Baltimore Bibliophile

Title: The Meet Cute Method

Author: Portia MacIntosh

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication date: May 4th, 2022

193 pages

4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

The brand new laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from the bestselling author of Life’s A Beach and Stuck On You.

Do movie romances ever happen in real life…?

Frankie doesn’t believe in true love. As relationships expert at popular magazine Stylife, she has learnt that dating disasters are far more common than happy ever afters.

So when she is tasked to find out if meet cutes can work in real life she is up for the challenge – but whether it’s being a damsel in distress with a flat tyre, or spilling coffee over a stranger, she isn’t convinced this can really lead to love.

But little does Frankie know that the ultimate meet cute opportunity is just around the corner. As she is whisked off her feet (all in the name of her work project of course…) perhaps true love isn’t just for the movies after all…?

Review

I’m a big fan of Portia’s books, but The Meet Cute Method quickly stole my heart and became an instant favorite. I’ve never laughed and cackled as much for a book than I did while reading this one. The hijinks that Frankie gets into while trying to set up meet cutes for herself for an article she’s writing absolutely slayed me to the point that my husband called to make sure I was already from downstairs.

Portia also worked in so many tropes and romance plot lines into this book that it was honestly impressive, there’s fake dating, only one bed, workplace romance, and more. One issue I had with this book was that by the end I wasn’t a huge fan of either character honestly. They were very flawed (which is fine) but not in a way that I related to or found to be interesting. The whole concept was awesome and it was laugh out loud funny but the characters fell flat for me. Even the background characters weren’t great.

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

Happy reading, folks!

Title: The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale

Author: Stephanie Eding

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publication date: May 3rd, 2022

320 pages

3/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

If you’re looking for:
Found family who always look out for you

A second chance romance with your high school crush

All the fried food that’ll take your mind off your troubles

A chance to start over and do things your own way
Then The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale is exactly what you need!

When Josie discovers that she’s unexpectedly pregnant with her ex-husband’s baby (darn that last attempt to save their marriage), she seeks comfort in deep-fried food at the county fair. There she runs into her two old friends, Ben and Kevin. While sharing their own disappointments with adult life, they devise a plan to move in together and turn their lives around. Soon Ben and Kevin make it their mission to prepare for Josie’s baby, not least by making sure Josie always has the food she’s craving. Maybe all together they can discover the true meaning of family and second chances in life…

Review

I genuinely wanted to like this book because the concept of a romance where the woman is pregnant with an ex-partner’s child was highly intriguing to me. But I ended up being underwhelmed by this book overall.

Josie Hale is going through a divorce after finding her husband cheating on her, but she is pregnant. With nowhere else to turn, Josie moves back to her home town and reconnects with her two best friends from high school who are roommates and haven’t yet grown up. Josie moves in with them and the three make a pact to grow up and improve their lives. Whereas the growth in the three characters was interesting and the two men end up taking good care of Josie while she is pregnant, the romance was completely unconvincing.

I didn’t think it would be, especially when Josie and Ben were interested in each other in high school and there was some tension between the two in the beginning. But every page that passed just didn’t make sense in advancing a relationship and by the end it seemed like nothing had happened. I had such high hopes but it just didn’t do it for me.

The best part was watching the three start to grow up and work on their values in life, but I wouldn’t read this for the romance aspect at all.

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

Happy reading, folks!

Title: Book Lovers

Author: Emily Henry

Publisher: Berkley

Publication date: May 3rd, 2022

384 pages

5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn’t see coming….

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

Review

Favorite Emily Henry novel so far, hands down. I didn’t think it would be possible after loving Beach Read so much, but Book Lovers added in a laugh out loud quality that Beach Read didn’t have. I cackled throughout this book at the banter between Nora and Charlie in this dislike to love romance. This book doesn’t follow the stereotypical format of a true romance (even though there is a HEA) so I’m more inclined to call it women’s lit/women’s fiction with a romance element to it than pure romance – but don’t let that deter you.

Book Lovers also brings in romance in the context of the publishing world, Nora is a literary agent and Charlie is an editor so they are thrown together to work on a big project for a huge author in the company. I love reading books about books, it’s so very meta and the publishing world is a dream of mine to be in.

I didn’t personally love the aspect of Libby, Nora’s sister, and her plot line. I won’t say much because it would be spoiler-y but there is a decent amount of manipulation involved and I’m never a fan of those plot lines, no matter how well intentioned. Still, I give this 5 stars due to the grumpy/grumpy love story with a healthy helping of real life getting in the way.

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

Happy reading, folks!

Title: Blaine for the Win

Author: Robbie Couch

Publisher: Simon Teen

Publication date: April 12th, 2022

336 pages

4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

After being dumped so his boyfriend can pursue more “serious” guys, a teen boy decides to prove he can be serious, too, by running for senior class president in this joyful romp from the author of The Sky Blues.

High school junior Blaine Bowers has it all—the perfect boyfriend, a pretty sweet gig as a muralist for local Windy City businesses, a loving family, and awesome, talented friends. And he is absolutely, 100% positive that aforementioned perfect boyfriend—​senior student council president and Mr. Popular of Wicker West High School, Joey—is going to invite Blaine to spend spring break with his family in beautiful, sunny Cabo San Lucas.

Except Joey breaks up with him instead. In public. On their one-year anniversary.

Because, according to Joey, Blaine is too goofy, too flighty, too…unserious. And if Joey wants to go far in life, he needs to start dating more serious guys. Guys like Zach Chesterton.

Determined to prove that Blaine can be what Joey wants, Blaine decides to enter the running to become his successor (and beat out Joey’s new boyfriend, Zach) as senior student council president.

But is he willing to sacrifice everything he loves about himself to do it?

Review

I am a huge, huge sucker for high school M/M romance – there’s just something so sweet and endearing about these relationships that are enthralling and captivating. Blaine for the Win is no different. Blaine is a high school junior who just got dumped, on his anniversary, at a fancy restaurant, when he believed he was going to be invited on a beach trip with his boyfriend’s family. Yikes. Joey tells Blaine he just isn’t serious enough because his fashion sense is quirky and he paints murals for local businesses, so he needs to pursue more serious guys if he wants to be a politician.

So, Blaine decides to become a serious guy by running for senior class President. Now, I’m not a huge fan of the changing yourself for love trope, but Blaine ends up learning a lot about himself and what his values are while engaging in this adventure so I’ll give it a pass. The friend group was super entertaining and I was drawn to these characters and their struggles.

This is a slow burn, friends to lovers, romance, with one on page kiss. There is a third act fight but not a breakup. I will definitely be reading Robbie Couch’s backlist after really enjoying Blaine for the Win. If you want a good revenge story, this one is for you.

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

Happy reading, folks!

I spent basically all of July mood reading through Kindle Unlimited and avoiding my blog and bookstagram account. You ever just really need a mental health break? It’s been a long month and something had to give – and that ended up being these accounts. And I have no regrets, it was really needed and it helped me. I’m planning a soft relaunch in August and we’ll see how that goes before I re-evaluate my future on these platforms. After several years of this, maybe it’s time to move onto another hobby.

But that’s a questions for another day. We’re here to discuss the books I read in July and what I thought about them. I read a total of 32 books in July and only one of those was an ARC for Netgalley which is… not a good ratio. Cheers to improving that in August!

EBOOKS

1. Wicked Beauty, Katee Robert – 5/5 stars
2. Set on You, Amy Lea – 4/5 stars
3. Always Hiding (The San Francisco Omegas #3), Calliope Stewart – 4/5 stars
4. Knot Over You, M.J. Marstens – 4/5 stars
5. The Off Limits Rule, Sarah Adams – 4/5 stars
6. The Temporary Roommate, Sarah Adams – 5/5 stars
7. Hook Shot (Hoops #3), Kennedy Ryan – 5/5 stars
8. Tied in Knots (Get Knotted! #1), Eve Newton – 3/5 stars
9. In Knots, Hannah Haze – 3/5 stars
10. Knot So Perfect Omega (Omega Match #1), Maya Nicole – 4/5 stars
11. By Any Other Name, Lauren Kate – 1/5 stars DNF
12. Protector’s Promise (Heat Haven #3), Sarah Blue – 4/5 stars
13. Last on the List (Wait With Me #5), Amy Daws – 4/5 stars
14. Puck Me Secretly (Vancouver Wolves Hockey #1), Odette Stone – 4/5 stars
15. Home Game (Vancouver Wolves Hockey #2), Odette Stone – 4/5 stars
16. The Penalty Box (Vancouver Wolves Hockey #3), Odette Stone – 4/5 stars
17. Left in Ruins (Ruined Records #1), Jillian West – 3/5 stars
18. High Risk Rookie (Vancouver Wolves Hockey #4), Odette Stone – 3/5 stars
19. Madness (Ruined Records #2), Jillian West – 4/5 stars
20. 2 Billionaires in Vegas (Love By Numbers #1), Nicole Casey – 3/5 stars
21. Start a War (Saint View Psychos #1), Elle Thorpe – 5/5 stars
22. Everything for You (Bergman Brothers #5), Chloe Liese – 5/5 stars
23. Safe Haven, Jarica James – 4/5 stars
24. Fat Omega (Omega Girls #1), Juniper Kerry – 3/5 stars
25. Belle Fury (Manhattan Ten #3), Lola Dodge – 3/5 stars
26. Angel (Manhattan Ten #4), Lola Dodge – 3/5 stars
27. Wait With Me (Wait With Me #1), Amy Daws – 4/5 stars
28. Next in Line (Wait With Me #2), Amy Daws – 4/5 stars
29. One Moment Please (Wait With Me #3), Amy Daws – 4/5 stars
30. Take a Number (Wait With Me #4), Amy Daws – 4/5 stars
31. Sweet Omega Liar, V.C. Luxe – 2/5 stars

ARCS

1. The Sizzle Paradox, Lily Menon – 4/5 stars

Happy reading, folks!

Title: Long Story Short

Author: Serena Kaylor

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Publication date: July 26th, 2022

336 pages

5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Growing up homeschooled in Berkeley, California, Beatrice Quinn is a statistical genius who has dreamed her whole life of discovering new mathematical challenges at a school like Oxford University. She always thought the hardest part would be getting in, not convincing her parents to let her go. But while math has always made sense to Beatrice, making friends is a problem she hasn’t been able to solve, so her parents are worried about sending her halfway across the world. The compromise: the Connecticut Shakespearean Summer Academy and a detailed list of teenage milestones to check off. She has six weeks to show her parents she can pull off the role of “normal” teenager and won’t spend the rest of her life hiding in a library.

Unfortunately, hearts and hormones don’t follow any rules, and there is no equation for teenage interactions. When she’s adopted by a group of eclectic theater kids, and immediately makes an enemy of the popular—and, annoyingly gorgeous—British son of the camp founders, she realizes that relationships are trickier than calculus. With her future on the line, this girl genius stumbles through illicit parties, double dog dares, and more than your fair share of Shakespeare. But before the final curtain falls, will Beatrice realize that there’s more to life than she can find in the pages of a book?

In this sparkling debut from Serena Kaylor, Long Story Short is a YA rom-com about a homeschooled math genius who finds herself out of her element at a theater summer camp and learns that life—and love—can’t be lived by the (text)book.

Review

I want to exist in this book forever. Seriously, I’m in love with Nik and Bea and their theater camp romance and banter and misunderstandings and flirting. I want to be best friends with Mia and Nolan and have them in my corner and teach me how to be a teenager. I want to go to a Shakespeare camp even though I’m not a theater kid or interested in Shakespeare. THAT’S how good this book is, because Serena Kaylor makes you want all of this through an immersive experience.

Bea is a genius, with no social skills – it isn’t confirmed in the book if she has a diagnosis but I would compare it to some presentations of autism. She desperately wants to go to Oxford for college but her parents won’t let her unless she proves she can improve on her social skills and “learn to be a teenager”. Nik initially is a jerk to her, let’s be honest – but quickly makes up for it with well chosen Shakespeare quotes and banter. All of the characters were phenomenal and well written.

I never wanted this to end. I appreciate the growth Bea made, especially with her parents, but I also feel her parent’s needed to budge a bit more to compromise. Yes, Bea’s actions were often selfish and not considering her parent’s wishes, but her mom also continuously tried to force her to be someone she wasn’t and that didn’t so much change by the end. I would’ve liked to see more concessions from her parents.

Anyway, a full 5 stars to this fantastic YA contemporary with an enemies-to-lovers trope.

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

Happy reading, folks!

I did knot read a single physical book this month, and very few ARCs. I was obsessed with Kindle Unlimited selections and just mood read my way through June, much to the dismay of my Netgalley shelf. I have no regrets, but I know I really should buckle down in July and work through more ARCs. I’m getting worried publishers will stop sending them to me since I’m not reading and reviewing them! To be fair, I am about 20 behind in terms of writing the reviews – where I’ve read the book but haven’t posted to Netgalley. I’m working on it!

So, I read 33 books this month – though to be fair several of them were novella length, not novel length. Many of the Hannah Haze OV were like that, very quick, less than 100 pages. Sara Cate continues to do no wrong, and I read the most chaotic series where twins/triplets all dated the same woman. I know, very weird but I couldn’t stop – it was like a train wreck!

So anyway, below are all the books. Let me know in the comments if we read any of the same books or if your rating of a book I read was very different than mine!

ARCS

1. The Make-Up Test, Jenny L Howe – 3/5 stars
2. Island Time, Georgia Clark – 3/5 stars
3. Maggie Moves On, Lucy Score – 5/5 stars
4. Blaine for the Win, Robbie Couch – 4/5 stars
5. The Charmed List, Julie Abe – 4/5 stars

EBOOKS

1. Wrecked (Dirty Air #3), Lauren Asher – 5/5 stars
2. Pack Bliss (A Blissful Omegaverse #2), Kate King – 3/5 stars
3. Rocked by the Alpha, Hannah Haze – 3/5 stars
4. Love and Other Words, Christina Lauren – 5/5 stars
5. Oxford Heat, Hannah Haze – 3/5 stars
6. The Casanova (The Miles High Club #3), T.L. Swan – 2/5 stars
7. Beauty and the Baller (Strangers in Love #1), Ilsa Madden-Mills – 3/5 stars
8. The Alpha Escort Agency, Hannah Haze – 4/5 stars
9. Online Heat, Hannah Haze – 3/5 stars
10. Christmas Heat, Hannah Haze – 3/5 stars
11. Omega’s Forbidden Heat, Hannah Haze – 3/5 stars
12. The Omega Chase, Hannah Haze – 3/5 stars
13. Give Me More (Salacious Player’s Club #3), Sara Cate – 5/5 stars
14. Stuck With You (The STEMinist Novellas #2), Ali Hazelwood – 5/5 stars
15. Big 3 (Multiple Love #1), Stephanie Brother – 3/5 stars
16. Hot 4 (Multiple Love #2), Stephanie Brother – 3/5 stars
17. Hard 5 (Multiple Love #3), Stephanie Brother – 3/5 stars
18. To Hate Adam Connor, Ella Maise – 4/5 stars
19. Deep 6 (Multiple Love #4), Stephanie Brother – 3/5 stars
20. Steel 7 (Multiple Love #5), Stephanie Brother – 3/5 stars
21. Inked 8 (Multiple Love #6), Stephanie Brother – 4/5 stars
22. Twisted Lies (Twisted #4), Ana Huang – 5/5 stars
23. Block Shot (Hoops #2), Kennedy Ryan – 2/5 stars
24. Knot Over Me (Omega Love #1), Rory Miles – 4/5 stars

AUDIO

1. Party of Two (The Wedding Date #5), Jasmine Guillory – 4/5 stars
2. While We Were Dating (The Wedding Date #6), Jasmine Guillory – 4/5 stars
3. The Spanish Love Deception, Elena Armas – 5/5 stars (REREAD)
4. Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties #2), Jesse Q. Sutanto – 4/5 stars

Happy reading, folks!

Title: The Charmed List

Author: Julie Abe

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Publication date: July 5th, 2022

304 pages

4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

After spending most of high school as the quiet girl, Ellie Kobata is ready to take some risks and have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List—thirteen items she’s going to check off one by one. She’s looking forward to riding rollercoasters, making her art Instagram public (maybe), and going on an epic road-trip with her best friend Lia.

But when number four on Ellie’s list goes horribly wrong—revenge on Jack Yasuda—she’s certain her summer has gone from charmed to cursed. Instead of a road trip with Lia, Ellie finds herself stuck in a car with Jack driving to a magical convention. But as Ellie and Jack travel down the coast of California, number thirteen on her list—fall in love—may be happening without her realizing it.

In The Charmed List, Julie Abe sweeps readers away to a secret magical world, complete with cupcakes and tea with added sparks of joy, and an enchanted cottage where you can dance under the stars.

Review

I haven’t personally read a YA magical/contemporary romance in a little while, but The Charmed List was a wonderful reintroduction to the genre. This book is a friends to enemies to lovers romance between two magical teens whose parents have competing magical stores in California. They were best friends up until around the age of 12, until our hero drops the FMC like a bad habit with no explanation except public distain. Now, they must work together after breaking the most important magical code – don’t let the non-magical know about the magic. Now they are on a forced road trip and are forced to discuss the last few years.

I thought this was a sweet, younger romance – I think the characters are 16 so we’re not looking at spice or anything here. I didn’t think the explanation and apology from the hero was really good enough for forgiveness but hey, I’m not the one who is forgiving him.

I think the magic world created was interesting but simple – there wasn’t much background given into the magic system but this isn’t really the type of book where that matters much. It was definitely more focused on the contemporary-ish romance than the fantasy nature. The magic was more just a fun twist than a hugely important part of the story.

Overall, really enjoyed for the sweet romance. There is also a lot of page time given to tea and it just constantly made me was to drink the tea they were talking about.

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

Happy reading, folks!

Title: The Stand-In

Author: Lily Chu

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publication date: May 3rd, 2022

384 pages

5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Gracie Reed is doing just fine. Sure, she was fired by her overly “friendly” boss, and yes she still hasn’t gotten her mother into the nursing home of their dreams, but she’s healthy, she’s (somewhat) happy, and she’s (mostly) holding it all together.

But when a mysterious SUV pulls up beside her, revealing Chinese cinema’s golden couple Wei Fangli and Sam Yao, Gracie’s world is turned on its head. The famous actress has a proposition: due to their uncanny resemblance, Fangli wants Gracie to be her stand-in. The catch? Gracie will have to be escorted by Sam, the most attractive—and infuriating—man Gracie’s ever met.

If it means getting the money she needs for her mother, Gracie’s in. Soon Gracie moves into a world of luxury she never knew existed. But resisting Sam, and playing the role of an elegant movie star, proves more difficult than she ever imagined—especially when she learns the real reason Fangli so desperately needs her help. In the end all the lists in the world won’t be able to help Gracie keep up this elaborate ruse without losing herself…and her heart.

Review

Crazy Rich Asians meets The Princess Switch in this new rom com from Lily Chu that I really loved reading. It is a great mix of light banter and serious conversations about mental health and dementia. A regular, planner obsessed woman is fired from her job after being photographed and mistaken for an actor – and they do look uncannily alike. So the actress makes her a deal, she works as a stand in for her at events when she isn’t up to attending.

There is a good conversation around depression and anxiety in this book, especially rooted in the Asian culture. The romance is amazing hate to love between the actress’ best friend and costar, and the stand in. The two women couldn’t be more opposite, but our hero just can’t resist Gracie and her quirks. I also so loved the obsession Gracie has with planners and bullet journals to organize her life and the struggle to find the perfect one – I felt SO seen!

Overall a solid romance with an adorable, cartoon cover – but one that I will likely forget quickly and move on from. It didn’t burrow itself into my brain and demand that I reread it sometime in the future. And that’s okay, I had a great time reading it and have no regrets.

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

Happy reading, folks!

Title: Blame It on the Brontes

Author: Annie Sereno

Publisher: Forever

Publication date: May 3rd, 2022

384 pages

3/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

She’s going to write her own happy ending.

English professor Athena Murphy is an authority on the novels of the Brontë sisters. But as they say in academia, publish or perish. To save her job, Athena decides to write a biography of C.L. Garland, the author heating up bestseller lists with spicy retellings of classic literature. Tracking down the reclusive writer and uncovering her secret identity, though, means Athena must return to her small midwestern hometown where Garland—and her ex-boyfriend, Thorne Kent—live.

Seeing Thorne again reminds Athena that real life never lives up to fiction. He was the Heathcliff to her Catherine, the Mr. Rochester to her Jane. Not only did their college breakup shatter that illusion, but they also broke each other’s hearts again a second time. Now she has to see him nearly every…single…day.

The only solution is to find C.L. Garland as quickly as possible, write the book, and get the heck out of town. As her deadline looms and the list of potential C.L. Garlands dwindles, Athena and Thorne bicker and banter their way back to friendship. Could it really be true that the third time’s a charm?

Athena and Thorne have a love story only a Brontë could write, and the chance for their own happily-ever-after, but first, they’ll need to forgive the mistakes of the past.

Review

Blame it on the Bronte’s is a second chance romance with college lovers who broke up in dramatic fashion when neither would change their academic goals for each other. They meet up again in their hometown when the FMC is on sabbatical to write a book, and she needs to research a reclusive and unknown bestselling author who is rumored to be from the same town – in order to save her career. She doesn’t expect to run into her ex, who she hasn’t seen in many years.

I don’t have much good to say regarding this book, except that it was well written. There is a minor level of spice but this is less a romance novel and more women’s fiction with a side helping of romance.

I think I need to stop trying to make myself like Bronte retellings because I almost never enjoy them. The MC in this book is like my least favorite kind of smart, educated female in academia. Everything about this character annoyed me throughout the book, and the hero wasn’t much better to be honest. They both moved through the world as if they were martyrs and the weight of the world was on their shoulders – for no good reason really. They weren’t nice to each other, their friends, or even people they didn’t know. They were both users and were nice to others for their own gain.

Maybe they deserved each other, I don’t know, but this book was not at all for me and I got very little enjoyment out of it.

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

Happy reading, folks!