Review: Final Offer by Lauren Asher

Summary

From TikTok sensation Lauren Asher comes the final book in the Dreamland Billionaires series.

Callahan

I'm the Kane brother everyone gossips about behind closed doors.

Trust fund brat. Washed-up athlete. High-functioning alcoholic.

No one knows the real me but her.

Lana Castillo―my childhood best friend and the only woman I ever loved.

When I broke her heart six years ago, I promised to never return to Lake Wisteria.

I kept my word until my grandfather's will changed everything.

To receive my inheritance, I was tasked with spending a summer at the family lake house before selling it.

The request was simple in theory until my entire plan blew up on the very first day.

Turns out Lana doesn't just live at the house, but she claims to own it, too.

Alana

Falling in love with Callahan Kane was a mistake.

He told me so before destroying my heart and our friendship six summers ago.

When he promised never to come back, I foolishly believed him.

But then Cal showed up again, intending to sell his grandfather's lake house.

The biggest flaw in his plan?

My name is on the deed.

Review

The Dreamland Billionaires series has been one that I had wholeheartedly enjoyed. I read Fine Print a few years ago, and love the relationship between Zahra and Rowan. I waited months for Terms and Conditions to be released and went in with so many expectations and ideas about how I wanted the book to go. And although I enjoyed it, my expectations had not been met.  

For the final book – Final Offer, I tried to keep my expectations low. Even with low expectations, I finished reading the book and felt a little disappointment. Final Offer wasn’t a terrible book; however, for a book ending this trilogy I expected it to go out with a bang.

Final Offer did start off on a high so high that I giggled because I assumed this was going to be my book of the year. Cal and Alana were going to be great, and the top couple of the series. I spoke too soon. The high unfortunately doesn’t last that long.  

After the meeting with Cal and Alana in the first few chapters, the book sort of drags on. There are a few cute moments between them and others. Cal and Alana were supposed to be giving friends-to-lovers, and second-hand romance. Unfortunately, readers aren’t given full context of their relationship before they got together, while they got together, and after they ended it. There are a few flashbacks, however, with a book 600 pages I expected the author to really dive into the emotional history of the two of them. I wanted more.

As far as the characters. I like Alana, and her strong backbone. It’s hard to talk about her without getting into spoilers, but she was great. And often time she did deserve better. As for Cal he was a golden retriever with a dark past. And his journey really pulled at my heartstrings. There were several times where he was treated unfortunate. I understand the need for everyone in the town to dislike him due to how him and Alana parted; however, their constant need to be rude him felt overboard and exhausting.

Final Thoughts

Final Offer doesn’t feel like a conclusion to a series. It feels a like a middle book. When the book eventually did conclude, it was underwhelming. However, the romance does shine with outstanding and memorable moments with Cal and Alana. Those moments are sparse and mixed between drawn out events. 

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Review: The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson

Who doesn’t love a fake romance trope? Usually, those are the books that really grab your heart and this one was no exception. The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson had the right formula to charge my inner nerd gal. As a fan of Sariah’s, this was so much fun to read. This was such a sweet, funny romantic comedy that will definitely swoon and charm its way into your heart.

We are introduced to Anna Ellis, a chemist. She is such a likable character who you just want to become besties with. She is smart, funny and in love with the wrong person. She feels he is the man of her dreams. Ever since he helped her one day, she has been completely smitten but guess who he is? None other than her boss, Craig Kimball. Her life mission is to grab his attention and ride off in the sunset but only one problem, she has no idea how that will happen until she stumbles upon his half brother, Marco and oh does he have a challenge for her.

Marco is cute, smart but has a bit of a mystery to him. He is CEO of the company and has a bit of a rival relationship with Craig. Marco has a lot going for him and with this competitive spirit, Craig tries to get everything Marco has, personally and professionally. So when Anna finds herself in a compromising situation, Marco offers her a solution to get what she wants and in exchange and him as well. He proposes the idea of a fake relationship that would make Craig jealous and give her what she wants. This sounds all nice until the lines of fake and real blur blend together. The heart knows what the heart wants. Sometimes, what’s meant to be might be standing right in front of you. Will this be the solution to their chemical equation?

As always, Sariah’s books are such a sweet treat. This is a standalone book that can be read without any of her other books. For all the introverts out there, this will really make you swoon. Besides the fun dialogue and chemistry between Anna and Marco, Catalina was so much fun and such a supportive friend. I always love to see great friendships. We can’t forget Anna’s grandparents. Their sense of humor and relationship with Anna was a nice addition to the book. Overall, this trope is always fun getting to the hea. If you are a fan of Sariah, then you will enjoy this one. If you’re looking for a fun, sweet nerdy rom-com, add this to your TBR list.

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Review: The Accidental Pinup by Danielle Jackson

Summary

Rival photographers are forced to collaborate on a body-positive lingerie campaign, but they might have to readjust their focus when sparks fly.

Photographer Cassie Harris loves her job—her company Buxom Boudoir makes people look beautiful and feel empowered with her modern twist on classic pinup photography. Cassie’s best friend, Dana, is about to launch her own dangerously dreamy lingerie line and wants Cassie to shoot and direct the career-changing national campaign. But company politics and Dana’s complicated pregnancy interfere, and Cassie finds herself—a proud plus size Black woman—not behind the camera but in front of it.

Though she’s never modeled herself, Cassie’s pretty sure she can handle the sheer underwear and caution tape bralettes. She’s not sure she can work so intimately with the chosen photographer, her long-time competitor in the Chicago photography scene, Reid Montgomery. Their chemistry is undeniable on set, however, and feelings can develop faster than film…

Review

The Accidental Pinup was a book that I was extremely excited to read, and unfortunately, my expectation were far too high with this one.  I’ll start with the positives first. One thing that I truly enjoyed was the body positive and the representation. Both of those were high points in the story. I admired with Cassie and Dana were doing. And it was empowering to read. In addition, I really enjoyed the friendship between the two of them. It was something real and honest. It was the best relationship in the book, and I enjoyed reading their scenes.

I thought Cassie was a great main character. And I liked how strong and no nonsense she was. Unfortunately, her love interest, Reid, was extremely boring. I wished he had more flavor or something because it made him and Cassie’s romance one of the most anti climatic aspects of the book. I didn’t feel the connection, and all and all Cassie seemed too good for him.

Final Thoughts

The Accidental Pinup is held back by a stale and uninteresting romance; however, it does succeed at other points within the pages. 

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Review: Friends with Issues by Meredith Berlin

It’s ironic that when I began to put my thoughts together to talk about this book, there’s a line that struck me and really challenged how I felt about the relationship between a couple of characters in the book. I’d felt a certain way until this line hit me and really changed my perspective about the characters. I’d never noticed it in the summary. It says, “There's an elephant in the room…the thing none of us talk about but affects our choices and actions.” 

Friends With Issues by Meredith Berlin, is her debut novel featuring three friends who have made their mark on Manhattan but who now struggle with the daily balancing act of career, family and friendship and romance. 

The book follows three friends, Brooke, Elizabeth, and Susan who struggle balancing the many moving parts of their daily lives. Brooke is questioning everything she thought about her dream guy, Tripp. Their marriage is not turning out to be what she hoped which has led her down a path with a decision that has life changing consequences. Elizabeth, my favorite character, has a stable relationship with her hubby Danny. We follow her journey as she rebrands her life through her life altering medical challenge. Susan, despite the challenges in her relationship, finds herself rediscovering her passion for life through an unexpected path.

The heart of the book, the relationships between these friendships I found to be a wonderful read. Told through different perspectives, it was a slow build getting to know them but when you  do, you just escape into their lives. Besides their friendships, we experience their lives from the perspectives of their families and their personal relationships which brings some interesting plot twists to the book. The ups and downs and challenges to a marriage that define their choices and actions and how it affected their friendships and relationships. We see these characters and their experiences and can connect with them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novel. This was a good book to escape into with relatable characters with experiences that will keep you interested. I look forward to what’s to come for this author. 

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Review: Holding Back the Years by Kasha Thompson

Summary

Every great love starts with a story.

Seraphina Jacobs is a smart, inquisitive writer who, after financial difficulties and a failed relationship, finds herself back in her childhood home with her overprotective parents as landlords. She now spends her days working at the local newspaper and her nights watching Jeopardy with her parents on the couch. Seraphina is stuck in a well-worn rut. The only bright spot in her weeks are the Sunday visits with her grandfather, and listening to his stories about yesteryear.

August Gardner is tired. Tired of being dismissed by his five older sisters. After losing the battle to keep his mother out of an “old folks’ home,” he decides to move back to Michigan, hoping he can rescue his mother from a lifetime of bingo nights and magic shows. But to do that he needs to get his career on track, and he’s putting all his eggs in one basket by opening his own auto repair shop.

When Seraphina and August meet, what started out as a much-needed one-night stand turns into something neither of them expected. The two are falling for one another. But when Seraphina stumbles onto a big secret, it could stop the giddy free fall, sending them crashing to the ground. They say the truth can set you free but the truth also has the power to tear you apart.

Review

This was a lovely read. There’s a heavy emphasis on family which was incredible to read as the plot unraveled. I hadn’t known what to expect when I first started reading. I knew it would be a love story between Seraphina and August; however, I didn’t know how their story would unfond. 

For the beginning, I was instantly drawn to August and Seraphina’s relationship. They had an instant connection. They both were down on their luck when they met, and dealing with heavy family situations. As they started hanging out they brought each other so much peace. As well as family secrets. Seraphina, like mentioned in the book was quite nosy, and honestly if I undercovered a secret like she had, I’m not sure what I would have done. It was a difficult situation, and I was a little scared how it would turn on in the end given how sensitive the topic was. However, August and Seraphina survived. And with their survival came love, a heartbreaking romance, a family secret, and a lesson on adult children's relationships with their parents.

Final Thoughts

Holding Back the Years tells a story that stays true to the idea that life is complicated, as well as love. It’s a beautiful book with a great romance and relationship. 

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Review: The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester

The Three Lives of Alix Pierre weaves together a beautiful, unforgettable novel that will have you enamored with its intricate plot as well as mesmerized by the beauty of couture Paris.

Alix St. Pierre is a name that will not be forgotten. A character that will command your attention and as the book unravels, will keep you turning the pages. After losing her parents as a teenager, she never felt like she was part of anything. Despite the help from the van der Meer’s, she was determined to work hard and make a name for herself in the place she knew she was meant to be, Paris.

In the height of WWII, Alix like so many others found herself in a position to promote women in the workforce. Through her publicity skills, she gains the attention of the government when they offer her an opportunity to go overseas as a spy. Despite her impeccable skills, trust is one skill that she has obstacles with. When Alix finds herself in a situation that is not only precarious but involves people that she loves, she finds herself in a situation where her trust is tested and the consequences have a lasting effect.

After spending all that she has to her name, she moves to Paris and lands a prestigious job position for the upcoming House of Dior. We get swept away in the glamor and beauty of the fantasy of couture and a progressive shift in the image of beautiful fashion through the eyes of a designer before his time. Forgetting all that she lost and the past that haunts her, she’s given a chance at a new life and is determined to live it. 

When someone from her past comes into the present with the intention of taking everything away that she has worked hard for, Alix goes on a mission of absolution from the past to find peace and atonement for wrongs to make right.

This book is more than a WWII novel. You see elements of historical fiction, romance and suspense. There is something special about the stories that evolve from this era in history. Alix St Pierre is an amazing character that has depth and layers as unraveled make you captivated by her more. She’s vulnerable and independent. A progressive woman, much due to her circumstances, defied the status quo that defined what a woman should be. I loved her journey through the past through the present of finding herself through the pain and opening herself up to receive all life not only personally but through her friendships and love. The female characters and their relationships between each were strong and inspiring for the times.

Getting swept up in the glamor of Dior and his imprint on this upcoming in the fashion industry was a fun escape to experience. Despite elements in the book that are fiction, much was based on real people and events which makes the book more fascinating. A must is to read the author notes that I thought was just as fascinating as reading the book.

Overall, I loved the book and will say so far my favorite for 2023. I have a feeling if given the chance to listen to the audiobook it will be an amazing experience. If you love historical fiction, this is a must to add to your reading list.

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