katiedermody's reviews
1931 reviews

I have really been enjoying this series so far and this was no exception. This one even had me wanting to cry at one point (I didn't, but it was close). Dallas and Wilhelmina (Hemi, Wills, Willy) end up in a fake dating situation that continues to snowball. They've known each other since kindergarten and she has bad memories attached to their youth that include him, so now that she's been working PR for his hockey team he's been driving her nuts. What she doesn't know is he's in love with her, has been for years, and there's more to the story from their past (he is so incredibly gone for her, it's adorable). Their chemistry ends up being electric, and we get some good spice (the bonus epilogue too!). The third act breakup is heartbreaking because they're both idiots but they needed to figure it out. The breadcrumbs left for future books in the series have me excited and I'm pretty sure I've predicted at least three more couples, if not four. 

I enjoyed this holiday addition to the Lauren Blakely universe. I've actually been looking forward to this story since it was teased in two different connected series already. Wilder and Fable gave us fake dating, a douchey ex to beat at Christmas themed competitions, a holiday wedding to attend, a precocious 11 year old daughter (his), and more. He's a billionaire, and there were definitely a few things that mad me roll my eyes as far as spending and lifestyle, even though he supposedly came from nothing. Overall, it was a decent quick spicy holiday romance and did tease the next book in the hockey season right at the end, so we'll see how that plays out. 

I enjoyed this holiday novel from Ashley Herring Blake, like I have all of her books. I don't know that it's a standout favorite for me from her but not because there was anything I disliked; in face, it had a lot of things I really liked about it. It's a second chance romance, and that's swiftly becoming one of my favorite tropes. Brighton (Bright) and Charlotte (Lola) grew up together, were best friends turned lovers, and we're supposed to get married until things fell apart. That was five years ago and they haven't spoken since, but Charlotte's string quartet goes home with one member to their small town, and Brighton goes home with her best friend and owner of the bar where she works after having given up music for a few reasons. What they don't know until they're face to face is that their two friends are sisters and now they're staying in the same house for two weeks. There's the aspect similar to enemies to lovers that I enjoy about second romance, where they're opposing one another because one or both are angry and/or hurt. There's also the mutual pining I love, especially as they try to remain in denial about the feelings that remain or have cropped up again. Then add on ridiculous Christmas singles activities they get thrown into and an amazing found family (the Cheery Queeries) in an ideal queer friendly mountain town? Plus some snowed in moments, characters who were musicians, and a gorgeous Leni Kauffman cover? Yep, this had some really great elements and kept my attention, and there's even a chance I'd read it again someday. For some reason I just wasn't quite as captivated by it as other books from from this author, and I'm not sure why. It may just be a simple case of I love other books by her more (which happens and is fine), but part of me wonders if that is because I read it during a pain flare and wasn't able to enjoy myself to the fullest, and if I would like it even more after a second read. Regardless, it was a new holiday release I was really looking forward to and I'm glad I got a chance to read it (the holds list was super long so I wasn't sure if I'd get it before Christmas or not). If you liked the author's other series, you'll probably like this one too. I don't know if there were connections with that series, but I do know from the sneak peak for her next book that it exists in the same world, at least, so that makes me wonder if I missed something in this one. 

This was one of the options for a book club this month and it wasn't picked but I've always wanted/intended to read more Olivia Dade books, so I read it anyways even tho it is book 2 in a series. I'm not sure it mattered because it was a pretty insular story, taking place primarily during a two week vacation the FMC takes at a resort on an island in Florida for her 40th, where she meets a 26 year old former professional tennis player who now coaches at the resort. They have such a great meet cute, the way her larger size is part of the story was wonderful (he's so over the moon for all of her but there's also discussions of ableism, fatphobic treatment by men and doctors, etc. so it all felt genuine and not too pie in the sky). I've also been on a sports romance kick and it's very rarely tennis so it was interesting to throw another sport into the mix (I'm not a sports person in life but I love them as a romance reader). The two of them have to figure out if they're really compatible, she has to deal with hang ups from previous relationships and assumptions she makes because of the age difference, and he needs to figure out what he wants from life since he's a tad aimless after having to retire from playing earlier than he wanted to. The chronic pain and injury rep was appreciated, the caretaking was lovely, and the spice was there but not super explicit, so I think readers who don't mind sex in books but don't want it SPICY can still enjoy it. Definitely going to go back and read book 1 now, and then book 3!

This was still an enjoyable read but definitely not my fave of the series. I was glad to be back in hockey land, and the brother's rival becoming a teammate and being the sister's love interest actually surprised me in a good way. Overall, it still had a lot of the same side characters we grew to love over the series but the overall tone was a little more serious to me. Every book had its main characters dealing with some sort of emotional something, but one MC has a history of domestic violence and abuse from a parent and that's a big part of the story. I think the way it came together at the end was good and I see why the author did it that way, but I would have liked more time with them together out in the open and happy. Plus, the other three books got extended epilogue so this one having the short little epilogue as the wrap up for the entire series felt a little anticlimactic to me. 

I enjoyed this third book in the series, as well. Probably on the same level as the first one where I was invested in the characters and their story and wasn't disappointed, but not quite as much as I loved the second book. Sebastian, the adopted brother in the Callahan family, has liked his brother's girlfriend's best friend Mia as long as he's known her, and there were even hooking up in secret for a few months. Then she bailed before their first real date and they haven't really been speaking. But when Cooper and Penny are away, Mia's dorm floods and Sebastian rescues her by convincing her to stay at their house since he's alone. Of course they eventually start hooking up again but he doesn't know that she wants him as much as he wants her and always has, she's just scared because her family doesn't think there's anything she should do but become a teacher and housewife and mother, but she doesn't want kids or maybe even marriage, and she's actually in school for Astrophysics and wants to work at NASA. Wanting him that much scares her because she doesn't want that to abandon her dream, and thinks he deserves someone who can follow him through his baseball career like his birth mom did for his birth dad (who he's compared to all the time). The MLB draft is coming up soon but no one knows Seb is dreading it. I thought their connection was good, the mutual pining with a side of he falls first was good, the spice was spicing as per usual in this book. There's only been a few hints towards his sister's Izzy's book, which is next, but I think I've figured out who her secret guy might be, so I'm looking forward to reading it. 

This was really cute! Emma isn't one of the Jane Austen stories I know well, but this queer YA graphic novel retelling made me want to! Evan leads the GSA at his high school, is a makeup influencer and ballet dancer, and fabulously himself. He likes to meddle and be a matchmaker and the story is basically about him getting people wrong over and over and having to learn from his mistakes. But by the end his friends are all happy in their pairings that they made happen themselves. It was a cute, quick read. I have really been enjoying queer retellings of classics and this was no exception!

Okay I enjoyed the first book but I LOVED this one! First of all, I'm a sucker for redheads and Grace fulfills that with her beautiful flaming hair and freckles. Then she's a book nerd on top of it who makes an arrangement to work through a list of sexual experiences with Cooper, reformed playboy hockey hottie with dark hair/beard and blue eyes who is also actually a big nerd? I love them both and their relationship. She's his coache's daughter, which he doesn't know the first time they hook up. She wants to take control of her life and move on, almost four years after a high school boyfriend broke her trust and traumatized her, and she decides that if the rumors about Cooper's skills with the ladies are true, he's the perfect candidate. They start as a mutual partnership (he's been having a dry streak and it's affecting his game until they hook up), then evolve to friends with benefits, and then more. It happens so naturally as they fall for each other. He is such a sucker for her and become the ideal book boyfriend. They support each other, nerd out together, make each other laugh, and are very sexually compatible. I'm still looking forward to the other two siblings' books in the series (especially now that I know who Seb's LI is), but I have a feeling this book will remain my fave of the four. 

I didn't know what to expect from this one aside from "sports romance, end of college, sounds cute" and I really enjoyed it! Bex and James's connection is immediate, fake dating is one of my fave tropes (it's just always so delicious when they both realize they aren't pretending anymore and I thought the way that happened so smoothly in this one was nice, though it didn't give me the "oh Holy crap, I like them" moment), and it was actually spicier than I anticipated it being. I'm not sure what gave me that expectation aside from the book I read before it wasn't that spicy, but I was here for it. It's a fun sports romance but does actually deal with some difficult stuff too (their past relationships cause(d) a lot of hurt and family dynamics are interesting too), which I always appreciate because it makes it feel real to life. I'd seen people post about this author's books before and I definitely enjoyed this one enough that I'll be seeking out more right away! I'm happy that he has siblings and there are more books about them. This was a book club pick but I'm going to read the rest of this series right away. 

This book got to me in a way I probably should have seen coming but didn't. I actually found it because of the cover artist and thought "oh hey, sapphic novel that takes place around the holidays? Yes please!" The fact that one of the FMCs in question starts out as the girlfriend of the guy who shares the apartment with the other one and that's how they meet also seemed intriguing. Jamie is our beloved stereotypical chaos bi, with the added intensity of having ADHD and Dyslexia and being a theater person. She likes Beth immediately and tries to befriend her. Beth eventually finds herself drawn to Jamie too but is convinced she's straight, even though she's never felt satisfied or into it in any relationship she's ever had with a dude, including Derrick a little bit. She grew up in a conservative religious household and Jamie reminds her of her best friend from growing up, the last person she felt this kind of connection with. The book isn't super spicy, sex is more of a fade to black moment up until the time they ladies finally get together. Which is my main problem with the story: there is cheating involved. I can understand getting caught up in things, especially if you're going through the motions with your partner and then suddenly have all these feelings and attraction, and I'm sure it does happen when people are figuring out their sexuality. But I don't like it and that made the story not as good in the end, in my opinion. I did think the way the author wrote Beth, in denial, thinking she's jealous of Jamie (no, you want her), having grown up feeling like it isn't an option, you couldn't be, and then figuring it out much later. I just wish the cheating wasn't part of it, and for that reason I prob wouldn't seek out another book by this author.