Review: Take Me Home for Christmas by Miranda Liasson

Miranda Liasson brings the holiday charm with her holiday romance, Take Me Home for Christmas. As always, the gift of a feel good second chance romance mixed with some fake dating and the charm of the holidays.

In this heartwarming novel, we meet Mia D’Angelo, a pediatric resident who is intelligent, compassionate and while her heart is in the right place, has been living a lie. To give something positive for her ailing mother to focus on, she creates the perfect boyfriend. Only one problem. The D’Angelos love to get together for the holidays and her family wants to meet him. Let me introduce Dr. Braxton Hughes. The annoying but charming former crush who she thought was the perfect guy seemed to come to an end once they became coworkers going for the same job. 

With the upcoming visit with her fake boyfriend, her potential prospects fell through for the task. When Brax proposes himself as a fill-in, he is the last man she’d ever trust with her heart. He’s good looking, reliable and has a big heart. He’s just someone who has a commitment problem and definitely not someone she’d take home for Christmas. With no options left, she finds it harder to resist once his charm infects her family. Sometimes being at the right place and the right time will inspire the perfect second chance for Mr. Right. 

Take Me Home for Christmas is a slow burn romance with chemistry, swoon worthy and witty moments. Besides watching Brax melt Mia’s heart, another part of her story is her personal connection with her work inspired by her own life tragedy. Losing her sister and her dedication of her life to helping kids is a heartwarming addition to her part of her story. Brax’s hardship in life, gaining a found family brings a genuine joy as an added bonus to his life giving him a second chance. Just an overall feel good enjoying the influence of a great family and two people finding their way together warms you up for the holiday.

If you love a holiday romance with heart, second chances sprinkled in with a fake boyfriend then you’ll enjoy this one.

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Review: The Passion Parameter by Ana D’Arcy

Mostly, I liked the first book –The Desire Variable­­—within this series. My main complaint was that it took an unexpected turn towards the latter half of the book. Instead of being a light, contemporary read, it turned a little into something greyer. The story was far from a dark romance, but just the light office romance I had thought it would be. Still, I was committed to reading what I thought would be the final book in this series—more on that later.

The Passion Parameter has Lex and Andy struggling with the outcome of the end of the last book. They are apart, miserable, and still working at the same company. I was surprised with how quickly they got back together. I expected it to be dragged out more since this is a chunky book. Though, I can’t say I’m upset about that. I called Andy a lovable nerd in my first book review, and that still stands. When she and Lex are together, their nerd power increases by one thousand percent. It’s cute, though their dialogue and behavior could sometimes become a little much. Oddly, it works for their characters and their relationship.

Even though Lex and Andy come together after the events of the last book, their relationship still isn’t smooth sailing. There’s a lot of relationship drama in this one. Their drama is the entire focus of the book, with Andy’s app taking another backseat. I’d say that most of the drama was fine. Although I didn’t like the drama with Evora, I did like how it was resolved and how Andy and Evora became friends.

There are a lot more reveals about Lex’s character within this installment that gives clarity to his actions in the last book. Most of the more emotional moments center on him and his relationship with his family. Spoiler—his parents are the absolute worst.

Finally, I entered this book, expecting it to be the last one. Of course, that isn’t how this happened, and this one ended on a cliffhanger. My rating for this one is lower than the first; however, the cliffhanger was intriguing enough, and I am curious about what happens next. I might be too hopeful, but I hope the author doesn’t wrap up that storyline in the first few chapters of the third book. I hope she leans into it because it’s an interesting concept, and the hints have been woven in since the first book.

Final Thoughts

Any Lex and Andy superfan might adore The Passion Parameter. The romance and character development (especially Lex’s) are the center plot in this book, with other things occurring but falling to the background or quickly being resolved. They have many relationship woes; however, they celebrate so many high points in their relationship. Their chemistry and cuteness can’t be denied. And neither can their sometimes cringe dialogue and behavior. As I mentioned previously, it works for these characters, even if it feels a bit too much at times. For me, I had to read the book in small doses so that I wouldn’t get overwhelmed.

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Review: Chaos by E.J. Blaise

One chapter into Chaos, E.J. Blaise had ripped my heart out, stomped on it, and then proceeded to drive her car over it. I quickly realized that this was not going to be an easy read for me, and E.J. Blaise was not going to allow me to breathe easily. I was right. I had already lost my heart during the first chapter, but the wounds and bruises still came. Thankfully, this ended on a good note because I was fully prepared to send E.J. my therapy bill.

I’ll admit that Lottie was not my favorite Jackson girl. I’ve always been a Lux girlie (I’m begging for her book, please!). Though Lottie’s my girl, too. She’s angry and willing to hurt anyone who gets close to her or stands in her way. She’s in so much pain, and most of the time, she doesn’t mean it. One day, she makes a bad decision, and she’s forced away from her family’s ranch. She’s been gone for two years, and when she returns, she’s missed so much.

I ran across two quotes in the book that I think sum up the book and Lottie’s development. They go together. The first, “There’s more to Lottie Jackson than her rage,” then, “Finn knows that.” There are still some hurt feelings between her and her siblings, but Finn’s the first one to see her and understand her. I liked their relationship and how sweet and kind he was to her. Additionally, he was able to hold his own, and their banter was great.

Lottie’s relationship with her siblings was highlighted well, too. Unsurprising, my favorite is the relationship between her and Lux.

This book is one hundred percent Lottie’s story—her character development and her relationship with everyone else. She’s the star of the show. Although my heart was ripped from my chest for most of the book, I loved this story. Lottie is a strong character, and yes, she makes mistakes and gets angry, but that isn’t all she is. Chaos is a raw character study into the mind of Lottie Jackson—the good, the bad, and the perfection.

Final Thoughts

Like with the first installment, E.J. doesn’t hold any punches with Chaos. She is someone who can write emotion—make it bleed through the pages and leave an everlasting impact.

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Review: The Brave and the Reckless: A Bravetown Novel by Dilan Dyer

I was excited to jump into this one. Unfortunately, I learned early on that it would be a chore to read. It was not my favorite. The author had a fantastic idea and invested a lot of time and effort into bringing Bravetown to life. Her efforts were not wasted. The park was my favorite, and I yearned for more lore.

The biggest drawback with this one is that the romance and the main characters don’t work. I felt nothing for either. It felt as if the author compelled a list of tropes and attempted to make a plot with it. The dialogue felt ripped from trendy social media posts, and there was no chemistry between the leads. Not to mention, I don’t believe that I enjoyed either main character on an individual level. The supporting characters were somewhat fun, though a little underused and underdeveloped at times.  

Final Thoughts

The Brave and the Reckless stages a fun and interesting setting; however, the same can’t be said for much of anything else. The romance and main leads are unenjoyable and lackluster. 

ARC provided by NetGalley

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Review: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

About the Book

A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK ∙ AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad . . . depending on who’s telling it.

Review

There are thousands of people readily available to defend their favorite Emily Henry book at the drop of the hat. There’s almost a culture surrounding her books. I’ve proudly stood on the outside, looking in —reading a few of her books. I enjoyed most of them, although plot points have gotten lost in time, and I can’t recall why I liked them at that moment. I wouldn’t call them my favorite. I probably won’t re-read them ever again. Truthfully, I didn’t even consider reading Great Big Beautiful Life when it debuted. For a few weeks, I’ve been aware of the discourse and mixed reviews surrounding the book.  Some hailed it as her worst book to date; some considered it to be a departure from her usual routine. I was indifferent to it all and just wanted a book to listen to while I drove. I downloaded it without even knowing what it was truly about.

I’m writing this after having finished the book late last night. I sobbed the second I typed “Great Big Beautiful Life” into the blank Word document. It’s safe to say—five stars from me. I loved this one.

As someone who has been greatly interested in the Kennedys, the Kennedy Curse, and the Camelot era, this book was written for me. I saw similarities between the Kennedys and the fictional Ives family. Of course, it wasn’t copy and paste. There were many differences.

I’m a little offended when I read reviews that state that they wish the book wouldn’t have focused as much on Margaret Ives’ family. I found her family history to be beautifully tragic. I sobbed and laughed and screamed in horror. My heart pounded with anticipation of what would happen next. I had to pause every time a new twist came and take a breath. Several times, I considered pulling up Wikipedia, finding the Ives family page, and spoiling myself, but then I quickly realized this was fiction. The Ives were not a real family. I had to wait for the story to unfold. I was just as intrigued with the Ives family as I was with Hayden and Alice—if not more. Margaret Ives was as much a main character as Alice and Hayden, and I am not upset at all with the focus on her and her family. To me, that focus did not detract from Alice or Hayden or their romance.  I liked how her story connected to them. I liked their relationship with her—especially Alice’s.

At one point in the book, Alice mentions that not many people can dislike her. I wholeheartedly agree. She’s a fascinating character—easygoing, curious, and all-around wonderful. Hayden did try to avoid her. And even he-a reserved, untrusting individual-was not immune to her charm. As for their romance, it’s not the focal point of the story. Though, Alice and Hayden’s romance did draw me in. As did the other non-romantic relationships—Margaret and her sister, Alice and her dad, Hayden and his family, and Alice and her mom. A major shoutout to the relationship between Alice and her parents because, boy, was that also a tearjerker. Every relationship presented in this book was just as intriguing, heartbreaking, and memorable as the one before it.

One last thing—I enjoyed the book's structural organization. The Ives family history was perfectly woven into the story. I liked hearing what the public thought happened with the family and having the truth immediately follow it.

Final Thoughts

Great Big Beautiful Life is the Emily Henry book for me. The one that I will defend for my life. The one I recommend and sing its praises. Numerous components come together to make this story great.

Review: Welcome Home by Melissa Cate

About the Book

Seven years ago, Danielle divorced Joshua without any real explanation.

Since then, she has made strides to move forward and take care of herself in all the ways that matter to her. She's developed a healthy attitude toward food, changed her hair and nickname, earned a master's degree, and began work as a hospice social worker.

Joshua, however, has remained in his role as P.E. teacher at the same school and visits the same businesses he did when they were married, hoping that maybe she'll someday look for him.

They meet again on a blind date and discover that the spark between them is still there. Reconciliation is on both their minds, but first, they need to resolve not only their past, as Danielle shares her reason for leaving, but also their potential future, as Joshua shares that some parts of his life have actually changed.

Can they see beyond the pain of the past and into a new future together?

Review

Out of the recent short stories I have read, Welcome Home felt the most complete. From start to finish, it was clear that the author knew which direction she was going in. Therefore, nothing felt rushed, and I got a pretty good idea of these characters and their future.

Joshua and Danielle divorced seven years ago, and by faith, they enter each other’s lives again. Readers might have to suspend their disbelief a tad in this story; however, the “twist” works well and elevates the story. As for the characters, both are likable and well written. I understood their reactions and motives.

Final Thoughts

Welcome Home is a sweet second-chance story. Don’t let the page count fool you. There is a full, complete story here that will hold your interest.  

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