Out of Character

If you asked seventeen-year-old Cass Williams to describe herself, she’d happily tell you she’s fat, queer, and obsessed with the Tide Wars books. What she won’t tell you—or anyone in her life—is that she’s part of an online Tide Wars roleplay community. Sure, it’s nerdy as hell, but when she’s behind the screen writing scenes as Captain Aresha, she doesn’t have to think about her mother who walked out or how unexpectedly stressful it is dating resident cool girl Taylor Cooper.

But secretly retreating to her online life is starting to catch up with Cass. For one, no one in her real life knows her secret roleplay addiction is the reason her grades have taken a big hit. Also? Cass has started catching feelings for Rowan Davies, her internet bestie…and Taylor might be catching on.

As Cass’s lies continue to build, so does her anxiety. Roleplaying used to be the one place she could escape to, but this double life and offline-online love triangle have only made things worse. Cass must decide what to do—be honest and risk losing her safe space or keep it a secret and put everything else on the line.

This book really spoke to me as a sorta-retired online roleplayer through high school/college/and beyond. So, thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I felt like the online friendship part really rang true because those people do become your found family and it’s a special kind of relationship. I think Cassidy has a lot to go through in this book and I think she does it quite well. She is definitely more in touch with her feelings than I was as a teenager. I will say I didn’t enjoy the second hand cringe I experienced as her lies piled up around her, but she did eventually break through on that.

I really loved her other friends as well – Tate was amazing and I loved Rowan/Holly/Autumn. I think Taylor was well written even though a little manic pixie girl for my tastes, but it definitely felt like a high school relationship when you don’t know what you’re doing but the other person might know more than you. I was glad that Cassidy knows that she has an addiction problem and has to figure out how to juggle that with school and didn’t just look for some magical fix-all and actually put in the hard work for it. Some of the high school experiences did seem a little too perfect though, especially getting away with drinking at multiple parties. I feel like my parents would have killed me, haha.

Her relationship with her parents was also really interesting and I think that Jenna did a great job exploring how it would feel for your mother to just drop everything and leave your life. Her dad is seriously the best Cool Dad out there. I think it was handled really well and you really got a good mix of parental involvement in this book, which is a change where a lot of YAs pretend parents don’t really exist.

This book was a 5/5 for me and it got me completely in my feels. The roleplay scenes were a hoot and I think it’d be great to have a Tide Wars book now (you listening, HaperCollins??). It just made me remember how much I loved meeting people online, bonding, and having those intense friendships that kept you up until 2am writing together. It’s a special thing and it’s so cool to see someone put it in book form so more people understand what it is. Also, that final act – AMAZING.

Definitely pick up this book on Feb 7th!

Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez

Vanessa lives life on her own terms — one day at a time, every day to its fullest. She isn’t willing to waste a moment or miss out on an experience when she has no idea whether she shares the same fatal genetic condition as her mother. Besides, she has way too much to do, traveling the globe and showing her millions of YouTube followers the joy in seizing every moment.

But after her half-sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her infant daughter, she is housebound, on mommy duty for the foreseeable future, and feeling totally out of her element.

The last person she expects to show up offering help is the unbelievably hot lawyer who lives next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. But as they get closer, Vanessa realizes that her carefree ways and his need for a structured plan could never be compatible for the long term. Then again, she should know better than anyone that life’s too short to fear taking the biggest risk of all. . .

Let me start this by saying that I’m definitely a bit of an Abby Jimenez fangirl. When she opened up Nadia Cakes in my hometown I was just in for the cupcakes, but now she’s writing these novels and I can’t get enough. It’s amusing that Vanessa is a Vlogger and deals with fame in the novel when I definitely had a fangirl moment the one time I saw Abby at the vet, was too starstruck to say anything (also going, is that really the cupcake lady???), and the told everyone I knew that I saw the Nadia Cakes lady at the vet.

Abby has created an amazing universe of people in these novels. Friend Zone is the first book, Happily Ever After Playlist is the second book, and Life’s Too Short is the third. There’s also a few more novels on the way and I can’t wait. She also runs these great discussion groups on Facebook that give you more insight to the novels and a chance to chat with other fans. I received my ARC from Netgalley (Thank you, Forever Publishing!), but they doing travelling ARCs that come with gifts inspired by the novel and I’m so glad I’m finally in on the joke.

I adored this book. Abby writes these amazing characters that feel so real that you want them to be your next door neighbor or your friend. I would absolutely love to know Vanessa in real life because she’s this spark that seems to light up the room. She doesn’t like to dwell on the bad, but takes every day as it comes and that includes exploring the world. Her worry about possibly carrying genes that may kill her definitely plague her thoughts, but she does it with such grace that she’s a fictional character I inspire to be like now. She’s hilarious, sassy, witty, and isn’t afraid to show her emotional side. I had a lot of fun reading about her family relationships because it wasn’t what I expected because most authors give their characters a white picket fence family or they’re not really existent. The Price family is here, warts and all, and it’s refreshing.

Now, Adrian. Swoon. He’s a very in control hot shot lawyer that’s afraid to fly. All of Abby’s men are attractive and amazing, but there’s something about Adrian that I.AM.HERE.FOR. Watching his character development through this novel by having someone like Vanessa in his life is like waiting for that rare flower to bloom; worth every moment. I’m not going to give spoilers, but the third act is something special and I couldn’t help but feel emotionally overwhelmed at how wonderful Adrian is.

The two of them feels like lightning in a bottle. It is amazing how the moment these two characters meet you instantly want them to just get married already and live happily ever after. The juxtaposition of the characters is one of my favorite tropes because it allows both characters to grow and grow together. They don’t go on a lot of flashy dates thanks to the infant daughter (who is adorable!) that Vanessa has to raise, but they manage to make spending nights in sounds very appealing. I won’t give spoilers on some of their activities, but get ready for some deliciously tooth achingly sweet moments.

The dual point of view chapters are perfect, this is seriously my favorite kind of writing, because I want to know what is in everyone’s head. This novel is definitely a slow burn romance (just a fair warning), but when they finally get together (definitely not a spoiler, it’s a kissing book, people) break out your fan. You do not need to read the other novels in the series, but there’s fun Easter eggs that you’ll miss if you read this alone, plus they’re amazing. This novel is just so warm and cozy that you’ll want to curl up with your favorite blanket in a comfy chair and just be left alone for a few hours. These characters will make you laugh and they will make you cry (which is a hallmark of an Abby Jimenez novel), but you will definitely do a happy dance once you reach the end.

If you’re from Minnesota definitely pick this book up, not only to support a local author, but also to get some highlights of our beautiful state since the majority of the novel is set in St. Paul. If you’re not from Minnesota still pick this book up and then come visit us, I swear it’s nice here when it’s not winter (ok sometimes it’s nice when it is winter).

I happily give this book 5/5 stars. Life’s Too Short comes out on April 6th and is available for pre-order now and there’s some pre-order incentive info here: https://www.read-forever.com/titles/abby-jimenez/lifes-too-short/9781538715680/

Moment of Truth

At sixteen, Hadley Moore knows exactly who she is—a swimmer who will earn a scholarship to college. Totally worth all the hard work, even if her aching shoulders don’t agree. So when a guy dressed as Hollywood’s latest action hero, Heath Hall, crashes her swim meet, she isn’t amused. Instead, she’s determined to make sure he doesn’t bother her again. Only she’s not sure exactly who he is.

The swim meet isn’t the first event the imposter has interrupted, but a little digging turns up a surprising number of people who could be Heath Hall, including Hadley’s ex-boyfriend and her best friend’s crush. She soon finds herself getting caught up in the mysterious world of the fake Heath Hall.

This book wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but it did deal with a lot of issues like grief, not judging yourself against others, knowing when to take a break, figuring out your future, and stress.

Hadley Moore is a sixteen year old that knows that swimming is her life and using music to escape having to really deal with any of her problems. The book starts off with her parents doing a rememberance of her older brother who passed away before she was born and from there you learn that she’s been fighting against this ghost of him and she has to figure out how to accept him and talk to her parents as well.

I thought the characters were great, Jackson was a good addition with a little bit of romance, which everyone can see coming. Her friend Amelia is very kind and DJ is even fun to learn about. I thought the mystery surrounding the person wearing a Heath Hall mask was quite fun and the explanation behind it was really well thoughtout and executed. I’m kind of a fan of what the Heath Hall mask represented in the books.

I’ll give this book 4/5 because it did drag on a little bit at some points and it took Hadley too long to really figure it all out. I did appreciate the ending and the resolution to everything and this could totally become a series in the future if the author ever decided to go that way.

The Midnight Lie

Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.

Nirrim keeps her head down and a dangerous secret close to her chest.

But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumors that the High Caste possesses magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.

Set in the world of the New York Times–bestselling Winner’s Trilogy, beloved author Marie Rutkoski returns with an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us—and the lies we tell ourselves. 

I’m going to preface this by saying it says it’s set in the world of the Winner’s Trilogy, but I have not read those books, so hopefully I’m not missing anything super important. If you’ve read the series and this novel and think it adds to it please let me know and I can add it to my TBR list!

I thought this nove lsounded really interesting and I was disappointed that it took me more than a few times to really get into this book. It started off really slowly and didn’t start getting interesting until Nirrim encountered Sid and started to question why things are they the way they are in the world she lives in.

Basically Nirrim is a Half-Kith which is one step above the worst caste you can be, there’s the Middlings (more middle class), and then the High Kith. You’re not allowed to mix, you can only wear/eat/do certain things depending on your class, and the half-kiths are walled off from everyone else. I was a little confused on the layout of this land and had wished there was some kind of map to make a bit more sense. Nirrim explains that she was dropped off at an orphanage and then taken in by this woman named Raven who is not that nice. She does a lot of chores, errands, and forages passports for people to go between the classes. One night she gets arrested for returning an important bird to the nobility and then she meets Sid.

I would die for Sid – Sid is fantastic and hilarious. Sid really gets Nirrim to question things because no one in this world knows anything about the way things were before and Sid is from another land, which no one truly believes. Nirrim also begins to discover growing feelings for Sid and wants to leave the world she knows behind to have adventures. From there that’s when things finally start getting interesting especially the two of them trying to discover magic and Nirrim’s powers that she’s been trying to suppress since she was young.

I really did enjoy the adventure, but man the ending…. it was so odd and very abrupt. I know it’s part of a series, but I really wonder what the heck is going on and if I’m going to enjoy reading about Nirrim in the future. Also, some of the plots were fairly predictable and not as exciting as I hoped they would be. I’m going to give this book 3/5 because the writing was enjoyable once the book managed to pull me in. I’ll probably check out the sequel to see if I enjoy where the story is going.

The Happily Ever After Playlist

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Friend Zone comes an adorable and fresh romantic comedy about one trouble-making dog who brings together two perfect strangers.

So, I’m just a bit of an adoring Abby Jimenez fan. Ever since she opened Nadia Cakes in my city I have been a huge supporter (plus, I’ve seen her at the vet with Stuntman Mike lol) and her last novel, The Friend Zone, was so incredibly fun! So, I was so excited for this one to come out and I even ordered tickets to her big book launch event that unfortunately was cancelled, but I attended the virtual launch over the weekend and my signed copy came in Monday.

I obviously had to finish the other book I was reading, but I DEVOURED this book. I already loved Sloan from The Friend Zone and while the way that book left her was devastating (seriously, go read this book) I was excited to see her happy again. Enter the adorable dog Tucker and his even more adorable owner, Jason. Now, Jason is a musician and I have to say I love a book about a famous person and a normal person being together. It’s like catnip for me.

The two of them enter into a whirlwind romance that is made possible by Abby’s amazing writing style and her snappy dialogue. She knows exactly how to make you laugh, cry, and be so utterly happy. Sloan and Jason go through a lot in this book trying to figure out their relationship and it was far more realistic to me than some of the other romance novels I have read in the past.

The grand gesture of the novel had me crying as I read and the epilogue is pure happiness. I let my mom borrow my copy of The Friend Zone, but I think I need to go have another re-read so I can re-read this book as well. I am so excited to see who her third novel stars (um, gimme more Zane please) that will be coming out next year. This little universe of friends has become a happy place in this uncertain time of quarantining and not being able to hang out with your friends.

5/5 Stars – go check it out now, but make sure to read The Friend Zone first because Kristen and Josh’s story is so good.

My signed copy. Thanks, Abby!

Chasing Starlight ARC

Movies, mansions, and murder in the Golden Age of Hollywood! Teri Bailey Black’s Chasing Starlight is a historical mystery from the award-winning author of the Thriller Award for Best Young Adult Novel.

Chasing Starlight was a gem of a book – what drew me in first was the cover and that hot pink hair, not going to lie, but when I read the description of this taking place on Hollywood in the 1930’s I was sold.

Kate Hildebrand is the main character with a traumatic childhood past that made her unfortunately famous in a way she doesn’t enjoy. Her grandfather is Oliver Banks, a former silent movie star, and Kate is cast away from her god awful aunt and sent to live with her grandfather thanks to her new uncle. Seriously, her aunt is the worst. Kate doesn’t know her grandfather when she arrives and she certainly didn’t know that her grandfather is housing 4 different men as boarders. One of those boarders ends up murdered and Kate decides to try and figure out who did it and make sure her grandfather isn’t blamed.

What I loved about this novel is that each character has their own personality that you really enjoy. The boarders (Hugo, Reuben, Aurelio, and Lemmy) are all really enjoyable even if some are a little smary, her neighbor Bonnie (fledgling actress) and her mother are definitely like Judy Garland and her stage mother, her grandfather Ollie has a lot of layers and discovering what drives him was interesting, and Kate is a great Nancy Drew feminist who wants to be an Astronomer and is working on making herself a better person.

A lot of the novel takes place on the Falcon Pictures back lot and as someone who is endlessly fascinated with Hollywood these scenes were some of my favorites. I loved Kate taking charge and talking about how there needs to be more women in Hollywood and there’s some fun interactions with people working on the set.

The who-dun-it aspect of the novel was also fun and I enjoyed the process of getting to the big reveal and the subsequent action revealing everything. The only complaint I had was some of the story was a little slow, but the mystery was a lot of fun to explore.

4.5/5 stars – this book comes out in June and you should definitely check it out!

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Flavor of the Month ARC

What happens when Charlie and Emma realize their differing paths have led them right back to each other?

This cover is making me want a piece of pie so badly. I was also wishing there would be a recipe in the back for one of the pies like when you read those cozy mysteries, but alas, haha! I hadn’t had the pleasure of reading a Georgia Beers novel before and now that I saw she has written a lot of lesbian novels I may have to start reading through her back catalog.

This novel is full of sexual tension, second chances, and amazing food. Charlie and Emma are our two main characters that were each other’s firsts for a lot of things, but like most young love things broke apart while they were in college and a few bad mistakes were made. It’s been 5 years since Charlie was back in her small hometown and since she had last seen Emma – cue the amazing sexual tension that starts up almost immediately

Emma has all the right in the world to be weary of Charlie since Charlie basically took her heart and stomped on it. I definitely felt more Team!Emma in this novel and wanted Charlie to fix herself so they could be good together again. Emma also runs a restaurant and Charlie takes up a job at the local bakery making pies and man I really want to live in this tiny fictional town.

The novel’s plot goes the way you know it will go, but there’s a lot of really good growth coming from both the characters. I was quite pleased at how Georgia writes these characters and gives them flaws and opportunities to work on themselves. The only thing I wanted more of was seeing Charlie’s family and working on her relationship with them. I also would not mind if this became a small universe and we see books based on some of the other characters, but all wishful thinking! 4/5 stars!

This novel comes out April 14th, but is already available on the publisher’s website : https://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/ — definitely going to spend some time on their site.

As always, received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Conventionally Yours ARC

When two “big name fans” go head-to-head at a convention, love isn’t the only thing at stake.

This book took me about a day to get through because it was just so darn cute! It ticked a lot of my boxes and I’m so glad that Sourcebooks Casablanca granted my wish on NetGalley!

Enemies to Friends to Lovers – Check
Two well developed leads with more to them than you initially find out – Check
Witty banter – Check
Road trip – Check
FOOD – Check
A fun nerdy convention – Check

This book is based around a card tabletop game called Odyssey (I’ve never played anything like Magic the Gathering, but I really enjoyed the game play descriptions in this book). Conrad and Alden are two “competitors” in a group that regularly meets and vlogs about their games. They are offered the opportunity to go to the top Odyssey convention and compete for a spot in the pro tour. Each has their own reason for wanting to win, but the two of them are extremely competitive with each other and the sexual tension is thick and delightful. I think you can guess all the fun that happens during the road trip out to the convention 😉

What I really enjoyed about this book were the characters. Conrad and Alden have a lot more going on than you realize at the beginning and they are both so well developed that you can’t help but ride their highs and lows throughout the book. It’s not a light book by any means, there’s a lot for our characters to figure out on this road trip, but the two of them together is so delightful. The ending was really great because the author took a small detour and gives an ending you didn’t expect but absolutely want.

I definitely recommend checking out this book when it comes out in June! 4/5 stars because sometimes the road trip tends to drag out a little long, but can’t complain!

Scapegracers ARC

An outcast teenage lesbian witch finds her coven hidden amongst the popular girls in her school, and performs some seriously badass magic in the process.

LOOK at that cover! It is seriously beautiful and what drew me to the book when I saw it on NetGalley, along with the promise of a teenage lesbian witch. That’s all it took to draw me in and put in a request.

This book was quite interesting in the way it handles witches, covens, and spellcraft but it was centered so much around Sideways (our main character) and her new friends/coven (Jing, Yates, and Daisy) that I don’t think it really got to dive deep into the magic aspect of it. I’m hoping with the way this book ended the next one in the series will give more of that.

The characters were a lot of fun and this group of popular girls could totally be a caricature of Mean Girls, but they’re actually not that bad when you get to know them. Daisy is insane, Yates is the sweet fluffy girl, and Jing is definitely the HBIC. Sideways isn’t super interesting without them and there’s just a hint of LBTQ+ going on that I was a little disappointed there wasn’t a great knife to cut through all the sexual tension that was going on.

There’s a subplot that is fairly predictable, but the main action wasn’t something I predicted. The prose is lovely but gets a little bogged down in that first novel kind of way, but luckily doesn’t cram too much in there that it could save for a second book. The ending was not something I expected and I think I want to check out the second book now so I can find out what this baby coven is going to do!

Scapegracers comes out on May 12th and you should definitely add it to your quarantine reading stack! 3.5/5 stars!

I recieved this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Meant to be Yours – Blog Tour

I am so excited to be part of the Harlequin Winter Blog Tour!

This is my first time doing a blog tour, but knew with Harlequin being the ones running it that the books would be a lot of fun. I definitely wanted to read every single one of the books on the Romance & Women’s Fiction tour.

First up is “Meant to be Yours” by Susan Mallery, which is the 5th book in her Happily, Inc series. I haven’t read the others yet, but I definitely want to, and you can jump right into the series with this book like I did.

In Happily Inc, love means never having to say “I do”…
Wedding coordinator Renee Grothen isn’t meant for marriage. Those who can, do. Those who can’t, plan. But she never could have planned on gorgeous, talented thriller writer Jasper Dembenski proposing—a fling, that is. Fun without a future. And the attraction between them is too strong for Renee to resist. Now she can have her no-wedding cake…and eat it, too.
After years in the military, Jasper is convinced he’s too damaged for relationships. So a flirtation—and more—with fiery, determined Renee is way too good to pass up…until his flame becomes his muse.
Renee is an expert at averting every crisis. But is she finally ready to leap into the one thing that can never be controlled: love?

This story involves Jasper who is a retired military policeman turned writer and Renee who works as a wedding coordinator for Wedding’s Out of the Box. The two of them consider themselves basically unlovable and aren’t looking for anything serious and have resigned themselves to never falling in love and having a family. I’ll let you take a wild guess on if that remains true through the series 😉

The two of them meet and start a strict sex-only “relationship” but they begin to catch feelings and really get to know themselves in the process. Renee does an amazing job as a wedding coordinator and her friend group is fantastic. I think I’m going to read the other books just to learn more about those ladies. Jasper is a sexy and brooding author who weasels his way into Renee’s job to do some research for his upcoming book. I definitely like Jasper more than Renee in this book and he seems to come with a little less baggage than she does, but it wouldn’t be a fun read if they don’t work out things.

There’s a few random side stories that go on along with the story; we get to learn more about her friends, her mother makes an appearance, there’s an adorable giant dog wedding, and at least one wedding blow up. It will keep you guessing on what’s going to happen, but it was an engrossing read that kept me turning the page. I think you’ll really enjoy this book and want to move to Happily, Inc because everyone seems so happy there!

Buy Links: 

Harlequin 

Indiebound

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

Books-A-Million

Target

Walmart

Google

iBooks

Kobo

Social Links:

Author Website

Twitter: @susanmallery

Facebook: @SusanMallery

Instagram: @susanmallery

Goodreads

Author Bio: SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship, romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations,” and readers seem to agree—40 million copies of her books have sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live.

Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She’s passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the two ragdoll cats and adorable poodle who think of her as mom.