ARC Review: How the Wallflower Was Won by Eva Leigh

How the Wallflower was Won by Eva Leigh
How the Wallflower Was Won
Eva Leigh
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: September 27, 2022
Series or Standalone: Last Chance Scoundrels #2
Links: AmazonBarnes & NobleGoodreads
Rating:2 Stars

MY REVIEW

CW: Sexism; ableism; misogyny

Oh boy – I struggled with this book. I had such high hopes for this as I adored Finn, but Tabitha ruined the whole thing for me in the end. I’m still angry at how this story played out. If I could, I would rate the beginning of this story 3 stars, but I’d give the ending zero stars.

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Audiobook Review: Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Red, White & Royal Blue
Casey McQuiston
Narrator: Ramón de Ocampo Publisher: MacMillan Audio
Publication Date: May 14, 2019
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Links: AmazonBarnes & Noble
Overall Rating: 2 Stars
Performance Rating:3.5 Stars
Story Rating:1.5 Stars

MY REVIEW

CW: Homophobia; outing; depression; grief

I feel like this will be a very unpopular opinion, so stick with me, but I did not like Red, White and Royal Blue. I’m very late to the game with reading this, but this is a super hyped book, and I tend to push off reading those as me and hyped books don’t tend to mix well. And that was certainly the case with this book. From the romance to the characters to the plot, this book was just not good. And I’ll be honest – the hype had me expecting more.

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Review: Famous in a Small Town by Kylie Scott

Famous in a Small Town by Kylie Scott
Famous in a Small Town
Kylie Scott
Publisher: Kylie Scott
Publication Date: April 7, 2022
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Links: AmazonBarnes & NobleGoodreads
Rating: 2 Stars

MY REVIEW

CW: Grief; anxiety; pregnancy; home invasion

It pains me so much that I didn’t like this book. I was greatly looking forward to it as I adored Kylie Scott’s Stage Dive series and was excited for her to write another musician hero. However, this book fell flat. This book was a bit of a nebulous meh. 

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Review: It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
It Happened One Summer
Tessa Bailey
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: July 13, 2021
Series or Standalone: Bellinger Sisters #1
Links: AmazonBarnes & NobleGoodreads
Rating:2 Stars

MY REVIEW

When it comes to Tessa Bailey’s books, they’re incredibly hit or miss for me. And this one was a big ole miss. 

I know this book is incredibly popular, but it did not work for me. I found the characters to be unlikeable, the romance underdeveloped, and the writing awkward. Some of the choices also made me angry as the central conflict is based on a failure to communicate.

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Review: A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas

A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas
A Wallflower Christmas
Lisa Kleypas
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: October 14, 2008
Series or Standalone: The Wallflowers #4.5
Links:AmazonBarnes & NobleGoodreads
Rating:2 Stars

MY REVIEW

Yes, I know it’s no longer Christmastime, but I ended up reading A Wallflower Christmas a few days after Christmas, so my first review of the year is a Christmas book. I love the Wallflowers series and was greatly looking forward to this novella. However, I did not like this book. I was disappointed with the romance and some secondary storylines involving the OG Wallflowers. 

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Loathe at First Sight by Suzanne Park

Review: Loathe at First Sight by Suzanne Park

Cover of Loathe at First Sight by Suzanne Park
Loathe at First Sight
By Suzanne Park
Publisher: Avon
Published Date: August 18, 2020
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Links: AmazonBarnes & NobleGoodreads
Rating:2 Stars

MY REVIEW

Where to start with this book? First off, this book is marketed as a romance. In my opinion, it’s not a romance. It’s a book that has a romance in it, but the romance is not central to the plot despite the title and summary from the publisher. The little bit of romance we do get in the book is also pretty lackluster. Instead, I feel this book is more of a workplace drama and there isn’t anything wrong with that, but that’s really not how it’s marketing.

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Review: Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Devil in Winter
Lisa Kleypas
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: February 28, 2006
Series or Standalone: The Wallflowers #3
Links: AmazonBarnes & NobleGoodreads
Rating: 2 Stars


MY REVIEW

I’ve been really loving the Wallflowers series, but y’all, this one was not for me. I know that there are a ton of people who love this book and love St. Vincent, but I am not one of those people. 

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A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee

Review: A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee

Cover of A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee from publisher St. Martin's Griffin.


A Sweet Mess
By Jayci Lee
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: July 14, 2020
Series or Standalone: A Sweet Mess #1
Links: AmazonBarnes & NobleGoodreads
Rating: 2 Stars




MY REVIEW

Note – this review includes spoilers. Proceed with caution if you don’t want some plot points revealed.

A Sweet Mess had so much potential, but unfortunately it was not my cup of tea. Or my slice of cake I should say if we want to align with the book’s baking theme.

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