amanda_reads13's reviews
447 reviews

After having a one night stand with Lennon, the woman alone on her honeymoon, Jaxon discovers she is the new team photographer. 

Talk about a rollercoaster! This story gave me all the feels. I was laughing at the guys antics one minute, swooning over Jaxon's thoughtfulness the next, and then tearing up after hearing about his past. 

Jaxon seemed like your typical playboy athlete. Soon we learn that it is just a front he puts on to keep everyone at arm's length because he is absolutely terrified to be loved and let anyone in. Him as a "cat" daddy was adorable. His story is so heartbreaking.

When he was young his best friend died in his arms. They were playing in the forest when he was stung by a bee, he didn't have his EpiPen with him. Jaxon tried to get help and get his EpiPen, but it was too late. That trauma in added on to losing both of his parents, being traded every two years by hockey teams, and his old teammates "forgetting " about him,

resulted in a feeling of constant rejection and being unworthy of love. 

Jaxon may feel unworthy of love, but he does everything he can to make those around him feel loved. He may not have been able to verbally express his feelings, but he showed it in a million different ways. Behind that wall was a softie crying out to be accepted and respected. 

Lennon is a force! She is such a strong woman who knows her worth and won't accept anything less. After being absolutely humiliated by her ex cheating on her, she vowed never again. After being manipulated and gaslit for so long, she has finally found her voice and is determined to follow her dreams. 

Their chemistry was instantaneous and their banter was hilarious. They are so perfect for each other. Lennon gave Jaxon the space and patience he needed to learn to be vulnerable with her. In turn, he showed her how much he loved and respected her by how closely he listened to her and his million little acts of service. I liked that we really saw the relationship grow and develop. Miscommunication/lack of communication usually makes me so mad, but it absolutely made sense with this story and characters. We saw Jaxon struggle to communicate his needs and worries, but Lennon was by his side giving him all the support he needed. 

As always, I ADORE the found family aspect of this series. I love that this group is so close and you cannot have one story without everyone else so intertwined within it. This is the group of friends that many people would kill for.  They accept each other just the way they are and are there for one another no matter what. They surround their people with love and support, and have such a pure connection. I love how they continuously prop Jaxon up and reassure him about how much they love him and want him around. Also their antics and groups chats continue to be absolutely hilarious! 

I did feel like some parts became a bit repetitive. 

I cannot wait for Cara and Emmett's book! 

Tropes: one night stand to lovers, NHL player, co-workers, opposites attract, found family 

30 years after his best friend goes missing, Ethan moves back to his childhood home and comes face to face with his past. 

At first I found this to be fast paced and gripping, but the last chunk was such a let down. There was so much potential for a killer ending, especially with the supernatural/cult elements we see throughout the book. The big reveal felt very underwhelming.

Billy snuck out at night to go to the institute and was accidentally hit by a car. Ethan's babysitter was driving drunk and underage. She panicked and threw Billy's body into the lake.

The flash forward at the end was enderring, but felt like a very awkward ending. I really wish the story had leaned into the supernatural elements more, there was so much potential there! 

The story switches to the past leading up to Billy's disappearance and the present in which Ethan is trying to solve the mystery. We see the story through multiple POVs. I found that despite there being a fairly large cast of characters, they were all fleshed out and had pretty good character development. 

At first I thought Ethan was a pretty reliable narrator, but after we find out that

his wife is actually dead, I started to question his sanity

. There are so many red herrings in this book, and honestly I did see a lot of them coming:

his neighbour and mother working for the institute, someone trying to mess with him with the baseballs, etc...

 

Overall, this was a pretty decent thriller. 

After finding her bf cheating on her, Millie heads to Hawaii with her friends. Once there, she finds her ex has not only taken her reservation, but brought the woman he cheated on her. She and the Tweedles concoct a plan to get revenge. 

As with the rest of the books in this series there wasn't a deep plot with a tone of character development, but that's not really what you read this kind of book for. It is quick, spicy, and funny romantic comedy. 

The characters are over the top, but so loveable. You can't help but root for them to get together. 

Tropes: Romantic Comedy, Fake Dating, Forced Proximity, NFL players, One bed

Phoebe has decided that she doesn't want to live anymore. She goes to the Grand Cornwall Inn, her happy place, where she has meticulously planned out her last evening. There she meets Lila, who is there for her wedding weekend, and the "Wedding People". After forming a bond with the wedding people, she gains a new lease on life. 

Phoebe has a very flippant attitude towards suicide, which some readers may be put off by. I believe this can be attributed to her mental state. Mentally Phoebe is in a place where she has completely given up on herself and is at peace with her decision. This is what we see, a woman who is speaking very frankly about accepting giving up. 

This is a story about hope and finding what makes you joyful and happy. It's about being brave, speaking your truth, and going after what you want. It's about learning how to shed the facade that you put on in front of others and learning to be your true authentic self. 

Phoebe, Lila, and Gary are all perfect examples of how we suppress our own desires in order to fit into someone else's mould of us. Phoebe makes herself and her life so small that she is afraid to show anyone her true self and desires, including her husband. Lila is afraid to be her authentic self in front of anyone and puts on a "show" for others. Gary is a people pleaser and has taken a backseat in his own life. 

These characters were complex and had so much dimension. They go through a tremendous amount of growth, especially Phoebe. I found her interactions with both Lila and Gary to be very refreshing. They were completely honest with one another and were able to shed any facade so that they could just be themselves. 

I actually really appreciated the ending of this book. This isn't a romance book. This is a book about learning to love yourself again. Though we get the possibility of Phoebe and Gary in the future, what we end on is Phoebe discovering her own joy. 

After drunkenly getting married in Vegas, Eleanor and Crew are forced to stay together for 30 days before they can get a divorce.

This book was so funny, I was in stitches half of the time. The banter between the two characters and the side characters was absolutely hilarious. 

No, this book doesn't have a super deep plot or strong character development, but it's also not that kind of book. This is a spicy and funny romantic comedy. 

Both the main characters and their friends remind me of like a Jersey Shore type cast. They are all pretty wild, like to party, and don't want to settle down. I think that it's kind of adds to the humor of the book. It's a bunch of over-the- top behavior from pretty ridiculous characters. But I also found them lovable in a goofy way.

Eleanor or Crew are actually perfect for each other, they are each other's match.  Unfortunately, they are terrible at voicing their feelings. This leads to some miscommunication about what they actually want. They want each other, but are too afraid to actually say anything. I think there's also a lot of confusion due to the fact they've convinced themselves they don't want a relationship. So when they do develop feelings they are genuinely unsure of what to do.

The end was adorable, I liked that it ended with her going for what she wanted. 

The spice is spicing, as one would expect from a Pucci book. The scene with the friends...iykyk. 

Tropes: drunken marriage, strangers to friends to lovers, professional athlete, romantic comedy

After a one night stand with Ethan, Eve finds out that she is pregnant. 

I really enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook. She fits Eve's personality perfectly. 

I absolutely adore this book and that is coming from someone who HATES the accidental pregnancy trope. I think she does a really good job of addressing this topic. In a time where abortion is such a hot button topic, it's important to approach the accidental pregnancy trope with care and the understanding that this situation would not be all rainbows and sunshine for some people. It's important that we see the ups and downs that she goes through as we follow her journey. 

Throughout the story we see the ups and downs of Eve and Ethan's relationship. It's refreshing to see that Ethan is not made out to be the bad guy. We know that he wants to be involved, but he's in a really complicated situation. Yes, Eve is upset when Ethan disappears on her, but she's very understanding and she gives him choices. I love that everybody involved is very mature and they're able to make decisions together by openly communicating with each other.

Willa is a really complicated character. You want to shake her and say "get over it, just support your friend". The reality is, she has been through a lot of trauma. It's not that easy to accept that something you have been fighting so hard for comes so easily to others. Willa has been trying for a baby for so long, and we learn that

she had a miscarriage shortly after her mom passed away.

So, it is completely understandable that she would feel so overwhelmed by Eve's news. Their friendship is so beautiful. Willa does what she can to be there to support Eve, but Eve is also very understanding of Willa's mental state and situation. 

Shep is such an incredible guy. He knows she's in a difficult situation, and even though he is completely in love with her, he doesn't push his feelings onto her. He shows them in little ways and by being there to support her. Seeing her have another man's baby must have broken his heart, but instead of being resentful and angry, he's supportive, compassionate, and empathetic. He accepts the fact that if he wants to be in Eve's life, Ethan will be in his life too. So, he makes an effort to develop a friendship with Ethan. He is honestly the most adorable man. 

I love that the relationship is a slow burn. She gets to come to terms with her feelings for Shep in her own time without feeling pressured by anyone. 

Tropes: friends to lovers, slow burn, accidental pregnancy 

After suspecting their partners are cheating with each other, Nick and Sawyer begin a friendship that will change everything. 

I really enjoyed the late 90s vibes and references throughout the story. I think the lack of modern tech adds to the tension of the plot. I also really enjoyed how much of NYC was infused into this book. I feel like 9/11 didn't need to be brought in here. This could be a huge trigger from some people and since it really wasn't integral to the plot, it could have been excluded. 

This is definitely a messy story, this is not a straight forward romance. I am so torn here. I thought Nick and Sawyer were really good together. They were able to be their authentic selves and had such a natural ease with one another. That said it was really difficult for me to wrap my head around all of the hypocrisy wound throughout the plot. In my opinion, cheating is never justifiable. They don't even know for certain that Charles and Kendra are cheating, but they use this "maybe they are" to justify their actions. For me this took away from my ability to root for them. 

I am glad to have seen some growth in Sawyer within the last few chapters. She was completely a pushover in her relationship and job. She continued to blame others for making her feel ignored or pushed aside, but 
she never communicated her feelings or stood up for herself. The few times she tried to talk to Charles, she just let him shut down the conversation. There were signs pretty early on that something wasn't right, yet she just internalized it all. So instead of being an adult and pushing to have the conversation, she acted out by cheating. 

I don't think anyone reading this would like Nick at first. He presented himself as a cocky playboy with a bad attitude.Slowly he became someone I wanted to root for. He did the right thing and cut ties with Kendra when he began to have feelings for Sawyer. But still, he knew she was engaged and continued to pursue her. That's not ok. 

I just feel like if I ignored the cheating trope, this was such a cute and fun story. AGAIN if only major obstacle hadn't been that she was ENGAGED to another man!! Literally pick any other obstacle for them to overcome. 

Tropes: Friends to lovers, Right person/wrong time, slow burn

Damon has disappeared, but he holds secrets that threaten Kai's future.

Kai was my favorite of the four in the first book, but this plot just didn't do him justice. Not much really happened in the book and it just felt like it dragged. I was expecting more from Kai's character but this entire book made him unlikable. The entire plot of this book felt like it was just a setup for Damon's story.

I really wanted to like Banks, but there was just no depth to her character. She felt like she owed Damon, but he treated her so horribly. Yes, Damon was her saving Grace as a child, but that doesn't mean that he is worthy of her blind loyalty. Damon was toxic. She needs to grow up and get out from Damon's shadow. 

The ending was so rushed and made no sense. Why was Damon threatening them if he was just going to roll over at the end and do nothing? He just let Will beat him up and then left? He's been built up to be this menacing and scary character that everyone fears, but he is just a sad shell of a man. Yes, his backstory is heartbreaking, but this isn't supposed to be his story. There was so much focus on Damon in this book that it took away from any kind of connection between Kai and Banks. 

Literally everyone in this book needs therapy. 

Honestly, I'm not going to read the rest of this series. It took me forever to get through this one and I almost dnf'd it. I found it really slow and kind of boring. 

Tropes: enemies to lovers, slow burn, insta-love, forced marriage 

Six friends (3 couples) spend a week at a cottage together. Unbeknownst to the other four, Harriet and Wyn actually broke up months ago. Now they have to hide it in order make sure the week is perfect. 

This is a story about self-discovery and putting ones self first when you are a perpetual people pleaser. When you have lived your life for others, it is difficult to figure out what actually makes you happy and brings you joy.

Harriet grew up in a home where her parents valued success and rarely expressed their emotions. She became the peacekeeper in her family, always overachieving to fulfill her parent's dreams. So, when she begins a relationship with Wyn, she doesn't have a healthy example to learn from. She hides her feelings from him thinking that's she is making his life easier by not putting her problems on him. Unfortunately, all it does if form a chasm between them. She needs to learn that you cannot live your life for others and lack of communication is relationship destroying. 

Wyn has always thought he was less than. His sisters are very smart and he never felt like he could keep up. So when he met Harriet, he didn't think he was good enough for her. He always puts himself down and thinks that she deserves better. So, he pushes her away and doesn't really let her in. 

I  think the friendship in this book are so special because they are more than just friends, they are family. They may be at different places and phases in life, but they always have a space and place for each other. 

Many of the relationships in this book are a perfect example of how you can love each other so deeply, but unless you have open communication and are honest about your feelings, you will drift away from each other. I was really frustrated with all the secrets and lies. Once the dam breaks and they all come clean, their relationships become so much stronger. 

I get why Sabrina lied, but I think it was a really shitty thing to do. Let's have a conversation about how you know they have broken up and try to support your friends instead of forcing them into this incredibly uncomfortable situation. I don't understand why on earth Wyn and Harriet would "fake" their relationship, that is so awkward. I could never. 

Tropes: second chance, found family, small town, mental health rep

Sloan's life fell apart when she lost Brandon 2 years ago. But an incident with a dog named Tucker on the highway leads her to the most unexpected person and a life she never imagined. 

This book is so adorable. I love that it shows the reality of fame and not some washed over version of it. We often get this fantasy version of what fame is, but that's not the reality. In this book, we see the true struggles and complications that Jason has to endure, and by extension Sloan. His life is not simple, it is complex and anything but private. Life on the road is hard and can break even the strongest person. 

I liked that this showed the real trials of life and not a fluffed up version. We saw the real ups and downs of Sloan and 

I loved seeing Sloan's characters grow throughout the book. Yes, Jason definitely helped her work through some of her trauma, but her growth was all her own. She is such a strong woman who, after enduring unfathomable loss, pulls herself back up and finds her passions again. Is it perfect, no, but nothing is perfect. She falls again and again, only to find a way to pull herself back up. We get to see her grow into herself as a talented artist. 

Jason is the ultimate cinnamon roll. He is such a sweet and kind man who wants to give Sloan the world, even if that means he needs to remove himself from the equation. He knows that his life is going to be a constant struggle for privacy and safety and he will do anything to protect Sloan, even leaving her. As much as I wish he had been upfront and honest with her about the

fact that his label was responsible for trying to scare her away (phonecalls, smashed car), I completely understand why he lied to her about sleeping with Lola. She never would have left unless he absolutely crushed her heart. She hung on to things until their last dying breath. He wanted her to have a normal and happy life where she could have a family and paint and he couldn't see how he could give that to her. 

 

I love that we get glipses into Josh and Kristen's life and that we get to see the evolution of Kristen and Sloan's relationship. 

Yes, the ending was cheesy, but it was adorable and exactly what I expected to happen

Tropes: musician, found family, insta-love