Review: My Dearest Mackenzie by Rachel Blaufeld

My Dearest Mackenzie was not your typical second chance romance. Being that I’m obsessed with them, this had a different vibe that grew on me. With that being said, this slow burn romance hit differently considering the circumstances of the characters and what brought them into each other’s lives. The maturity and the realistic perspective of their life experiences brought an authenticity to them that made them relatable and interesting.

The heart of the book had me fascinated. An undiscovered love story destined to be told brought Frankie Burns into Mackenzie Miller’s life. Determined to figure out what happened between her grandfather and his grandmother, she bursts into life with a determined fire, an unwillingness to accept no for an answer, making this her mission to conquer and potentially unlock her happily ever after. 

While Mackenzie was not on board at first with this revelation and all that is to follow, as the story unfolds, opening up the past to his beloved grandmother unknowingly held the key to what was missing in his life. What neither of them knew was even though their grandparents were forced to live a life apart, their fate was destined as their story was yet to be told. 

Overall, the book was a nice read. The dual perspectives of the plot had my thoughts feeling more excited for one than the other. The unraveling of the story behind their grandparents really captured my interest. I found that part of the plot where I wanted to read more. Individually, Frankie and Mackenzie, I loved their characters. Their initial interactions and as they got to know each other was fun and engaging to read but then as their relationship blossomed, it was just ok for me. I wanted something more for them. I feel like they were both broken and the fire between them was just dimly lit for me. I’m not talking physically but emotionally I just need more because they were definitely meant for each other but that aspect of them didn’t grab me like I wanted to. Despite that, it wrapped up nicely giving them a well deserved HEA. 

This was my first read with this author and I look forward to reading what she has coming out in the future.

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Review: One Wrong Move (The Connovan Chronicles Book 3) by Olivia Hayle

About the Book

The woman I love has always been off-limits. She was my best friend’s fiancée… and now my new roommate.

I thought I was used to pain. Harper dated my best friend for years, and I was going to be the best man at their wedding. Until she blows up the engagement and shows up in London with a new job.

Being friends never worked for me. That’s why I moved away. But here I am, unable to resist her again. And when I see the tiny, unsafe apartment she’s renting? I insist she move into my giant Kensington townhouse. Roommates. Should be fine.

Or not. Because I find Harper’s "thirty things by thirty" list and decide to help her fulfill it. Showing her around London, taking her on trips, sleeping in the same bed… helping her explore things her ex was never interested in.

But it doesn’t matter how close we get, because Harper is newly single, unimpressed by my wealth, and doesn’t know I’m love with her. One wrong move and I might ruin this relationship forever.

Review

Olivia Hayes was a new author to me, and I decided to give her a chance in the middle of a series. I hadn’t known what to expect. It did not take long for me to want to go back and read all her books. Nate and Harper were perfect. I have no notes. I loved this book. 

It is impossible to read this book and not get obsessed with Nate and Harper. They were incredible characters. Nate had been in love with Harper for years; however, she had been in a relationship with his best friend Dean. He even moved to London because he was dealing with a lot of feelings about the situation. Nate’s feelings were unknown to Harper, and after ending things she moved to London, where she ran into Nate. Nate was so willing to help her. Yes, he was in love with her, but also because he wanted to make her happy and he understood her. 

I appreciated how Harper didn’t instantly fall in love with Nate. I loved seeing her naturally fall in love with him, and also stand her ground. The situation with Dean did impact her and although it did make things complicated at a point, I like that she didn’t change who she was. She came to London for herself. And she stayed true to that. 

Final Thoughts

One Wrong Move is a great book with complex characters and a beautiful romance. The romance developed gradually and despite Nate already being in love with Harper, he never pushed her. 

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Review: Abandoned at Birth: Searching for the Arms That Once Held Me by Janet Sherlund

To be honest, I wasn’t prepared for the emotional impact that this book would have on me. I’ve often wondered the emotional weight adoptees carry and through her poignant memoir, Abandoned at Birth, Janet Sherlund recounts her emotional journey and life navigating the exploration of her deep rooted need for belonging, discovering her identity and finding her roots.

The book explores what led to her adoption and chronicles her life navigating the dual worlds of her adopted family and struggling with the urge to find herself by locating her biological family. Her feelings of rejection, loss and grief in pursuit of finding her identity, belonging and connecting with her biological family was courageous. Her story highlighted the pain and struggles many adoptees often feel and will resonate and give insight to others who have shared or may be on a similar path.

This book became more than what I initially thought when I first started reading. It gives a voice to an experience that often remains silent. Her vulnerability makes this heartwarming and draws the deepest empathy and compassion for adoptees as a whole. This truly captures the effects of adoption, not only for the adoptees but potentially both families. This would be a great read for those on a similar journey to encourage and give comfort knowing you aren’t alone.

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Review: Damned and Beautiful by Monica Lu

About the Book

GRIEF IS A POWERFUL THING - but love conquers all.

A friends-to-lovers romance

A man who’s love and compassion was only reserved for a select few, Ezra West was cold-shouldered, skeletons hanging in his closet from his dark past that continues to lurk over his life even over half a decade later. With the painful reminder in the form of his six-year-old, Marguerite he soon comes to realize her unhappiness and the fact he barely knew his daughter. In an effort to fix their relationship, he decides a change in scenery is what they need, even if it means going back to the hell he ran away from.

The plan was not to become acquainted with his daughter's English teacher. The plan was not to enjoy her company, to relish her smiles, find pleasure in watching her beautiful dark skin radiate against the light. and as terrified as he was, he couldn't stay away.

And that temptation was Iridessa Zola.

The woman knew pining over her student’s father was probably against some regulation. that finding excuses to see his face around the small town of Haven Harbour was probably creepy. All signs pointed to pursuing him being a bad idea. But the man with his green eyes and rose hand tattoo was too irresistible. and no matter how hard he tried to push her away, she only pulled harder. She wanted him - even if it possibly meant breaking both their hearts in the end.

Review

It was clear early on that Monica Lu put a lot of love into this book.  As a debut, it’s a gripping, emotional story. I enjoyed Iridessa as the main character. I loved her POV, her personality, and her relationship with her friends and siblings. I especially loved her relationship with her students and Maggie. It was all sweet. I wish there had been more scenes of her teaching because it was clear that she had a passion for it and had built up a connection with her high school students. 

I loved her and Ezra together. They had a beautiful slow burn that worked for them. I was never frustrated with how long it took them to get together because it made sense for the story. 

As for Ezra, he was unlikeable at the beginning. He had spent years working and trying to make his daughter’s life better than what he had. The problem is he barely knew his young daughter and never took the time to hang out with her. I appreciated that he saw the problem and immediately acted. That bumped him up in my favor. However, an issue I had with him was that he was always quick to throw money at situations. I don’t think he quite learned that money can’t solve everything.

A major theme within this book is grief. Both Ezra and Iridessa had lost people close to them, and their loss shaped them and their future actions. Monica Lu committed to that theme, and it worked mostly. There were a few things that didn’t land as much as the others. 

Final Thoughts 

Damned and Beautiful was a solid debut novel. It did suffer from a lot of grammar errors and story beats that didn’t quite land. However, those are things that can be fixed. I’m interested to see what else Monica Lu writes. I hope her future books contain as much love as this one. 

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Review: Fake It Till You Make It by Siera London

Faking It Till You Make It by Sierra London is a wonderful small town romance that is both heartwarming and a fun read. Introducing us to a new series, this is the first book to a charming series, The Calvary Brothers. We are taken away to a little town called Service, where everyone takes care of one another and if you think you are just passing through, think again. We are introduced to the Calvary family, who find themselves in a challenge, to save their family business.

Trying to get away from her past, Amerie Walker finds herself in the middle of this small town with nothing but determination and ambition to pick up the pieces of her life and get the life she deserves. One thing she needs is a job and when she comes across a position at a veterinary clinic, despite some obvious underlying sparks between clinic doc Eli Calvary, he doesn’t want anything to do with this city girl breezing in his place. With her infectious personality and business savvy knowledge, she has everything he needs to help turn his struggling business around but he’s too stubborn and grumpy to embrace it.

When an encounter with the daughter of the family who is threatening to take everything away shows up at his door, he finds himself in a situation introducing Amerie as his fake partner not realizing the door he opened for both of them. What initially started out as fake, they find themselves slowly growing real feelings towards each other. When they both finally feel like fate brought them together, their past comes crashing in unraveling secrets changing their lives and those around them. 

What I loved most about them is their chemistry and the evolution of their fake relationship into them being together. Their journey brought fun and tension to the book that made them addicting to read. The banter between them was not only cute but many moments you can’t help but laugh out loud. Not only them but the supporting cast of his family and her friend added to the charm and kept the book engaging. There was an authenticity of the characters including the people in the town that made you want to go for a visit.

Initially when the fake relationship trope was introduced, I thought it was going to be predictable but it wasn’t. It created an anticipation and want for them to be together but blended it with other plotlines that kept it fresh and page turn worthy until completion. This was the perfect introduction to a series that will have you interested and anticipating the second book. It gives the perfect combination of romance, small town charm and moments that will make you laugh. Between the charming characters and engaging storyline, this one will leave you feeling good.

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Review: Here For The Cake by Jennifer Millikin

About the Book

A spicy, sassy, and swoony fake dating romantic comedy from Amazon Charts bestselling author Jennifer Millikin.

A week on an island sounds like the stuff of beach dreams, but for Paisley Royce, it's a nightmare. Her little sister is marrying her ex-college sweetheart, and Paisley is serving as maid of honor. To add insult to injury, nobody will let Paisley forget she’s single.

Bachelorette weekend changes everything when she runs into her old college frenemy, Klein Madigan.

Klein is still intelligent and funny, and somehow time has only made him more attractive.

Paisley is Klein’s ‘one that got away’, not that he’d ever admit it to her. A colossal misstep (and one terrible kiss) in college sealed their fate.

Or so they thought.

Klein’s an aspiring author allergic to social media. Paisley owns a digital marketing agency.

A brilliant plan is hatched: A trip across the country for a week of faking out her family in exchange for her firm marketing his work.

One hastily scrawled and signed contract on a bar napkin later, Paisley and Klein embark on a journey of tension, only one bed, and fake dating shenanigans.

Paisley’s goal is to survive the week.

Klein’s plan is to enjoy the sun, sand, and wedding cake.

Review

This was a refreshing fake dating story, just in time for hot weather. I adored this story and the characters. For the entire time I was reading I had such a huge smile on my face. 

The story centers around Paisley. She has been asked to be her younger sister’s maid of honor. The problem is that her sister’s soon-to-be husband is Paisley’s ex-boyfriend. The situation with her sister and ex-boyfriend is not something ideal for her. However, Paisley is considered a “people pleaser” and of course agrees to the entire thing. One night she runs into Klein, someone she kissed years ago in college. He’s a writer who is struggling with having an online persona. They strike a deal. She’ll help him market his book if he agrees to be her fake boyfriend. Their story is intoxicating filled with humor, chemistry, and sweet moments. 

As mentioned previously, Paisley is a people pleaser. Her family is constantly walking over her. They don’t know the real her because she’s scared of them blaming her. She has a thriving business and is charming. I loved how as the book progressed, she began to stand up for herself. It was a natural progression that wasn’t jarring. Klein was the perfect love interest to her. After their kiss in college, there was some bad blood between him in Paisley, something he understood. To him, she was the one who got away. Klein was lovely. My favorite thing about him is that the author just didn’t say he was a writer. His passion was something obvious in his words and how he saw and interacted with the world. 

Final Thoughts 

Here For the Cake was such a great fake dating story that stands out from the rest. Paisley and Klein are incredible, as well as their story. I seriously have zero complaints about this story. I felt everything played out wonderfully. 

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