Review: Make Me Hate You by Kandi Steiner

If he kisses me right now, I’ll drown.

Every sip of air is shallow and burning, because in the arms of my best friend’s brother, I’m the closest I’ve ever been to sin.

His eyes flick to my lips, and I remember the first time I tasted him, seven years ago before I left this town and vowed never to return. His hands grip my waist, and I remember the pain when he rejected me, when my entire world crashed down at his command. His jaw clenches, and my senses come alive with one stinging reminder.

I’m not his to kiss, and he’s not mine.

I tried to stay away from Tyler Wagner, putting an entire country between us. But when his sister’s wedding brings us back to the same town, to the same house, I can’t avoid him, no matter how hard I try.

He’s always there, his dark eyes bewitching, luring me into their depths. The memory of us pulls me under like a rip current, and when he flashes that smile, I lose my breath, along with my will, unable to escape his grip and find the surface.

Now, hours before our plus ones arrive for the wedding, I’m in his arms, begging him to make me hate him, knowing he never could.

If he kisses me right now, I’ll drown.

And I’ll take him down with me. - 

Review

I hadn’t read a Kandi Steiner book in so long. I forgot how good she is at emotion and angst. Make Me Hate You is an angsty second chance romance/forbidden romance book. Each page is gripping, and despite the main characters not always making smart decisions, the book always feels real.

The characters have wants, needs, and are yearning to feel loved—to be together. They were best friends. Did basically everything together. And unfortunately, despite having this wonderful friendship Jasmine and Tyler end up messing it up the first time. He says something hurtful, and she ends up leaving the state. 

 And now seven years later, they are forced to be in the same place with each other because his sister- Jasmine’s best friend- is getting married. They haven’t spoken to each other since that night and now have their own respective relationships and careers. They are older, but somewhat still those teenagers they once were.

There’s a lot of unresolved issues and unspoken words and anger. It’s a lot of emotions going on between them, and Kandi does a great job of keeping you hooked on their story. It’s the writing. It’s one of the best. She has a wonderful way with words and knows how to capture a feeling in a few words that makes a powerful punch.

The connection and history between Jasmine and Tyler leaped off the page, and it was impossible not to want these two people to be together. There was this intense passion between them.

Final Thoughts

Make Me Hate You is a captivating story featuring a roller coaster of emotions about longing and love.

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Review: Write Me Off (USW Series Book 1) by Brandy Davis

Abby Ryan has her whole life planned out, up until graduation that is. As a journalism major at the University of Southern Washington, she has one goal in mind for her last semester of senior year: secure a scholarship for grad school. But when a scholarship opportunity arises that requires her to write a feature article on USW's star basketball player and notorious playboy, Tristan Beck, lines start to blur and Abby soon realizes that staying focused can be hard when you're trying not to fall in love.

Tristan Beck has been focused on one thing since he started at USW on a full-ride scholarship: put up the numbers and bust his ass to get drafted into the NBA after graduation. With only a semester standing between him and the draft, he knows that this is his last chance to impress the scouts. When Abby Ryan, a witty and magnetic journalism student, asks to interview him for an article, he knows the publicity will be beneficial, but when they start spending time together and he realizes that he might want her in more than his typical hook-up-only fashion, he has to remind himself of why he refuses to date, and where his priorities need to lie. -

This was a typical college romance book. Think Elle Kennedy’s Off Campus Series but with basketball instead of hockey. It’s hard to talk about this book without talking about what happened beside the scenes.

Short and simple, the author is problematic. And people are rightfully so upset about the actions and comments of the author. It’s something that should be known prior to reading the book. Everyone has the right to read what they want, but please do research beforehand. Below are two articles that give a much better summary of the situation then I could ever do:

Article: https://www.fanficable.com/post/wattpad-stars-brandywrites-racism-controversy-brandy-davis

Article: https://www.reddit.com/r/Wattpad/comments/ky1b89/brandywrites/

If I had read prior reviews before reading this book, I wouldn’t have read 500 pages of an average college sport romance book.

Final Analysis

Write Me Off is an excessively long sports college romance book that loses its spark within the first 10% of the book. In addition, it is written by someone who fails to realize how damaging their actions can be and take responsibility for their actions.  

Review: A Lot Like Love by Jennifer Snow

There is so much to love about this small town romance novel. A Lot Like Love by Jennifer Snow is the first in the A Blue Moon Bay series. It has all the charm and sweet that you could ask for in a romance leaving you anticipating what's to come.

In this book, we are introduced to Sarah and Wes. They haven't seen each other in a really long time. To quote the last line in the book and to sum up the experience of these two, “the best things in life really did happen when you least expected them.” Fate had another plan bringing Sarah back to Blue Moon Bay when she inherited her Grandmother's inn. Feeling torn by the thought of investors demolishing the inn, she decides to preserve the connecting piece of not only her grandmother but the nostalgia and love it once brought to this small coastal town. There's only one person who is qualified for this job, Sarah's high school crush Wes.

After going through the motions of life after the passing of his wife, Wes has found himself without both feet on the ground. Trying to raise his daughter, Wes has found the struggle is real balancing being a father and working. When the opportunity comes around for his construction company to restore the inn, he sees it as an opportunity to get some stability for his company and to preserve one of the town's most cherished landmarks.

As time goes on with the project, there seems to be an unspoken rekindling of a spark that almost was. One thing Wes wasn't expecting no matter how much he tried convincing himself not to, was the idea of someone coming into his life again. The problem is, the more time he spends with Sarah, the more it becomes undeniable of the possibility of being a part of his life.

As they say, if it was meant to be, it shall be. A Lot Like Love brings for the hopeless romantic, two people destined at a second chance.

Overall, I think this was a wonderful introduction to the series. I'm definitely looking to continue on reading what's next for Blue Moon Bay. The tone was charming and sweet and had a comfortable inviting story that draws you in through the end. My favorite character besides these two, was Wes's daughter who just will melt your heart. A little sophisticated for her age but shined so bright within the storylines. The supporting characters were fun and complemented them as well. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book. I'd recommend diving into this series.

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Review: XOXO (The Calvettis of New York Book 3) by Deborah Bladon

Arietta works for Dominick (The Dick) Calvetti as his secretary. And he isn’t the most pleasant person to work for hence his nickname. Unfortunately, for Arietta there is an email mix up, and Dominick finds out how she truly feels about him.

I’ve recently discovered that I find workplace romance to be entertaining and it’s quickly being one of my favorite type of romance. For starters, there doesn’t have to be any overly dramatic coincidences for the love interests to be in the same place. Secondly, they already have a common denominator. To say, I was excited for this book is an understatement.

This one started off strong for me. It had the whole sunshine grumpy thing going on. and I was excited to watch the relationship between Dominick and Arietta bloom. Unfortunately, as the book went on, I encountered some issues. After the email was sent, their relationship was switched into hyperdrive.

I would have wanted more of an emotional connection to because there was so much potential with both of the characters. Instead we have two characters who have such a physical attraction that they can’t keep their hands off each other and it started feeling extremely insta-love when they are talking about being each other’s forever. All of sudden, Dominick changed into a completely different person because he was “in love”.

I think a lot of the issues with the book would have been resolved if the story was longer. I think the characters were interesting enough that if solid groundwork was laid down and paced correctly, it would have work much better.

One thing that I will say that I did enjoy was the familial relationship. Dominick had an amazing relationship with his family. And Arietta had a great relationship with his family as well. I loved all the interactions with the Calvetti family.

Final Analysis

XOXO started off strong; however, as it went it went overboard. It got too fast pace. The “reveals” were too much. 

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Review: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.
 
Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven't spoken since.
 
Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together—lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.
 
Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong? -

I heard so many good things about this book, and I wanted nothing more than to enjoy it like everyone else. Unfortunately, I didn’t. And I think it might be a me thing. This book has an array of amazing tropes present. Best friends – to – loves? Check! Second chance romance? Check! Summer romance? Check! Slight grumpy sunshine? Check!

Both Poppy and Alex had this rich interesting complicated history between them and for some reason I couldn’t find myself connected to it or find the will to continue. I read half of this book in September, and then finished the rest in October. It felt like there was not enough going on, and the romance wasn’t enough to bring the excitement or entertainment. Sure, the banter was great, but I needed more.

The book is told through flashbacks and present times through the sole POV of Poppy. She was an interesting character. I liked her, and care more about her personal work struggles than I did with her romance with Alex.

And again, I think it’s a me problem- but there was no spark for me. I wanted so badly to devour this one, but that didn’t happen for me.

Final Analysis

People We Meet on Vacation has the material to be a great summer read. 

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Review: Sometimes I Trip On How Happy We Could Be by Nichole Perkins

Pop culture is the Pandora’s Box of our lives. Racism, wealth, poverty, beauty, inclusion, exclusion, and hope -- all of these intractable and unavoidable features course through the media we consume. Examining pop culture’s impact on her life, Nichole Perkins takes readers on a rollicking trip through the last twenty years of music, media and the internet from the perspective of one southern Black woman. She explores her experience with mental illness and how the TV series Frasier served as a crutch, how her role as mistress led her to certain internet message boards that prepared her for current day social media, and what it means to figure out desire and sexuality and Prince in a world where marriage is the only acceptable goal for women. 
 
Combining her sharp wit, stellar pop culture sensibility, and trademark spirited storytelling, Nichole boldly tackles the damage done to women, especially Black women, by society’s failure to confront the myths and misogyny at its heart, and her efforts to stop the various cycles that limit confidence within herself. By using her own life and loves as a unique vantage point, Nichole humorously and powerfully illuminates how to take the best pop culture has to offer and discard the harmful bits, offering a mirror into our own lives. -

Sometimes I Trip On How Happy We Could Be was entertaining and witty. It was a powerful collection of essays that were thought provoking as well. Nichole has lived a full life and her stories sometimes sad and dark life. This collection focuses on sexist, racist, ableist, wealth, and poverty in a considerate fashion. She writes about her family. There are so many topics explored here. It gets deep and relatable.

She doesn’t try to sugar coat anything. She is fully aware that she is imperfect, and she doesn’t try to sell you anything. It felt personal, and although that I couldn’t stop reading. There was something so honest and sincere about her writing. It feels like a conversation with friends or a big sister.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes I Trip On How Happy We Could is a powerful and honest, unforgettable collection of essays. 

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