Tag: enemies to lovers

REVIEW: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

REVIEW: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Avon in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Maggie Chase has had a rough road in life, from the loss of her parents when she was in college to the betrayal by her husband and their subsequent divorce. And that last one pushed her so far down to the point where she rarely leaves the house. Her editor had to cajole her to take this mysterious Christmas trip that is supposed to “change her life.”

But Ethan Wyatt ruined everything. While Maggie is the queen of the cozy mystery, Wyatt writes thrillers – “leather jacket books.” And he is all ego and confidence – and annoyance. He can’t even get her name right after all these years, repeatedly calling her “Marcie.”

The two of them find themselves in the middle of a real-life mystery when world famous author, Eleanor Ashley, their Christmas host, goes missing from a locked room of her mansion in the middle of a snowstorm.

Review

Sometimes you start a new book and everything clicks. The characters are intriguing. The banter makes you laugh out loud. And you feel like you can’t contain the feeling – the potential that this could be a new favorite. You feel a pressure in your chest. Not the weight of anxiety or dread pressing down but the hope – the delight – bubbling up, trying to press out from inside. This was one such book for me.

From the very beginning I felt GIDDY reading this. The main characters had personal stories I couldn’t wait to uncover. Their cutting remarks were funny, not vicious. The potential and chemistry between Maggie and Ethan CRACKLED. Then there was the writing/publishing/mystery angle, which is always a great hook for me. And finally it was a snowed in whodunit which I also adore. If I could design a perfect book for me, this is an A+ set up, checking all the boxes.

I have been an Ally Carter fan since I discovered the Gallagher Girls series. Her older middle grade (10-14) mysteries in the Winterborne series are OUTSTANDING. Her first adult romance, The Blonde Identity, had mixed reviews, and while I could understand some of the criticism, it worked for me

But THIS is everything I have ever loved about her work all rolled into one. My all-time favorite Ally Carter book – and likely one of my favorite books read in 2024. Do NOT miss this! (Language, gaslighting)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best!

REVIEW: Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch

REVIEW: Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Griffin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The Duke of Woriton, Michael Bromley, likely would never leave his home laboratory and science experiments if he had his way. But his aunt has asked him to watch her beloved poodle, Lancelot, for a few weeks. To keep Lancelot, and his aunt, happy, Michael takes the dog out for regular walks.

Elizabeth Dockering has her own poodle, Galahad. And Galahad is NOT a fan of her primary suitor, Lord Peter Cordray. Galahad is her best protector, but his behavior does get out of hand at times. Like when he runs off at the park and gets tangled with another dog – and that weird Duke of Woriton.

Elizabeth and Michael accidentally trade dogs, but before they can set things right, Lancelot is dognapped from Elizabeth’s home. So naturally, Michael and Elizabeth have to team up to find Lancelot. And the more time they spend together, the more their assumptions about one another are challenged.

Review

This was outstanding! I adored everything about it. The mismatched dognapping was everything I wanted it to be. The main characters had delightful depth that was revealed gradually – to each other and to the reader. The scientific bits were interesting. The whole book is funny.  And the wrap up is supremely satisfying. This was delightful to read – a perfect way to lose myself for a few hours. When I finished I realized I would happily flip back to page one and start again. Highly recommend!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath

REVIEW: Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Griffin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Giles has been keeping the secret surrounding his birth for years because he knows the consequences of the truth getting out are too dire. Possible jail for him and the Duke. And a different heir who would destroy the legacy and everyone who counts on it.

But something has spooked the Duke into shoring up his lineage. Before he can take any action, though, he’s dead and Giles is left holding both the estate and the secret. He needs help.

Diana is thriving in the independence granted her by her sister’s marriage. And she’s certain there’s only bickering and one-upmanship between herself and Lord Bellingham. But he’s in a place where he could use a friend – especially one as adept at investigation as Diana is. So they team up, each resistant to the pull between them, determined to free Giles from his trouble and then return to their constant bickering.

Review

What a fantastic sequel to the delightful Never Fall for Your Fiancée! This is all I hoped for after I finished the first book. I enjoyed the shift to Diana’s story and the bickering and banter with Giles. The mystery they team up to solve is also supremely satisfying. I was completely captivated by it to the point of being oblivious to everything going on around me until I finished. Logically, Vee’s story will be next, and I am here for it, first because this series has been exceptionally good, but also because of the hints at a possible direction for that story. I can’t wait!

Historical romance fans, and fans of the first book should not miss this one! I think newcomers can start here. You’ll be missing some of the family context, but the central story can stand alone. But you will definitely want to read both books in this great series! (sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: The Hookup Plan by Farrah Rochon

REVIEW: The Hookup Plan by Farrah Rochon

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Forever in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

At the end of a successful 15 year reunion, London agrees to have a drink with Drew Sullivan, her high school nemesis. And the drink leads to a few more. Which leads to her spending the night. It was an amazing night, but what was she thinking?!

But when she finds out Drew is in town for work – and that work involves the possible sale of the hospital where she works – her animosity toward him reaches supernova levels.

But she can’t deny that they have chemistry. And she needs to blow off a lot of steam. So while she wants nothing to do with him at the hospital, she’s willing to meet him for a hookup now and again. And again. He’ll be leaving town soon enough, and she’ll be glad to be rid of him when the time comes.

Review

This was a fun, sexy story. A few surprises and a couple with great chemistry made this a nice wrap up to The Boyfriend Project series.

The set up of the hookup plan leads to a chunk of the book devoted to the physical relationship between Drew and London, especially in the early parts of the story. The author makes some creative choices in how she describes their encounters to keep them from falling into something repetitive. Then, as the story develops, extra layers are added to the relationship. While the personal growth Drew and London are working on felt like a lot smaller of a part of the book, I thoroughly enjoyed their journeys, both independently and as they helped each other along the way.

Fans of the series should absolutely pick up this third and final book of the series that launched when London and her new friends were first catfished. Readers who love a steamy “enemies” to lovers story should give this a try as well. I don’t know that you have to read these in order, although it does help to know about the inciting incident that led the women to become friends. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great!

REVIEW: The Charmed List by Julie Abe

REVIEW: The Charmed List by Julie Abe

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Ellie Kobata loves her little magical community – the shops, the spells. Everything but her ex-best friend Jack and his grouch of a father. In fact, it’s a prank on Jack that goes so wrong it might cost Ellie her current best friend, her parents’ trust, and her magic. It was an item on Ellie’s “Anti-wallflower” to do list – a list of tasks she wanted to do to come out of her shell. But “Get revenge on Jack Yasuda” went all wrong.

As penance, she has to take a business road trip – the trip she was supposed to take with Lia before everything fell apart – with Jack. How can she endure hour after hour in close quarters with the best friend who abandoned her years ago?

Review

This was an unexpected delight. I wasn’t sure about this at first. It took me a bit to get into the flow of the magical world. And Ellie and Jack were hard to like early on with all of the mysterious hostility. I’m still not 100% sure Jack’s explanation was sufficient. But the two of them are delightful together once they set their feud aside.

By the end I was deeply attached to this magical world. I loved the village and the cottage and the convention – brilliant! The supporting cast is lovely; they were a great anchor for me to keep reading when Ellie and Jack were at odds.

The bucket list plot has been done often, and I generally enjoy the stories. I enjoyed how the list comes into play here. It’s a constant thread in the book, but not a driving one. It’s part of Ellie’s journey to define herself and take up space in the world and that whole journey was enjoyable.

Readers who enjoy enemies-to-lovers should definitely check this out, especially of you like stories with an extra layer of magic.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton

REVIEW: The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The Wisteria Society (pirates) and the League of Gentlewomen Witches have been at war for centuries. And when the long lost amulet of Black Beryl is discovered and put on display, things heat up as both groups want the artifact for themselves.

But when Charlotte, the future leader of the League, and Alex, a pirate, disappear together while chasing down the amulet, the two societies will team up to be certain the two don’t corrupt one another.

Review

I loved this quirky world when I read book one in the Dangerous Damsels series, The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. The mash up of historical fiction with fantasy elements like flying houses, magic, and then pirates was a lot of fun! That world is expanded a bit here as the pirates return in conflict with their witchy rivals. This unique set up really works for me.

The story took longer to gel for me in this book. While the worldbuilding propelled me forward, it took awhile for the characters to find a rhythm. By the end, I enjoyed Alex and Charlotte and the way their relationship grew and how it influenced their individual journeys. I just had to stick with the story for awhile until I found my footing with it.

Fans of quirky, magical tales as well as fans of the first book in the series should definitely pick this up and give it a try. I’m eager to see what the author does with this world next! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord

REVIEW: When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Millie Price’s star is on the rise. She’s worked her butt off to get into a theater pre-college program. But her dad is reluctant to let her go. And his resistance seems to have something to do with Millie’s mother.

Millie doesn’t know who her mother is, but she stumbles on her father’s LiveJournal from college. Reading through the entries around the time she would have been conceived, Millie finds some names of women who could be her mother. She’s sure if she can find the woman – who was also into musical theater – she could get her mother’s help to convince her dad to let her go.

But Millie’s plan to check out each of these women hits a snag when she ends up competing with her high school nemesis, Oliver, for an internship she doesn’t even want. But as it’s a chance to work with one of the potential moms, she sticks with it while getting to know the other women on her list. But Millie has no way of knowing how this search for her mom and her quest to attend this theater program is going to change everything.

Review

Emma Lord is the author of the fantastic Tweet Cute and You Have a Match, and after this third delightful story, she’s a must-read author for me.

I loved this! Millie is such a great character. She has a big personality, and sometimes the dramatic theater types can be abrasive to read. But that was never the case here. While she’s abrasive to Oliver, that’s part of the fun of the story, but I loved her (and Oliver) from the start.

Millie’s quest for her big theater program and for finding her mom opens up SO many great threads for this story – with the internship, with Oliver, with her family and friends, and with the new people she meets along the way. But none of those external pieces overshadows the internal work Millie does which is equally great.

Fans of Emma Lord’s previous books should absolutely pick this up – the character work here is excellent! And the romantic bits and the humor is icing on the cake. RomCom fans and musical theater lovers – you’re going to want to read this one too! (Language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

BONUS REVIEW: To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters

BONUS REVIEW: To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The Marquess of Willingham had always made her heart race a little. Even when she was newly debuted and on the hunt for a husband of means, the Marquess was a tempting distraction. But Diana knew the only way she’d have any sort of future would be by marrying well. While handsome and charming, Jeremy had a reputation as something of a womanizer. And he had no money.

As a second son, Jeremy had been happy with his life of leisure – and pleasure. But the death of his older brother left him holding the family responsibilities – and debts. On a whim, one night five years ago, he had teased at marriage with Diana, and she shut him down, hard. Those debts were a dealbreaker for a woman hoping to secure a good match.

But now Diana is a wealthy widow. And Jeremy is still single. The two can rile one another up like no other. In their squabbling, Diana bets Jeremy that he will be wed within a year – something he protests vehemently. But it gets him thinking that Diana could help him with a bit of a “problem.” His last mistress critiqued his skills in the bedroom, and he needs someone who will be brutally honest with him to give him some feedback. The arrangement will help Diana out, too. She doesn’t want to marry again, enjoying her freedom. But she would like some romantic company, and an affair with Jeremy would signal to the ton that she was interested in such relationships. What could go wrong with such a proposition where both parties should come out winners?

Review

This was fun! I had skipped the first book in this series because I didn’t care for the couple or the premise. It just wasn’t a good fit for me. But the sassy, snarky couple at the center of this story was a much better fit. Their story of finding love was delightful. And I could see the author setting up some possible sequels with other couples from the social circle, and I would definitely pick those up.

As tropes go, this is enemies-to-lovers in a way. But the sass of the characters always has a flirty undertone, so I don’t think they were ever really “enemies.” But they had some baggage to work through before they could see each other clearly. The bedroom skills story thread was thankfully not as awkward as I feared it might be. It really was a smaller bit of the story than the summary led me to expect. I enjoyed watching Jeremy find himself again through Diana’s encouragement. He needed someone to see him and speak truth to him that he would hear. It was supremely satisfying.

Historical romance fans, romcom fans, and fans of the first book, To Have and to Hoax, should be sure to check this one out. (Language, sex, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Shipped by Angie Hockman

REVIEW: Shipped by Angie Hockman

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Henley Evans is doing everything she can to get ahead at work – putting in extra hours, working toward her MBA, and developing new marketing ideas for her company’s cruise line. So when she finds out she’s up for a huge promotion, she’s thrilled.

But then she finds out her work nemesis, Graeme Crawford-Collins, is up for the job, too. Graeme has only been with the company a year. He’s abrupt in his communication, and doesn’t always respond to her requests to post material to the company’s social media, which is his job. He took credit for some of her best work. He doesn’t even work in the office! He’s remote from half a country away.

The boss’s brilliant idea is to send both of them on one of the company’s cruises. Whoever returns with the best marketing plan to improve sales will get the job. But Henley didn’t expect that spending time with Graeme face to face would be so distracting – or that he would be so sexy.

Review

This is such a fun, funny story with a unique setting, an electric couple, and a powerful ending. This is a romantic comedy which delivers on both fronts. There are several laugh-out-loud moments, and I enjoyed the chemistry between the two leads.

What really set this apart for me, though, was the setting and the post-cruise events. I loved the unique experience of the Galápagos Islands. At least, it was unique to me. I also enjoyed the way Henley connects with the conservation efforts of those who live and work there.

The post-cruise pieces, though, won me over on this. Henley gets a wake up call on the way she is living her life (all work, no life) just in time to make a stand and make some changes. And I was cheering for her and for her team all the way to the end. Overall I would give the romance three stars, the setting 4, and the ending 5.

This is a fun story with good characters in a fascinating locale with a girl-power ending to tie it all together. Be sure to check it out! (Language, LGBTQ+ secondary characters, mostly off-page sex, references to abusive/manipulative relationship)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥= Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift

REVIEW: Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When she was 8 and he was 9, Adraa met Jatin for the first time. Their parents talked about the betrothal while Adraa and Jatin were talking about magic and getting to know one another. To say that first meeting didn’t go well would be an understatement.

Now, nine years later, Jatin has finished his magical schooling. He has mastered all 9 types of magic. And he loves rubbing it into Adraa’s face when he sends her periodic “love notes” with secret, sarcastic messages in them. Adraa, as a future ruler/maharani of Wickery, can’t rule unless she can master all 9 as well. She has 45 days to get a handle on the last piece of magic.

But Adraa has other priorities than magic practice. She’s been undercover on a mission sanctioned by Jatin’s father, going by the name Jaya Smoke. She can pull it off now because no one really knows she’s the next Maharani. But once she’s 18 that all changes, so she has to work fast if she is going to uncover the seedy things going on in her country.

Jatin has met “Jaya,” but he has no idea she is his betrothed, Adraa. And that’s okay because she thinks Jatin is his own friend and guard Kalyan. And while neither knows who the other is, they team up on Jaya’s undercover mission, one far more dangerous than future royalty should be tackling on their own.

Review

This was fantastic! I loved the secret identity story line even though it was obviously going to cause trouble eventually. I also loved the magic system and the world-building for this. I was completely engrossed, right from the beginning. This is exactly the sort of YA fantasy I love.

I loved Jatin and Adraa, both as individuals and as a potential couple. They are so good with and for each other!

The larger mystery that Jatin and Adraa are investigating takes awhile to develop. And in an instant it becomes  far more than it seems to be early on. I was waiting for some big shift, and got more than I bargained for. There isn’t a cliffhanger per se in this; you get to some level of resolution. But it’s really more of a breathing spot before launching into whatever book 2 will have in store. I can’t wait to read it and see what happens next for these characters. Book 2, Bound by Firelight, is currently scheduled to release in 2022.

I highly recommend this one for fans of YA fantasy!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!