Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier: This started off really promising and then it just kind of made me feel icky (also, I figured out the “twist” way too early for it to have any real impact once revealed). If you’re looking for a book with the same vibes as Rebecca, this ain’t it.
The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams: This book made me irrationally angry. It had SO MUCH promise and then it took a massive left turn into complete cheese territory (and not even good, charcuterie plate-worthy cheese. Like movie theater, liquid “cheese” that comes with a side of too-salty tortilla chips or questionably greasy pretzel bites). If the setup for this was a delicious, cozy plate of pasta with a large glass of red wine, the execution was more like off-brand Easy Mac with a flat can of RC Cola.
Single and Ready to Jingle by Piper Rayne: I may not be ready to put up my Christmas decorations quite yet, but I am more than ready for all the holiday romance reads! Single and Ready to Jingle DELIVERS. It’s adorable, it’s funny, it’s emotional. For the record, the holiday version of sunshine/grump is sugarplum/Grinch, and TRUST ME you will fall in love with Kenzie and Andrew. Thank you Valentine PR for the ARC!
To Catch a Raven (Women Who Dare #3) by Beverly Jenkins: Ms. Bev is a legend in romancelandia, and To Catch a Raven was a really lovely read. Raven and Braxton are mature adults who don’t play games – they’re open with their emotions (I mean, to a point, we do need a little bit of mutual pining to make the work!) and the main conflict in this story is purely external. This was probably one of the most historically accurate historical romances I’ve ever read, so I felt like I was actually learning something while also enjoying a well-crafted love story. Thank you Avon for the ARC!
Read with Aimee 