of this hospital crew because they are amazing.

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Mini Series Review: Hidden Legacy by Ilona Andrews

If you’ve been on the blog lately you’ve seen that I developed a mild obsession with the Hidden Legacy Series by Ilona Andrews. I’ve finished the first three Nevada Baylor books in the series over the last two days and I’m already itching to read more! 😂 I do get wordy in these mini-reviews so… TL;DR: This series is amazing. With awesome world-building, a fascinating House magic system, and characters who are so easy to root for and who end up feeling like family, this is a series I would recommend to those who love their paranormal urban fantasies coupled with (a bit of) steamy romance!

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Book Review: The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

The Kiss Countdown
Publisher: Penguin
Pub Date:
4 April 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Discover the sizzling new fake-dating romance, perfect for fans of The Love Hypothesis and The Hating Game

Three. Two. One…Romance?

Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to be evicted.
The last thing she needed was to run into her ex and his new girlfriend at her favourite coffee shop. Panicked, Amerie pretends to be dating the annoyingly sexy man she met. He plays along – for a price.

Half the single men in Houston claim to be astronauts, but Vincent Rogers turns out to be the real deal. What started as a one-off lie morphs into a plan: for the three months leading up to his mission, Amerie will play Vincent’s doting partner. In exchange, she gets a rent-free room in his house.

What Amerie doesn’t plan for is Vincent’s gravitational pull.
While her mind tells her a future with this astronaut is too unpredictable, her heart says he’s exactly what she needs. As their time together counts down, Amerie must decide if she’ll settle for the safe life – or shoot for the stars.

TL;DR: I was pleasantly surprised by The Kiss Countdown and think it’s a great romance debut. This fake dating romance was a slow burn and honestly, the story felt like a warm hug with relatable characters and wonderful heartwarming family moments. I loved Mimi and Vincent together and how this also had a strong focus on friendship and character growth.

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Book Review: Brewed in Magic by Jenna Wolfhart

Brewed in Magic (Falling for Fables #2)
Pub Date: 2 January 2024
Genre: Cosy Fantasy Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Lilia has always had a wanderer’s heart. She spends her days on the road with her famous Traveling Tavern and only a dragon to keep her company. Despite longing for a deeper connection, she knows she’s destined to wander the world alone.

When she meets a handsome stranger on her journey to the winter festival, she finally feels she’s found a kindred spirit…until he vanishes in the early morning without so much as a goodbye.

Turns out, he rushed ahead to reach the festival first with his own traveling tavern. One he never mentioned. Now her would-be companion is her rival, or worse. Someone is trying to sabotage the festival by stealing supplies, and all her suspicions point to him.

But when he offers to help find the culprit, sparks melt the icy barriers between them. And Lilia must decide if she can trust him with saving the festival—and with her heart.

Brewed in Magic is a stand-alone cozy romantasy set in the whimsical world of Falling for Fables.

TL;DR: This series is living up to its cosy romantasy vibes and this second book was adorable! I enjoyed the festival setting, the rivals-to-lovers romance, and the adventures they get up to throughout the story featuring dragons, thieves, mountain trolls, and more. I admit that some elements were a bit too… Bonkers. I also wish the conflict and “bad guy” were given more page time to be fleshed out because it all ended so quickly that I was left slightly underwhelmed. But if you’re here for romance and a cosy good time, this will be an enjoyable read for you, as it was for me.

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Book Review: Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

Act Your Age, Eve Brown (Brown Sisters #3)
Publisher: Avon
Pub Date: 9 March 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong—so she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It’s time for Eve to grow up and prove herself—even though she’s not entirely sure how…

Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner’s on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry—and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car—supposedly by accident. Yeah, right.

Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen—and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore—and it’s melting Jacob’s frosty exterior.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Ableism, childhood abandoment recounted, car accident

TL;DR: It took me forever to finally read this book and finish The Brown Sisters series but this solidifies it as one of my all-time favourite romance series and I highly recommend it! Eve and Jacob were so easy to root for and I loved their character arcs. I delighted in their connection and despite a rocky start to their relationship, they had fantastic chemistry and an emotional romance that’s written with so much heart! These two deserved all the happiness and I loved seeing them find it together. 🥰 My heart is so full!

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ARC Review: The Time of Your Life by Sandra Kitt

Special thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Time of Your Life (The Millionaires Club #2)
Publisher: Sourcebook Casablanca
Publication Date: 11 April 2023
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(3 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Second chances always lead to a new beginning! When Everett Nicholls died, he left his millions to the two people he cared about most―the young law student he was mentoring, and his beloved stepson. Eden Marsh and Beck Dennison are instantly suspicious of each other. Suddenly, with all this money at their fingertips, family problems they’ve each been ignoring can no longer be swept under the rug. Beck and his mother have had a strained relationship since tragedy befell the family when he was a young teen, and Eden knows it’s long past time to forge a new relationship with her demanding younger sister. As they begin to confide in each other―and to have fun together―their friendship is an anchor in a stormy new life…

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death of loved one, death of child (recounted), grief, misogyny

TL;DR: My feelings on this vacillated greatly throughout my reading journey. There were moments when I enjoyed our characters and their burgeoning romance but the slow pace, lack of plot, and the total “what the heck is going on” moment of their final conflict almost made the not-so-enjoyable moments outweigh the good. As it is, I’d say this is a solid 3-star read—not bad but not great though I enjoyed it enough to want to possibly read other books by this author in the future.

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ARC Review: The Reason I Married Him by Meghan Quinn

Special thanks to Meghan Quinn for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a new marriage of convenience romantic comedy. This steamy, laugh-out-loud, enemies-to-lovers small-town standalone delivers the perfect happily ever after. One-click your copy of THE REASON I MARRIED HIM today!

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