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!

Read More »

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.

Read More »

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!

Read More »

ARC Review: The Summer Playbook by Jaqueline Snowe

Special thanks to Jaqueline Snowe for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Summer Playbook (Central State Football #2)
Publication Date: 6 February 2024
Genre: New Adult Sports Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Mackenzie Mallinson is an expert at two things—playing soccer and talking about soccer. Wait, there’s a third too. Crushing on her best friend’s twin brother, the star quarterback for the football team, but no one knows about that. Her senior year is her last shot at fun before entering the pros, and she refuses to let soccer be the only thing that defines her. She wants to live life to the fullest, and that requires a summer bucket list.

Dean Romano might have a line of people wanting his signature, but he’s been off his game since someone he trusted hurt him last year. Once the life of the party, he misses the old version of himself. Not the guy who slept around version, but the fun, carefree, let’s enjoy my time on earth version. With his senior year on the team starting, he wants to get back to having a good time, and the perfect opportunity arises: The Summer Playbook.

Mack needs to let loose but wants to do it with someone she trusts. Dean wants to find his mojo again with someone who doesn’t care about his potential NFL career. The two pair up to complete a bucket list of fun while ensuring there are no feelings involved. Some items are easy, like dance on a bar or go to a concert, but skinny dipping? Body shots? Things heat up, but they both agreed their deal ends once they check off every item on the list. The question remains: is love something you cross off a list or a game you can win?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Sex on page, infidelity recounted, gaslighting

TL;DR: This book was just too freaking cute. It was like a shot of sunshine and happiness straight into my veins because it was a sweet, feel-good, low-drama, low-angst romance. Mack and Dean were so good together and I loved their healthy communication and the playfulness of their romance! If you’re a seasonal reader and are looking for a book to add to your summer reading list, you don’t want to miss out on this because it’s perfect for the summer and it will make you want to fall in love!

Read More »

Book Review: Forged by Magic by Jenna Wolfhart

Forged by Magic (Falling for Fables #1)
Pub Date: 11 July 2023
Genre: Cosy Fantasy Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A heartwarming, feel-good fantasy romance…with a helping of spice and only a pinch of danger.

Trapped in a tower by the emperor who conquered her homeland, Daella yearns for an escape. But as one of the few half-orcs left in the world, she knows she’ll never be free, much less find her own happily ever after.

Destiny takes an unexpected turn when the emperor offers her a deal. To earn her freedom, she must journey to the mysterious Isles of Fable and track down wielders of outlawed dragon magic. Eager to seize her chance, Daella agrees.

When a brutal storm tosses her ship off course, she washes up on the wrong island—right at the feet of Rivelin, a gruff but handsome elven blacksmith, who seems more likely to stab her than help her. To her surprise, he offers her shelter until the next ship passes through in six weeks’ time.

Daella soon realizes he’s hiding something big. It could be the very magic she’s been tasked to hunt down—the key to her long-awaited freedom. But as they bicker over the flames of his forge, her heart kindles with something she’s never felt before.

When his secrets finally come to light, Daella must decide what’s more her freedom from the wicked crown or the desires of her heart.

Forged by Magic is a complete, stand-alone fantasy romance novel set in the whimsical world of Falling for Fables.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Captivity, moderate violence, death of family recounted, sex on page

TL;DR: It took me a minute to get into this story but once I was hooked, I didn’t want to put it down! This was action-packed and full of magical adventure and a somewhat literally steamy romance. 😉 Daella and Rivelin were fun characters to root for as you see them go from untrustworthy enemies, and tentative friends to eventual lovers. It was a nice slow burn! Overall, this was a great first cosy-ish fantasy romance at the start of a new series and I can’t wait to continue it soon!

Read More »

Book Review: Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne

Pride and Protest
Publisher: Berkley
Pub Date: 15 November 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Retelling

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Liza B–The Only DJ That Gives a Jam—wants to take her neighborhood back from the soulless property developer dropping unaffordable condos on every street corner in DC. But her planned protest at their corporate event takes a turn after she mistakes the smoldering hot CEO for the waitstaff. When they go toe-to-toe, the sparks fly—but her impossible-to-ignore family thwarts her every move. Liza wants Dorsey Fitzgerald out of her hood, but she’ll settle for getting him out of her head.

At first, Dorsey writes Liza Bennett off as an over-caffeinated woke weekend warrior. As the adopted Filipino son of a wealthy white family, he’s always felt a bit out of place, and knows a fraud when he sees one. But when Liza’s protest results in a viral meme, their lives are turned upside down and Dorsey comes to realize this irresistible revolutionist is the most real woman he’s ever met.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Family death (recounted), racism, microaggressions, classism, incarceration (briefly recounted), explicit sexual content

TL;DR: I’ve been looking forward to reading this ever since I first heard about it and I’m glad that I finally read it. While there were elements I wanted more of I found myself enjoying this a lot! I especially loved the chemistry between Dorsey and Liza and I ate their romance up. The angst, tension, the way the atmosphere in the room changed when they came into contact, their peak horniness—honestly, it was a fun sexual vibe! 🥵 The Bennett family was a mess in their usual way but I appreciated the inclusion of modern issues such as gentrification and the way the story was conveyed through alternating POVs and mixed media. Overall, this was a witty, funny, and entertaining P&P retelling and I can’t wait to read more by this author!

Read More »

Mini Book Review: The Mistletoe Bet by Maren Moore

The Mistletoe Bet (Strawberry Hollow #1)
Pub Date: 1 November 2022
Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Everyone says “there’s no place like home”… well not for me.

When I’m forced to spend the holidays at home with my family in Strawberry Hollow, I have no idea how I’m even going to survive the week, let alone make it through my least favorite holiday… Christmas.

That is until I run into my childhood crush, and my brother’s best friend, Parker Grant. Now, he’s the sexy, off-limits doctor in our small town, and nothing like the man I left behind six years ago.

While I hate the holidays, there is nothing that he loves more.
Well, other than a good bet.
Which is exactly what happens when we end up together under the mistletoe.
A bet that changes everything.

He asks for the next seven days to change my mind about Christmas.
But seven days alone with Parker is more than either of us bargained for.
Now, there’s much more at stake than a silly mistletoe bet.

The Mistletoe Bet is a complete standalone Christmas novella with lots of banter, even more laughter and a heartwarming HEA.

This novella is the perfect book to kick off all your holiday romance reads this season! It was a little cheesy but even for a mild Grinchie like myself, I thought it was adorable with just a light touch of steaminess.

Quinn and Parker were cute together and I enjoyed the Christmas adventures they went on as Parker tried to convince Quinn that by the end of their bet, she’d love Christmas and their hometown again. Despite Quinn’s grumpiness and her adamance that she would not be swayed by the festive dates and she would not swoon over sexy Doctor Parker, she slowly acknowledged how much she missed being around the people she loved and how things and people can and do change over time.

These two have great chemistry and I liked that there was no drama at all, especially considering Parker is Quinn’s brother’s bestie. It was refreshingly mature! This story has such a feel-good and cosy vibe and it is like a Hallmark holiday romance but with steam! 😉 If this sounds like your jam, I’d recommend checking it out. I had a lot of fun with it and I can’t wait to read more from Strawberry Hollow! 😍

Read More »

Book Review: The Marriage Game by Sara Desai

The Marriage Game (Marriage Game #1)
Publisher: Berkley
Pub Date: 9 June 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A high stakes wager pits an aspiring entrepreneur against a ruthless CEO in this sexy romantic comedy.

After her life falls apart, recruitment consultant Layla Patel returns home to her family in San Francisco. But in the eyes of her father, who runs a Michelin starred restaurant, she can do no wrong. He would do anything to see her smile again. With the best intentions in mind, he offers her the office upstairs to start her new business and creates a profile on an online dating site to find her a man. She doesn’t know he’s arranged a series of blind dates until the first one comes knocking on her door…

As CEO of a corporate downsizing company Sam Mehta is more used to conflict than calm. In search of a quiet new office, he finds the perfect space above a cozy Indian restaurant that smells like home. But when communication goes awry, he’s forced to share his space with the owner’s beautiful yet infuriating daughter Layla, her crazy family, and a parade of hopeful suitors, all of whom threaten to disrupt his carefully ordered life.

As they face off in close quarters, the sarcasm and sparks fly. But when the battle for the office becomes a battle of the heart, Sam and Layla have to decide if this is love or just a game.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Alcoholism, death of a sibling, domestic violence (recounted), cheating (recounted)

TL;DR: With the average to low ratings for this book, I was honestly unsure how I’d feel about it but I have to say I enjoyed it more than expected! Layla and her family, all the dates she goes on, even the sexy moments with Sam—I thought they were great and made for a pretty fun read. What made me not rate this higher was the way Sam’s actions (and those of his “friends”) were brushed over and even kind of “redeemed” in the end when honestly, there should have been a hell of a lot more grovelling involved. All his apologies, of which there were a few, felt undeserved and I think this man got off way too easily for the things he did and said. Ultimately, I’m glad they got their HEA but I wish Layla made him work for it a bit more! 😜

Read More »

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

Dance of a Burning Sea (Mousai #2)
Publisher: Montlake
Pub Date: 19 October 2021
Genre: Fantasy Romance

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

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?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Gambling/betting, violence, assault, violent death

TL;DR: The second book in the Mousai series is full of adventure, magic and romance. This action-packed story takes you on a journey across vast oceans to so many new places in Aadilor that were yet to be explored in the first book. Niya and Alōr’s story had so much mischief, wild passion, and heart in it and I loved how both characters evolved throughout the journey. The pirate crew bring a nice found-family element as well but don’t be fooled because Mellow doesn’t pull punches when it comes to the darker side of this world and its characters. Overall, I loved it!

Read More »

Book Review: Song of the Forever Rains by E. J. Mellow

Song of the Forever Rains (Mousai #1)
Publisher: Montlake
Pub Date: 1 July 2021
Genre: Fantasy Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

From the award-winning author of the Dreamland series comes a new dark romantic fantasy about a young woman finding hope in her powers of destruction.

The Thief Kingdom is a place hidden within the world of Aadlior. Many whisper of its existence, but few have found this place, where magic and pleasure abound. There, the mysterious Thief King reigns supreme with the help of the Mousai, a trio of revered and feared sorceresses.

Larkyra Bassette may be the youngest of the Mousai, but when she sings her voice has the power to slay monsters. When it’s discovered the Duke of Lachlan is siphoning a poisonous drug from the Thief Kingdom and using it to abuse his tenants, Larkyra is offered her first solo mission to stop the duke. Eager to prove herself, Larkyra accepts by posing as the duke’s potential bride. But her plans grow complicated when she finds herself drawn to Lord Darius Mekenna, Lachlan’s rightful heir. Soon she suspects Darius has his own motivations for ridding Lachlan of the corrupt duke. Larkyra and Darius must learn to trust each other if there is to be any hope of saving the people of Lachlan—and themselves.

Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where lords and ladies can be murderers and thieves, and the most alluring notes are often the deadliest. Dare to listen?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Physical abuse, drug use, violence, violent death

TL;DR: Song of the Forever Rains is a great start to the Mousai trilogy! While this felt like a slower-paced fantasy (to me), the vivid world-building, lush atmosphere and imagery, interesting magic, wicked banter and wonderful family relationships made me not want to stop reading. Larkyra and Darius experienced steady growth throughout the story and were characters who were easy to empathise with. They had a darkly sweet romance and I loved the strength they gave each other. This is a surprisingly underrated gem and I’m excited to continue this series!

Read More »