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Showing posts with the label romance

Beautiful Nightmare by Kinsley Kincaid

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  Buy on Amazon Rating: 4/5 Spice: 5/5 Plot: 5/5 Primary Genre: Dark Romance Blurb: It’s too deranged to be a dream But to one, it is beautiful. Creating fear and possessing souls. None of this is a figment of imagination. Everyone involved is very awake, even if they wish they weren’t. With beating hearts and trembling lips, tranquility no longer exists. Because tonight, nightmares become real. Welcome to Agatha Manor, in Hollows Grove. This is a paranormal thriller which ends in a HEA. My Thoughts: This book is just in time for Halloween because it’s creepy and scary AF. The romance element is dark, tortuous and twisted. Check the trigger warnings before picking this one up because as usual, Kinsley is not for the faint of heart. There’s a VAMPIRE love interest in this book so if that’s your thing, be prepared to be very excited and happy. I honestly am not quite sure what Prince is. A demon? Either way he’s a twisted a**hole that you’ll love to read. Our FMC Royce is dealing wit...

The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle

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Moonville #2 Rating: 3.5/5  Spice: 0/5 Plot: 4/5 Primary Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy Romance Blurb: From the acclaimed author of Old Flames and New Fortunes comes a steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy about a paranormal skeptic who is roped into a ghost hunting romp by the charming boy next door . . . who might just show her what real fantasies are made of. Paranormal skeptic Zelda Tempest is hoping for a much-needed creativity boost for a new paranormal mystery novel. But despite the alleged magic of her hometown, Moonville, Ohio, she’s as stuck as ever. With two witch sisters, not believing in magic is strange for a Tempest, but no one is more disappointed than Morgan Angelopoulos, the charming man next door. So, to cure her of her writer's block and her disbelief in magic, Morgan ropes her into a ghost-hunting romp, only for Zelda to discover something else bizarre, never-before-seen creatures that appear as ordinary pets to everyone else. Curious about what else might be lurki...

Cole and Laila Are Just Friends by Bethany Turner

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Purchase Adelaide Springs Love Stories #2 Rating: 3/5 Spice: 0/5 Plot: 3/5 Primary Genre: Romance Trigger Warnings: Mention of terminal illness, abandonment, alchohol/prescription drug use, death of a family member/parent Favorite Quote: Who knew romantic comedy was such a brutal sport? Blurb: Cole and Laila have been inseparable since they could crawl. And they've never thought about each other that way. Except for when they have. Rarely. Once in a while, sure. But seriously . . . hardly ever.  Cole Kimball and Laila Olivet have been best friends their entire lives. Cole is the only person (apart from blood relatives) who's seen Laila in her oversized, pink, plastic, Sophia Loren glasses. Laila is always the first person to taste test any new dish Cole creates in his family's restaurant . . . even though she has the refined palate of a kindergartener. Most importantly, Cole and Laila are always talking. About everything.  When Cole discovers a betrayal from his rece...

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

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Purchase Legends & Lattes #1 Rating: 5 Spice: 0 Plot: 4/5 Primary Genre: Cozy Fantasy Trigger Warnings: Violence, arson, stalking Favorite Quote: “A pleasure,” said Viv. It wasn’t. Blurb: After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.  The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.  If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.  But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed. The Good: * I’m unsure how to iniate this list. This is probably in my top 10 of favorite books I...

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

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5/5 Stars This book started out very slow for me, I had a hard time getting into it. The first three chapters felt slower than molasses in January, then of a sudden it's like you're on the freeway and you realize that your brakes don't work. Ok, not that extreme because this obviously isn't a thriller but this book is like mainlining dopamine from Chapter 4 and beyond. I was literally blushing on my living room couch, eating Goldfish in my sweatpants and a messy bun like I myself was having a summer romance.  The FMC starts out sad. Her life is full of endings and she can't seem to get her shit together. She's 38, she has 3 kids, and btw, Fuck Peter. That's all that I have to say about that. I like that the MCs are in their late 30's. They're full-on fucking grown ups and isn't that refreshing.  This is a fade to black romance so if it's smut you're searching for, search elsewhere. It is meaningful with a hint of sadness. It's got the...

Love & Chickens by Kasey Morris

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5/5 Stars This is definitely unlike any book I've ever read. A romance novel heavily threaded with chickens. I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this and I didn't have super high hopes but I ended up absolutely loving this book. If you know nothing at all about chickens, like me, trust that you'll still enjoy this read. This book gave off a Jane Austen vibe that I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters are well rounded in a way that you feel like you know exactly who they are and understand their thoughts/actions. There's even some chicken espionage! You'll more than likely learn something about birds, especially if you're like me and end up googling the bird breeds referenced.  Long story short, I started this book about 24 hours ago and I've finished it because I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend this book to anyone who likes romance or a great romcom. You can purchase this book by clicking the cover art above and I may earn a smal...

The Last Phone Booth In Manhattan by Beth Merlin and Danielle Modafferi

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Purchase My Rating: 5/5 Stars  🌶: 0/5 Primary Genre: Romance/Women's fiction Blurb:  When a young woman hits rock bottom, she embarks on a positively Dickensian adventure in a witty and warmhearted novel about past regrets, old loves, new beginnings, and making up for lost time. Avery Lawrence thought she had it all—a charming fiancé, a Broadway-themed star-studded engagement, and a picture-perfect life. But when her fraudster of a fiancé’s true identity is exposed and he’s hauled away in handcuffs, Avery’s world comes crashing down faster than the chandelier in Phantom of the Opera. Left stranded on Christmas Day outside the federal prison without her cell phone or wallet, Avery stumbles out of the cold and into the last phone booth in Manhattan. With nothing left to lose, Avery is directed by a mysterious voice on the line to the doorstep of the college boyfriend she thought she’d moved on from over six years ago. When a second encounter with the phone booth leads Avery to...

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

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The Graves Glen Series #1 4/5 Stars This book has been on my book shelf for like 2 months and I'm so excited to have finally cracked it open! This book lands us in a charming mountain town in Georgia that is giving off Halloweentown/Gilmore Girls/Good Witch/Hogwarts vibes. In Graves Glen we have witches, a college, ghosts, a talking cat who's very much interested in treats, magic, and of course, an ex boyfriend from 9 years ago who turns up unexpectedly! Vivi is a witch but spends most of her time pretending that she's not one. She's a college professor who's very close with her aunt and cousin who are her only close family members. Cousin Gwyn plays a pretty big part in this story, auntie is more of a side character. Rhys, the ex, has returned from Wales to charge the ley lines in a cave in the mountains for the magic town but he starts to have a strange string of bad luck and of course, that brings us to our main plot. There's a mystery to solve, intense fall ...

How To Fake Date A Vampire by Linsey Hall

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Charming Cove Book #2 5/5 Stars At last, we return to Charming Cove. Once again, I absolutely loved this book. Just as great as the first! The little town and it's characters are, in fact, charming. I love the familiar element and I was so happy to see it again in book 2! Penelope and Boris are two I'd love to meet. The vampire element is interesting but don't expect Sookie Stackhouse vibes as our heroine Emma is an orphan witch desperately trying to gain the title Head Witch in her coven to get herself a family. This book has a great love story and I like the fact that Aria was included quite a bit in this story and even became a bit of a friend to Emma. Every year, the coven throws a ball and it's up to Emma to throw the perfect one to guarantee her permanent spot in the coven and it's a great read to see whether or not she can pull the ball off with her fake vampire Duke boyfriend secret. Don't miss this book series! Both are page turners. Linsey Hall is 2 fo...

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

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purchase Practical Magic #2  My Rating: 4/5 Stars Primary Genre: Fantasy/Magical Realism Blurb: Master storyteller Alice Hoffman brings us the conclusion of the Practical Magic series in a spellbinding and enchanting final Owens novel brimming with lyric beauty and vivid characters. The Owens family has been cursed in matters of love for over three-hundred years but all of that is about to change. The novel begins in a library, the best place for a story to be conjured, when beloved aunt Jet Owens hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has only seven days to live. Jet is not the only one in danger—the curse is already at work. A frantic attempt to save a young man’s life spurs three generations of the Owens women, and one long-lost brother, to use their unusual gifts to break the curse as they travel from Paris to London to the English countryside where their ancestor Maria Owens first practiced the Unnamed Art. The younger generation discovers secrets that have been hidden from...

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

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Purchase Practical Magic #0.1 My Rating: 5/5 Stars Blurb:   Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction (2020) In an unforgettable novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.  Where does the story of the Owens bloodline begin? With Maria Owens, in the 1600s, when she’s abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby. Under the care of Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Nameless Arts.” Hannah recognizes that Maria has a gift and she teaches the girl all she knows. It is here that she learns her first important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back.  When Maria is abandoned by the man who has declared his love for her, she follows him to Salem, Massachusetts. Here she invokes the curse that will haunt her family...

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

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4/5 Stars This book contains a lot of thoughts on dealing with the death of a loved one but in a separate vein, about motherhood. 100% relatable for a mother or anyone who has lost someone close to them who they loved dearly. This novel has gotten a ton of hate from the CoHo hater club but it brought tears to my eyes several times. I found its view on death/afterlife to be poignant if not comforting. If nothing inspires you to read this book, at least take away this quote from it. I found it to be quite beautiful. "Maybe it doesn’t matter whether something is a coincidence or a sign. Maybe the best way to cope with the loss of the people we love is to find them in as many places and things as we possibly can. And in the off chance that the people we lose are still somehow able to hear us, maybe we should never stop talking to them." The thoughts on death and loss are at times quite poignant and if you’ve ever been a mother or lost someone that you loved, this book is heartbre...

Never Never by Colleen Hoover

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3/5 Stars I just finished this book today, one more to go until I get to start my fall reading list ! Some thoughts on this book without giving away spoilers: 1. I didn't HATE the ending but I did feel as if there were a lot of unanswered questions . 2. The book started out slow and confusing . And it stayed that way for too long. I swear, I was past page 100 and I was still left feeling very confused. I continued reading, convinced there would be a reward at the end. That was a little bit of a letdown because I still felt a little confused when I finished. 3. I did really enjoy the plot of the story and the themes present in the writing.  4. The spice level is basically 0, especially for a Colleen Hoover novel. So if you prefer that, I wouldn't even bother with this book. 5. This book is marketed as a mystery but it didn't feel like it read like a mystery to me. Have you read this book? What did you think? Drop me a line in the comments below!👇 You can purchase this bo...