ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: second chance romance
For all that this is a short story, I dARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: second chance romance
For all that this is a short story, I didn't feel unsatisfied with it. It didn't feel rushed or like more words were needed to get the point across. Even though there is a history between Emmitt and Ayesha that we're not privy to, I didn't need that information to understand the feelings they were grappling with. Ultimately I would say this is about grief and family, and how losing a loved one can make you lose parts of yourself without even realizing it.
I wasn't expecting the story to unfold the way it did, but the author managed to take the well-used meddling mom trope and give it a nice tweak. ...more
- We're finally getting a bit more into the macro plot, and I loved it! Learning more about Kate's past anThis is my favourite so far, and here's why:
- We're finally getting a bit more into the macro plot, and I loved it! Learning more about Kate's past and origins was great, and that also made the stakes way higher in this book compared to the first two.
- Romance developments. Kate and Curran always make me grin, and I'm enjoying the weird courtship Curran seems to be going for and how much it is messing with Kate. I'm also a sucker for a couple that's super protective of each other, and it goes both ways with these two which is fantastic.
- Time spent with the side characters. My heart ached for some of them. I'm glad we're getting to see more of Jim and Andrea; I didn't feel like I knew much about Jim before, but that has definitely changed.
- The world keeps growing, even though we're still in Atlanta. The sheer number of mythical/magical creatures the authors keep dragging into this world keeps the stories fresh and interesting, and this one was no exception....more
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There's not much I can say here about the plot that isn't a spoiler ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There's not much I can say here about the plot that isn't a spoiler of some sort, but let me just say that this is now one of my favourite ongoing fantasy series. And I honestly think this book has better pacing than the first one, although it's possible that I'd give The Mask of Mirrors 5 stars as well upon a reread. Middle book syndrome? This series never heard of it.
But on to what I can actually talk about, which is all my feels, and I do have quite a few of them.
The world doesn't necessarily get bigger than what we're introduced to in the first book, but it does get more immersive, with a heavy emphasis on politics and magic. I won't pretend that I fully understand the magic system, but it does fascinate me. The way numinatria and pattern are described are intriguing, and during a recent visit to the authors' website I discovered that they have a ton of additional content related to the world's magic there as well. I still can't quite picture it in my head, but I do think that a reread will help with that.
The politics are complicated and messy, which makes sense because of where The Mask of Mirrors left us. With Ren now having her own mask and another alter ego to keep track of, she finds herself even more mired in the dirty underbelly of Nadežra while also trying to elevate house Traementis, recently no longer cursed. But there's only one of her, even though she pretends to be three different people. Luckily, she has surrounded herself with truly fantastic characters. Ren, Grey, and Vargo, are one of my favourite trios to date. I love the ever shifting dynamics between them, love them individually, and love them in duos. Is it too much to hope for a thruple?
As you may have guessed by the cover, we find out a lot more about Vargo in this book, and every detail is fascinating. The man has more layers than I knew to look for, and surprised me more than once with his decisions, actions, and the motivations that drive him. I loved this deep dive into his mind, and I think the multiple perspectives that we get also help to really round out the characters, since we get to observe them from different points of view.
I can't end this review without mentioning that the writing is very, very good, in a way that's really easy to overlook because it just reads so fluidly. Also, this series has some of the most stunning covers I've ever seen. I'm really hyped for the third book, but already devastated that it'll be the last....more
Laura has grown up hearing about the epic romance between her parents, and how two halves of a coin brought Tropes: switched belongings, love triangle
Laura has grown up hearing about the epic romance between her parents, and how two halves of a coin brought them together. Now she writes about other couples' meet cutes for a living, but she has yet to have one of her own. When her boss sends her to Jersey to write her parents' story, she accidentally ends up with a man's suitcase instead of her own. Will this be her meet cute at last?
This was pretty easy reading with some good humor thrown in. All of the characters are very charming, as are the descriptions of Jersey. The book also tackles some difficult topics such as grief and long-term illnesses, and does so with grace. The plot is fairly predictable. There are moments where the comedy didn't work for me, or where the interactions between people felt over the top or even out of character. I thought the main couple was cute even though I didn't feel much chemistry between them. I also didn't particularly feel a connection to any of the characters, but it's a nice book and would make for a good palate cleanser....more
Tropes: hate to love, found family CWs: sexual harassment
As far as Pride & Prejudice retellings go, this is a pretty good one, where we're left with thTropes: hate to love, found family CWs: sexual harassment
As far as Pride & Prejudice retellings go, this is a pretty good one, where we're left with the bare bones of the original story and everything else is up in the air. We still have Lizzy and Darcy, Jane and Bingley, and Wickham as the boogeyman, but even those elements are not as familiar as you would think.
What I liked: * The author made some changes to make sure the story is diverse, and not just to the side characters. * The changes done to make the story work in a modern setting made sense to me, even though that meant a sped up timeline. In the time of Austen, it makes sense for the dislike between Lizzy and Darcy to last as long as it does, and for the amends to take the time they do. In the age of internet and cell phones, their communication has to happen faster. It does take away a bit of the slow burn element, but I didn't mind that part. * I enjoyed both of the main romances and the characters involved, as well as most of the side characters. The main beats of Pride & Prejudice are definitely there, but these characters also have their own, unique personalities that are pretty different. It made it easy to read this book without being constantly reminded of the original.
What didn't work for me: * Some of the plot points didn't make much sense except that they were needed to move the story along. For example, Lizzy spilling her guts to Wickham about her past not very long after meeting him. She doesn't know much about him at this point, and even though she doesn't come across as someone who would easily trust someone else, she apparently feels comfortable enough in his presence to bare her soul. The other instance I distinctly remember involves a sexual harassment scene at the burlesque club where Lizzy works, where it is mentioned that in two years of working there, the character has never been harassed. Considering we learn early on that the club is next to the financial district and that many of their customers are coked up Wall Street types, I found that very hard to believe. * The constant lust Lizzy has for Darcy, even while hating him. I get that hate sex is a thing, but even while she's pissed off at him for hurting Jane, she's still thinking about how hot he is and how much she'd like to bang him. * Because this is written in first person POV, we only ever get Lizzy's limited perspective. Unfortunately this also means the other characters don't get as much time to shine, and ultimately I didn't feel like I knew them very well. This applies to Darcy too....more
ARC provided by the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
With her usual humor, Huda Fahmy delivers a memoir in the form of a ARC provided by the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
With her usual humor, Huda Fahmy delivers a memoir in the form of a young adult graphic novel that made me feel seen to my core. It's rare for me to find this kind of representation; as Huda states in the beginning, Muslims aren't a monolith, and our experiences can be vastly different. I spent my teenage years in the Middle East, so I didn't face quite the same challenges, but I still remember that feeling of not belonging because I dressed different, had different interests, had different priorities. It definitely helps to have your family in your corner, and I loved seeing the relationship between Huda and her mother and sisters.
This book is lighthearted where it can be, and serious where it needs to be, so be prepared to quickly alternate between laughing out loud and shaking with frustration and anger at what so many young Muslims regularly go through. Highly recommend picking this up.
Also this title is everything. A++ would read and laugh again....more
ARC provided by the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
“If you want to learn,” I murmured, “then it begins here.” And I lai
ARC provided by the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
“If you want to learn,” I murmured, “then it begins here.” And I laid my hand over his heart. “It begins when you acknowledge and respect who you are—scars and mistakes and victories and accomplishments all accounted for.”
On the night of the new moon, people's nightmares come to life. They prowl the streets, forcing civilians to stay inside their homes, protected by the magicians that are assigned as territory wardens. To prepare themselves for this cursed night, these wardens record the nightmares of all the civilians that live within their territory. Knowledge is power, and forewarned is forearmed. As the daughter of and apprentice to a warden, Clementine has never considered a different life. But when the twin brothers Lennox and Phelan come to their territory and challenge Clem's father for it, she finds her life suddenly upended. Feeling adrift and bitter, Clem sets out on a journey of vengeance. But it's not just the brothers keeping secrets.
This is an excellent book to get lost in. The writing is absolutely beautiful without being purple prose. I was fully immersed in the world and the story, and didn't even worry much about the plot because I was enjoying my time with this book so much. It may not be very fast-paced, but it is atmospheric. I loved learning about Seren, the cursed duchy that causes the nightmares to become reality during the night of the new moon, and a few of the nightmares that are described were pretty chilling.
Clementine is a fantastic main character. Passionate and too stubborn for her own good, the choices she makes throughout the story portray her as a well-rounded character. Sometimes she seems a little too good to be true, too nice to someone she should see as an enemy. But I didn't hate spending time in her head, even though she's not very unique when it comes to heroines in YA fantasies. The same can be said for Phelan, who is a pretty typical "very kind just misunderstood because he's so stoic" romantic interest.
The romance was one of the aspects that didn't quite work for me. I couldn't follow the thread that should have led them from enemies to lovers; suddenly it just happened and they were feeling something, and I was left wondering what I'd missed. I did like some of the romantic moments between them, I just didn't buy the relationship.
I also thought the ending was incredibly abrupt and fast for a standalone, and not very satisfying. There are a lot of things that went unexplained, and I think a couple more scenes or a strong epilogue could've made a world of difference....more
A steamy romance with a side of mystery and messed up relationships between brothers, blood and otherwise?Tropes: tortured hero, fling, woman in peril
A steamy romance with a side of mystery and messed up relationships between brothers, blood and otherwise? Yes please, and can I have some more.
While you can definitely read these books out of order, I do think that reading them in order gives you a better experience when it comes to the relationship between the three brothers, as well as the relationship between the Turners and Dalrymples. Everything comes full circle in Unraveled, and we finally find out why Smite keeps everyone except Mark at arms length. I loved the reveal behind that, and the one that explains what happened between Smite and Richard since that conflict is part of what influences Ash's decision to go after the Dalrymples in the first place.
While I could probably spend multiple paragraphs on how much I love the Turner brothers and their messed up relationship with each other, this is still a romance book. Miranda is a great heroine. She's determined to survive in a world that takes every chance it gets to drag her down. She's also incredibly smart, which means I didn't have to get frustrated at the decisions she makes along the way. Where Smite is incredibly serious, Miranda manages to bring out a humorous and adventurous side in him, and it turns him into a much more interesting character than he has shown himself to be in the other books, where he was just the mysterious brother with the mysteriously dark past. I loved seeing these glimpses and how she teased him. Unexpectedly, he's also one of the sweetest Turners, and some of the romantic moments in this book were definitely swoon-worthy.
Milan has a talent for creating conflicts between the characters that don't feel contrived and don't make me want to fling the book against the nearest wall, and this was no exception. The way Smite and Miranda deal with her past and her current predicament is what I always want to see: the couple tackling it together, rather than "oh I don't want to burden them with this" which leads to secrets and miscommunication. It made their relationship believable to me, and I loved how they supported each other.
In short, loved Smite and Miranda, but Ash is still the best Turner....more
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review will contain some spoilers for The Prison Heale3.5 stars
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review will contain some spoilers for The Prison Healer, the first book in the series.
After the events of The Prison Healer, Kiva now finds herself in the enemy's stronghold. Despite her blooming relationship with Jaren, she is still set on vengeance for everything her family has suffered at the hands of the royal family. But it's difficult to hold on to that feeling when said royal family embraces her with open arms, whereas her reception by her siblings leaves something to be desired. But ultimately, Kiva must choose a side, because there is no way for both families to win.
The biggest thing dragging this book's rating down for me is Kiva. I didn't go into this expecting her to be a warrior, because the first book sets Kiva up to be the compassionate healer, physically weak but mentally strong. Unfortunately, this book also left her mentally weak, and I found it difficult to reconcile this Kiva with the woman who spent 10 years in prison. From minor things like being unable to control her gasps and facial expressions while eavesdropping on a meeting, to bigger things like indecisiveness and very, very dumb decisions that feel out of character but are needed to drive the plot forward. I found it hard to believe that someone who stayed silent about who her family is for 10 years in a very dangerous setting suddenly starts blabbing her secrets without thinking about the potential consequences. It was very frustrating to read about.
However, this book has a lot I enjoyed as well, and where Kiva's character took a nosedive for me, I really loved the new characters that were introduced as well as the development we see for Jaren. The author does a great job of painting us a picture of the royal family, even the characters we meet for the first time, and Caldon is now easily one of my favourites. The romance really worked for me as well, including Kiva's angst surrounding her rebel activity and what that will mean for Jaren. The tension and angst felt believable. I loved how Jaren treated her; supportive without being pressuring, with trust and tenderness. He definitely feels like a cinnamon roll hero.
While I wouldn't say the plot is very action-packed, I don't think it dragged. I think it helps that the setting is completely different from the first book, so there is plenty that we get to discover about the royal family, the politics surrounding the split between the Vallentis and Corentine families, and Kiva's mother and siblings. There are interesting reveals and a couple of twists, ending with another tense cliffhanger, making this an overall enjoyable and solid middle book in the trilogy. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how everything wraps up (and rooting for Jaren and Kiva - the romance was definitely one of my favourite parts)....more
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a straightforward romance with a hint of suspense and two grARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a straightforward romance with a hint of suspense and two great main characters. Their meet-cute happens at the end of Jasmine's date from hell, and after running into the handsome stranger, she doesn't think she'll meet him again. But Torr turns out to be her newest client, and before long the two are mixed up in a criminal investigation that puts Jasmine in the path of someone very dangerous.
This was an easy read, but I do think it would've been better if it had been a full length novel. The relationship didn't get much chance to develop; Jasmine and Torr went from meeting to proposal within a week. Cute and hot, but not very believable. I still enjoyed the romance and the suspense for what it was....more
When Alba's mother sends her to Barcelona to live with her grandmother, all Alba can feel is abandoned. There seemsCW: domestic abuse, emotional abuse
When Alba's mother sends her to Barcelona to live with her grandmother, all Alba can feel is abandoned. There seems to be very little hope in the world for her, and even though her grandmother turns out to be nice, she still feels lost. Until she walks into their neighborhood bakery and finds herself swept up in the scent of fresh bread and discovering her passion for baking.
This was a very interesting book that dealt with some pretty heavy topics, primarily the abuse Alba's mom suffers at the hands of her dad and what that has meant for Alba. I think the way the author dealt with this was really good. Alba grows throughout the story, and whereas she at first has the tendency to run away from anything she perceives as conflict, she learns to trust herself and the people around her. It tackles how to deal with grief and disappointments, and is ultimately a story about hope and family.
I loved the setting; I've been to Barcelona once, and it's a great city to wander around in. I could totally imagine myself walking alongside Alba when she was exploring. And of course, all the baking was fantastic. I also really liked the way Spanish, Catalan and Tagalog were used, and that a glossary was included at the end that explains what all the phrases mean. ...more
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
A story that starts off cute and sweet, and then somehow manages to pack a punch within 3ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
A story that starts off cute and sweet, and then somehow manages to pack a punch within 31 pages. Having 2 cats, I think about what animals are thinking quite a lot, but I never considered the perspective of a plant. The Houseplant takes us into the mind of George, a fern who never wanted to be owned by a human, but grows to love one quite despite himself. At its heart, this is a story about friendship and caring, and how treating someone (or something) well and doing the right thing will bring about surprising benefits. This was well-executed and just the right length, which is something short stories can easily get wrong. A delightful read for when you have a short break....more
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: insta-love, perfect love interest
Note: this review contains ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: insta-love, perfect love interest
Note: this review contains a NSFW quote at the bottom
Let me start by saying that I think this book can work for you if you're looking for a romance with a flawless male love interest whose entire purpose is fulfilling the heroine's wishes. However, that's not what I want out of my romances, so this fell flat for me.
The relationship between Nate and Claire developed way too fast, and Nate was flawless. He was sweet, supportive, hot, rich, and always forgiving of whatever Claire did, even if she hurt him to his core. It felt very much like the author had written him as wish fulfillment, and there's not much else to him as a character. For her part, Claire was understandably hesitant in some parts, and frustrating in others, but she never stirred anything better than apathy in me. I just couldn't care about her woes the way they were portrayed, even though I think the book was trying to have her deal with some deep-seated issues. But the way this was handled felt very simple and flat. She's clearly struggling between her feelings for Nate and wanting to safeguard her independence, but on the other hand she acts very unprofessional towards her customers in favour of said romance. Her back and forth almost gave me whiplash.
I ended up highlighting several sections because I kept rolling my eyes at what was happening. Encountering lines like these often yanked me out of the story:
With a deft swipe of his hips, he unlocked the door with the keycard in his pocket.
But this was not a regular penis. This was a cock—long and thick and beautiful all at once.
This could've benefited from another pass or two by an editor to polish it a bit and get rid of the awkward phrasings....more
CWs: intentional disfigurement, misogyny, alcoholism, sexual assault, torture
How do you take the fight out of half the population and render them will
CWs: intentional disfigurement, misogyny, alcoholism, sexual assault, torture
How do you take the fight out of half the population and render them willing slaves? You tell them they're meant to do nothing but serve from the minute they're born. You tell them they're weak. You tell them they're prey. You tell them over and over, until it's the only truth they're capable of living.
This was truly the rageful, down with the patriarchy book I needed to end 2021 on.
In a world where the only possible futures for a woman are marriage or to become a pilot's concubine, Zetian chooses the latter. It's not because she particularly feels the need to serve her country; concubine-pilots often die, their lives consumed like batteries by the male pilots. No, Zetian's purpose is very different, driven as she is by the murder of her sister at the hands of one of the pilots, before she even entered a Chrysalis. Driven by vengeance, she is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure justice is served, even in this means sacrificing her own life. But when she unexpectedly proves to be much stronger than her sister's murderer, killing him during a fight in the Chrysalis, Zetian is assigned a new partner: Li Shimin, a death row inmate who killed his own family. She can't trust him, but he may be her only ally in this army that so easily sacrifices women for the sake of victory.
I'm sure many people will find Zetian an unlikeable character; she's self-serving, abrasive, and refuses to follow many of the supposed rules of her male dominated society. But that's exactly why I loved her so much. She truly doesn't care what people think of her. Against all odds, she found a way to educate herself as much as possible, to persevere in a system that is inherently against her despite the disability inflicted on her by her own family. She's also not a man-hater, even though I would've understood it if she were, but she is distrustful of any man who is part of the army, and in most cases she is right.
"Hate women? Don't be ridiculous! The world wouldn't function without women! Who would bear our children, make our meals, sew our clothes, warm our beds, , and so, so, so much more?"
There are a couple of exceptions. One is Yizhi, the young man she used to meet in secret, and who taught her even though it is forbidden. He is sweet and caring, a pure cinnamon roll. The other is Shimin, pretty much his exact opposite: strong, silent and dangerous, but underneath that are layers of pain that he has carefully kept hidden. Zetian finds herself drawn to both in different ways. I hear you thinking, "not another YA love triangle", but fear not! Nobody has to choose here, because we get a polyamorous relationship, and it is glorious.
Perks of refusing to play by the rules: you don't have to choose between the boy who'd torture a man to death with you and the boy who'd welcome you back with pastries after.
I thought the mechanics of the Chrysalises and the way the two pilots are connected to both the robots and each other were very interesting, although we don't really explore that much in the second half. The writing is excellent, making this an incredibly strong debut. While the pacing in the middle could've been a bit tighter, the twists towards the end absolutely blew me away, and I can't wait to see how the story continues....more
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: slow burn, only one bed CWs: fatphobia
Similar to Spo3.5 stars
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: slow burn, only one bed CWs: fatphobia
Similar to Spoiler Alert, I have some mixed feelings about this book.
I really liked both Alex and Lauren, and especially the way their relationship developed. I have a soft spot for when two people are super protective of one another, and Alex kept hitting that consistently. He did take it too far a few times; all the shouting at Lauren was a bit much. The change from friendship to romance is a slow one, but I actually appreciated it here and felt like that made the story more realistic and believable to me. Also I just love a good slow burn. There were plenty of sweet moments throughout as well.
My problem with the book stems from two things. One of them is the interludes, which were also my least favourite part in Spoiler Alert. But while I felt like they served a function there in giving us conversations between April and Marcus that happened online, I didn't see the point in including them here. There does seem to be fewer of them, so that is good.
The second is, as is so often the case, the conflict. I will say that I was never entirely sure what would happen to briefly break them up, which was nice because I think the conflict in Spoiler Alert was super obvious from the moment they started dating, and every chapter was just an agonizing wait to get to the inevitable, oh so stupid, could totally have been avoided, fight scene. It was a lot more subtle in this case, but I think the machinations used by the author to trigger the conflict were too on the nose. And not just there; there were several incidents throughout the story that were clearly there to take the relationship to the next level, but played out in a way that didn't feel entirely believable. Sure, people can be horrible and mean, but I had serious doubts about some of the minor characters and the way they acted. It felt like the author needed a way to move the story forward, whether that was realistic or not.
One other thing I've noticed now that I've read two books by her is that, in both cases, the main characters have similar faults that inevitably lead one of the two to blow up at/leave the other (kind of unjustified because they're both making the same mistakes). When they reflect on what happened, they realize they were wrong to act the way they did, and decide they will do anything to have their partner take them back. I'm usually not a fan of the author using similar machinations in different books, so I'm curious to find out if I'll enjoy other books by her....more
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: fake dating
This wasn't for me. I liked some of the things thARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: fake dating
This wasn't for me. I liked some of the things this book was doing, like the solid female friendship that was formed when three women found out they were dating the same guy and dumped him publicly. I also liked the way Taylor's learning disability was handled, and there were some nice moments between Taylor and Jamar. They communicated decently for the most part, and the conflict felt realistic instead of overblown. It's the bits in between that make this fall apart for me.
Taylor, especially, feels very wishy-washy to me. I absolutely respect her decision to create firm boundaries between her and her clients, I just think none of the choices she makes throughout the book make sense in that context. She's constantly waffling between wanting and not wanting a relationship, even when the barrier of a pre-existing professional relationship is no longer an issue. And the same goes for Jamar; one moment he decides to stop flirting and be professional, the next he's agonizing about how he'll be able to focus because he's so into Taylor.
A good chunk of the story is told in flashbacks rather than as events unfold, and while I don't mind flashbacks, I didn't see the need for them here, and found myself getting increasingly annoyed with them. I also wasn't happy with how much focus was being put on how it wouldn't be possible for Taylor to become successful without a college degree. It felt very classist/elitist to me, especially in this day and age....more
Tropes: rivals to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, slow build
His gaze went to her hair and locked there. He wanted to touch it. In that instant of time, he ob
Tropes: rivals to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, slow build
His gaze went to her hair and locked there. He wanted to touch it. In that instant of time, he obviously desired nothing more than to slide his long fingers into the fine strands, cup her head with that huge palm, tug her forward, take a slow breath . . . and sling her out the window by her ponytail like the Trunchbull.
I believe I was on page 3 when I first had an inkling that I was going to really enjoy this book, and I'm so glad that proved true because I think I would've been gutted otherwise. This has the perfect blend of tropes I enjoy, characters I grew to love, a setting I really like (baking + royalty? heck yeah), great pacing and character development, and, of course, the exact kind of humor and banter that can absolutely make a book for me. I haven't read many romances that are this spot on and conforming to my tastes. I absolutely loved it.
“He once called you the pretty, annoying one,” Mariana added, clearing up that little mind-boggler of a moment. With intense dryness, Sylvie said, “I don’t think he intended you to insert a comma into that sentence.”
It starts with our main characters and how the relationship develops between them. Whether it's enemies to lovers, hate to love, rivals to lovers or whatever other variations there are, this is a trope I really, really like when it's executed well, and by that I mean, the characters don't just start lusting after one another secretly right from the start. By necessity, that means the relationship is more of a slow build, otherwise it doesn't feel believable for me. But I believed it here. Sylvie and Dominic are such a precious couple, and their romance felt so heart-warming and tender. There was definitely plenty of steam too, but it's honestly the quiet, simple moments that got to me and made me root for them so hard. The way Sylvie managed to worm her way through the wall Dominic puts up for the world, and the way Dominic became her support when she needed it, was just *chef's kiss*.
But there's a lot more to this story than just the romance, and those other elements were all amazing too. The book actually deals with some heavier themes like grief from losing a loved one, and the pressures that come with being in the public eye. There are also a lot of very loveable side characters, from Pet, Dominic's sister, to Jay, Sylvie's partner and best friend, to the royal couple, and they're all worth rooting for in their own way. I found the subplots to be just as interesting, and I was super invested in everything the author was trying to sell me. It doesn't hurt that this is a book about two bakers, and romances that have something to do with food always earn extra brownie points.
There is also no dramatic conflict to break the couple apart briefly before they get back together again, because they are adults who communicate, and even when they're going through a tough time, they deal with it and don't run off. That alone would bump it up a star.
Maybe it's too early to say after reading one book by the author, but I have a feeling Lucy Parker might become my comfort contemporary romance author, the way Courtney Milan is for historical romances. Can't wait to dive into her backlist....more
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