Baltimore Bibliophile

Title: Fireworks

Author: Alice Lin

Publisher: Underlined

Publication date: June 7th, 2022

320 pages

3/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Lulu Li has her last summer before college all planned out. But her plans go awry when she learns that Kite Xu, her old next-door neighbor and childhood friend, will be returning home from South Korea.

Lulu hasn’t seen Kite since eighth grade, after he left the country to pursue a career in K-pop, eventually debuting in the boy group Karnival. When Karnival announces that Kite will be taking a break from K-pop activities for mysterious reasons, the opportunity to rekindle their friendship arises.

Star-struck and nostalgic, Lulu tries to reconnect with Kite. As they continue to bond and reminisce over the past, Kite’s sister, Connie, warns Lulu not to get too close to her brother. The harder Lulu tries to deny her feelings, the stronger they get. But how could a K-pop star ever fall for a nobody from home? And even if he did, is there any way for their relationship to end but badly?

Review

I really thought I would love this book more than I did – so many tropes that I’m drawn to in one YA novel, it seemed like a recipe for success. But I left the book feeling dissatisfied and couldn’t identify exactly why. Tropes include famous person/normal person and childhood friends to lovers. It’s more of a long lost childhood friends as the MMC went to Korea to become a Kpop star and has recently returned to his childhood home – next door to our FMC.

I think the major issue I took with this book was that I didn’t buy the romance. It was very understated and there wasn’t any background given to provide evidence that the two characters held a torch for each other for years. There was also none of the tension that I normally associate with YA contemporary romances and look for.

Some positives were the Kpop and Korean representation, the struggle the FMC had with her bio father and his new family, the mental health concerns our MMC dealt with, and the LGBTQ representation.

Thank you to Underlined and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: It’s All in How You Fall

Author: Sarah Henning

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication date: May 31st, 2022

320 pages

4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Gymnast Caroline Kepler has three state balance beam titles, a new trick even most elites can’t do, and chronic, undeniable back pain. While she might never be an Olympian, she has dreams of leveling up to elite, making Nationals, and competing in college. But when one epic face-plant changes all that and Caroline’s back pain goes from chronic to career-ending, her dreams are shattered and her life is flipped upside down.

Enter Alex Zavala, a three-sport athlete who’s both incredibly cute and incredibly off-limits. He offers to give Caroline a crash course in all the sports she’s missed, and she has an offer for him in return: For every sport Alex teaches her, she’ll play matchmaker for him. Deal done, Caroline “dates” new sports with Alex for the rest of the summer, which is loads more fun than wallowing in despair. Just as Caroline starts to see herself as more than her past athletic successes, she picks up something she didn’t bargain for: a big fat crush on Alex. Turns out life was way easier when it was just layout-fulls and beam burns….

A contemporary young adult romance about moving on, finding your place, and recovering after life falls apart.

Review

Young Adult sports romances are an elite subgenre I fully believe that. It’s All in How You Fall is about Caroline, a young gymnast ready to take the world by storm when an injury ends her career in the blink of an eye. After grieving the loss of her dreams and future plans, her family and friends force her to find another hobby to take up her time and attention. Enter Alex, her older brother’s best friend and mega athlete. He helps her spend the summer trying the sports she never did before to try to find one she might be interested in. Too bad she finds a sport AND a guy she is interested in…

YA sports and brother’s best friend is a chef’s kiss fabulous combination. The angst and tension is for double the reason and it really shows in side glances, lingering touches, and a few close calls with kisses. The problem? Caroline is trying to set up Alex with her best friend while ALSO crushing on him. Ya’ll the inner turmoil was leaping off the page. So good.

Truly enjoyed my whole time reading this book and it made me fall in love with the YA genre all over again. Such a wholesome, feel good story with a tinge of seriousness due to the injury Caroline sustained and the loss of her passion. Also I just love gymnastics themed books/media because it’s a sport I always wanted to do but was absolutely horrid at.

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: Circling Back to You

Author: Julie Tieu

Publisher: Avon

Publication date: July 12th, 2022

352 pages

3/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Julie Tieu, an exciting new and diverse voice in contemporary romance, returns with a hilarious and sexy new novel about colleagues who decide to take their relationship outside the office.

Cadence Lim has transformed from behind-the-scenes number cruncher to an integral part of the sales team at Prism Realty. But despite moving up the corporate ladder, her complicated relationship with her estranged elderly father weighs heavily and she can’t seem to shake the desire for a new beginning.

At least Cadence can always lean on her favorite co-worker and co-conspirator, Matt Escanilla. A top broker with an unsuccessful love life, the forever single Matt is constantly being nagged by his loving Filipino family to settle down.

Their relationship takes a turn when a business trip lands them both in their hometown and Matt enlists Cadence as a pretend girlfriend for a family gathering. The new after-hours setting forces the two friends to see each other in a new light, and their previously buried feelings rise quickly to the surface. When competing promotions threaten to separate Cadence and Matt, these office besties must work together to round up their ambitions and families to pursue their overdue romance.

Review

I’m always ready for a friends to lovers, work place romance like Circling Back to You. Cadence and Matt are both feeling the pressure from their traditional families to settle down and focus less on work – and neither of them plan to do that. Friends at work, they are sent on a business trip and a fake dating scheme is concocted (because those are always a good idea, right?) to appease the parents. But as always happens with fake dating, emotions become involved.

This one was a solid romance. There was Asian representation along with discussion of cultural, family values. Matt was more interesting of a character for sure, but Cadence had the boss woman energy going that I appreciate. Overall, I enjoyed the read but it isn’t one I’m likely to remember for a long time and want to circle back to (see what I did there??).

I have read this author before though and fully intend to continue reading her work. A 3 star read is not a bad read by any means.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: Bet On It

Author: Jodie Slaughter

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publication date: July 12th, 2022

320 pages

4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

The first time Aja Owens encounters the man of her dreams, she’s having a panic attack in the frozen foods section of the Piggly Wiggly. The second time, he’s being introduced to her as her favorite bingo buddy’s semi-estranged grandson. From there, all it takes is one game for her to realize that he’s definitely going to be a problem. And if there’s anything she already has a surplus of, it’s problems.

In Walker Abbott’s mind, there are only two worthwhile things in Greenbelt, South Carolina. The peach cobbler at his old favorite diner and his ailing grandmother. Dragging himself back after more than a decade away, he’s counting down the days until Gram heals and he can get back to his real life. Far away from the trauma inside of those city limits. Just when he thinks his plan is solid, enter Aja to shake everything up.

A hastily made bingo-based sex pact is supposed to keep this…thing between them from getting out of hand. Especially when submitting to their feelings means disrupting their carefully balanced lives. But emotions are just like bingo callers—they refuse to be ignored.

Jodie Slaughter’s Bet on It is a heart-stoppingly fun, emotional romance that will have readers falling in love until long after the last page is turned.

Review

I absolutely love bingo. So when I saw a romance book where the leads go to bingo with the male lead’s grandma who just happens to be the female lead’s best friend – I knew I had to read it. Add in a plus size female lead who deals with crippling anxiety and a male lead with a sad back story – hits all the buttons for me.

Aja moved to a small town to work on her anxiety and slowly re-enter a life of being social. Walker returns to his small hometown to help take care of his grandma even though he left the town 10 years ago and never looked back. These two have a couple of chance meetings where sparks fly, and eventually enter into a sex pact (because why not?). Neither are prepared for permanence, but we don’t always get what we ask for.

I enjoyed the representation in this book, I felt it was indicative of how someone who is plus size and anxious would feel/react (I am both of those things so I write from experience). I loved Walker as a hero even if Aja didn’t always grab me and keep my attention. I did love her side journey to making friends as a cute addition. And of course the bingo.

A solid romance, but lacked something to make it spectacular.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: Something Wilder

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Avon

Publication date: May 17th, 2022

384 pages

4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession… or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn’t leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness—and leave him there.

Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they’d barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen.

But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.

Review

I have read most of Christina Lauren’s backlist and Something Wilder is a very different book than their normal – this is not a negative statement, just factual. Something Wilder has the romantic plot line you would expect but adds in a dash of adventure, murder mystery, and treasure hunt to the romance.

Lily grew up learning about the canyons of Utah and the treasure supposedly hidden there on her daddy’s knee. He spent all of his time and money working on finding the treasure, to the detriment of Lily. Leo came along when Lily was young and they quickly fell in love, before Leo disappeared without a word. Lily now runs a tourist trail in the canyons and who shows up besides Leo and a group of his friends? But with the group brings a hidden plot and secrets.

Like I said, I’m not used to a Christina Lauren book turning into a thrilling, modern, Western adventure. It was a bit of a shock reading it, but I think they moved well into this different sub-genre than their usual. It had the same level of romance you would have expected even if it is less of a focus due to the other plot lines. The writing is very much on par with their usual as well. I didn’t necessarily see the plot twists coming but I would say it was on par with a mystery/thriller level.

Tropes include second chance romance and only one… tent.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: For You & No One Else (Say Everything #1)

Author: Roni Loren

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publication date: July 5th, 2022

336 pages

4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Eliza Catalano has the perfect life. So what if it actually looks nothing like the story she tells online? As a therapist, it’s part of her job to look like she has all the answers, right? But when Eliza ends up as a viral “Worst Date Ever” meme, everything in her Instagram-filtered world begins to crumble.

Enter the most obnoxiously attractive man she’s ever met, and a bet she can’t resist: if she swears off social media for six months, Beck Carter’ll teach her the wonders of surviving the “real world.” No technology, no dating apps, no pretty filters, no BS.

It seems like the perfect deal – she can lay low until her sudden infamy passes, meet some interesting new people, and maybe even curate this experience into a how I quit the online dating racket book along the way. But something about Beck’s raw honesty speaks to Eliza in ways she never expected. She knows he’s supposed to be completely hands-off… but as complex feelings grow and walls come tumbling down, rough-around-the-edges Beck may be exactly what Eliza needs to finally, truly face herself-and decide who she really wants to be.

A woman struggling to find her place in the world. A man with a secret inner life. An unexpected friendship with sizzling benefits. And an emotional turning point that changes everything.

Review

The third installment in the Say Everything series did not disappoint, just like I expected. I love each and every bit of these books and Eliza’s story was no different. Loren has a talent for combining sweet and spicy romance with very serious topics regarding mental health and trauma backgrounds – so please check the trigger warnings before reading this book, as well as the first two in the series. Eliza is a psychologist looking for love, but after an unfortunate internet date where she ended up going viral online – her confidence is shaken and needs a new strategy. Enter Beck, the hottest man she has ever met who signs up to teach her how to disconnect from the world.

This book is definitely more on the heavier side than the first two, I’d say each one got more heavy as the series continued. Beck’s story was so incredibly sad and his journey was so compelling. At first blush you would think it was Eliza who was helping Beck but when you think about it harder you see how much Beck helped Eliza too, which was just so special. The spice was top notch for a traditionally pubbed book, again much like the first two. It is not necessary to read the first two books, it can definitely exist as a standalone but the characters do make appearances.

I will absolutely read everything Roni Loren writes from now on, I highly recommend this whole series for people who like to have mental health rep and some heavy topics discussed in their romance novels.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: A Show for Two

Author: Tashie Bhuiyan

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Publication date: May 10th, 2022

416 pages

5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Mina Rahman has a plan for her future:
• Finally win the Golden Ivy student film competition
• Get into her dream school across the country
• Leave New York City behind once and for all

Mina’s ticket to winning the competition falls into her lap when indie film star—and known heartbreaker—Emmitt Ramos enrolls in her high school under a secret identity to research his next role. When Mina sets out to persuade Emmitt to join her cause, he offers her a deal instead: he’ll be in her short film…if she acts as a tour guide to help him with a photography contest.

As Mina ventures across the five boroughs with Emmitt by her side, the city she grew up in starts to look different and more like home than it ever has before. With the competition deadline looming, Mina’s dreams—which once seemed impenetrable—begin to crumble, and she’s forced to ask herself: Is winning worth losing everything?

Review

Mina wants nothing other than to get the he** out of NYC ASAP. Her ticket to doing that is winning a student film festival and getting into college – and having a celebrity guest star in the film would do wonders toward that dream. Enter Emmitt, a celebrity who enrolls in Mina’s school undercover. The problem? They had a chance encounter that went horribly wrong, leaving them both feeling negatively about the other. But Emmitt also needs help from Mina, so they make a deal only to accomplish their goals, with some unexpected outcomes.

Mina & Emmitt have a compelling rapport through this whole book, even when they both thought the worst of the other. Mina didn’t care about who Emmitt was and Emmitt couldn’t believe it – hazard of being famous I suppose. They’re initial run in with each other in the bowels of New York had me cackling with the banter and misunderstanding. I just wish it was a dual POV because I think Emmitt’s POV would have been beautiful.

I loved this adorable YA contemporary romance. I look forward to reading Tashie’s future work, and I’ll have to go back and read her debut after loving this one. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: Starry-Eyed Love (Spark House #2)

Author: Helena Hunting

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publication date: May 10th 2022

352 pages

5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Having just broken up with her boyfriend, London Spark is not in the mood to be hit on. Especially not when she’s out celebrating her single status with her sisters. So when a very attractive man pays for their drinks and then slips her his number, she passes it right back to him with a ‘thanks, but no thanks’. As the business administrator for their family’s event hotel, the Spark House, London has more important things to worry about, like bringing in new clientele.

As luck would have it, a multi-million-dollar company calls a few months later asking for a meeting to discuss a potential partnership, and London is eager to prove to her sisters, and herself, that she can land this deal. Just when she thinks she has nailed her presentation, the company’s CEO, Jackson Holt, walks in and inserts himself into the meeting. Not only that, but he also happens to be the same guy she turned down at the bar a few months ago.

As they begin to spend more time together, their working relationship blossoms into something more. It isn’t until their professional entanglements are finally over, that London and Jackson are finally ready to take the next step in their relationship. But between Jackson’s secretive past and London’s struggle with her sisters, London must question where she really stands – not just with Jackson, but with the Spark House, too.

Charming, hilarious, and emotional, Starry-Eyed Love is Helena Hunting at her very best!

Review

Helena Hunting is a newer author for me, but after loving the first Spark House book I knew I needed to continue the series – and Starry-Eyed Love did not disappoint. This one follows London and her love story, featuring an insta-love trope and workplace (ish?) romance. Jackson Holt is the very hot, very rich man who London meets in a bar and turns down, but he pops back up in relation to Spark House and they have to work together… closely. This book delves further into London’s desire to lessen how involved she is in Spark House and really focus on her creative pursuits.

This was a really solid romance, Jackson was an instantly smitten hero and London was the unconvinced heroine who needed a lot of prodding to say finally say yes. There are some callbacks to the first book with Avery and there is more of a presence with the third sister since she and London live together. The writing is very reminiscent of Hunting’s other books, so if you have read her before and enjoyed than you know what to expect.

This is written in dual POV, which is the absolute best format for romance books in my very expert opinion (lol). There’s just something about knowing both sides motivations and how they are perceiving the tension leading into the romance. It heightens the entire reading experience and single POV just can’t compare. Very much ready for the last sister’s book now!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: Nate Plus One

Author: Kevin van Whye

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Publication date: May 12th, 2022

256 pages

4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

The gorgeous new feelgood LGBTQ+ romantic comedy from the author of Date Me, Bryson Keller!

Two boys. Two bands. Two worlds colliding.

Nate Hargraves – stage-shy singer-songwriter – is totally stoked for his cousin’s wedding in South Africa, an all-expenses-paid trip of a lifetime. Until he finds out his sleazeball ex-boyfriend is also on the guest list.

Jai Patel – hot-as-hell high school rock-god – has troubles too. His band’s lead singer has quit, just weeks before the gig that was meant to be their big break.

When Nate saves the day by agreeing to sing with Jai’s band, Jai volunteers to be Nate’s plus-one to the wedding, and the stage is set for a summer of music, self-discovery, and simmering romantic tension. What could possibly go wrong . . . ?

Review

Nate Plus One is a M/M young adult contemporary romance, set in high school. Nate is dealing with a breakup with his first love, which was a secret because he wasn’t out. He also has a crush on one of his closest friends, but doesn’t think there is any chance there. When Jai needs a fill in for his band for an upcoming competition, and Nate needs a plus one to his cousin’s wedding in South Africa … where his ex will be as well – they make a deal. But spending that much time together unsupervised can change everything.

This was short and sweet, an easy read if you’re just looking for a sweet romance. Do check the trigger warnings, there are a few scenes with homophobia and discussing the death of a parent. The writing was solid and I enjoyed my time with this book. I think the romance was adorable and it was definitely more of a slow burn than some, plenty of tension and lingering looks before the inevitable kiss.

The third act conflict was fairly telegraphed and predictable, but that’s also to be expected within this genre. There also is a bit of an unsatisfying ending, but not in regards to the romance.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: The Italian Job

Author: Kathryn Freeman

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication date: May 6th, 2022

385 pages

4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Dream job. Dream house. Fake fiancé.

A year in a gorgeous Italian castle…

When Anna Roberts’ life implodes, an online search leads her to an ad for the ultimate dream job – management of a gorgeous castle on the shores of Lake Como, accommodation included. The only catch? Anna can’t do it alone…
…With the last man on earth she’d choose!
The castle owners will only accept a couple as caretakers, which means Anna needs a man on her arm at the interview. Enter her neighbour, Jake Tucker. Though Anna and Jake have never seen eye-to-eye, Jake’s had a rough few years and an escape to Italy sounds ideal. Yet, when they get the job and jet off, Anna and Jake face an unexpected challenge. Pretending to be a couple is difficult … but pretending the tension simmering between them doesn’t exist is quickly proving impossible!

Review

The Italian Job is a chaotic story about two neighbors who really do not like each other moving to an island in Italy together to pretend to be a couple in order to get a job and change their lives. Outside of being fairly unrealistic, this was a pretty good book. I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters but I’m always here for an enemies to lovers romance.

Anna and Jake grew up as neighbors and were never friends, they are very different people and there were a lot of misconceptions and miscommunications between them. After Jake gets out of prison and Anna catches her boyfriend & boss cheating on her, they both need a break from life and some easy work. They decide to fake date and get a job care-taking for an island together, using both of their skills. And then over time they realize the errors of their beliefs about the other and fall for each other.

Again, not saying there is anything realistic about the romance, but it was fairly entertaining. It brought up the question of how much your past should define your present and future, especially for Jake and his criminal record. Overall, another solid romance by Kathryn Freeman.

Thank you to One More Chapter & Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!