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Books I read in November 2021

Books I read in November 2021

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!! 

This post may contain affiliate links for products and services I recommend. If you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission. 

Hello sassy people! Today I’m going to tell you guys about all the books I read in November! It was the month of my first ARCs and some beautiful beautiful illustrated covers!

Real Fake Love

(Copper Valley Fireballs #2)

by Pippa Grant

 

If people have polar opposites, Luca Rossi is mine.
His butt is in the baseball hall of fame. Mine’s comfortably seated in the hall of lame.
When he’s not snagging fly balls out in center field, he’s modeling in shampoo commercials. I once jammed my own finger while stirring cookie dough, and sometimes I forget shampoo is a thing.
He’s a total cynic when it comes to love.
I make a living writing love stories.
But after my latest broken engagement (no, I don’t want to talk about how many times that’s happened), it’s clear he’s exactly the man I need.
If anyone can teach me to be the opposite of me, it’s him.
The first thing I want him to teach me?
How to not fall in love.
And as luck would have it, he’s in desperate need of a fake girlfriend to get a meddling grandmother off his back.
We couldn’t be more perfect together, because the last thing Luca Rossi will ever be is the next man to leave me at the altar.
Or will he?

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Bang Laugh Love Inc

Year: 2020

Nº of pages: 359

Goodreads rate: 4,40

Tropes: Baseball romance, Fake dating, Fake relationship, Grumpy and Sunshine, Rom-Com, Small Town Romance, Sports Romance, Writers in Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

Main characters: Henri and Luca

Main conflict: Luca needs a fake girlfriend to escape his grandma’s curse and Henri needs a new start and someone to teach her how to not fall in love. Obviously, they both fall in love with each other, but Henri doesn’t want that since she got engaged several times and Luca is traumatized by his parents’ divorce. 

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Easy, Fun, Sweet

Hero: Sturn Brunch Daddy

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Deep

Read in: 2021

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 A respectful hero with deep trust issues, a heroine with a deep journey, both of them with traumas from the past, that they both need to overcome to be together

Adjectives and general thoughts: Funny, sweet, and cute

Recommend this to people who love a laugh out loud book with cute characters and some steam 

 

The Off Limits Rule

(It Happened in Nashville #1)

by Sarah Adams

 

I have found rock bottom. It’s here, moving in with my older brother because I’m too broke to afford to live on my own. But that’s okay because we’ve always been close and I think I’m going to have fun living with him again.
That is until I meet Cooper…
Turns out, my brother has very strong opinions on the idea of me dating his best friend and is dead set against it. According to him, Cooper is everything I should stay away from: flirtatious, adventurous, non-committal, and freaking hot. (I added that last part because I feel like you need the whole picture.) My brother is right, though. I should stay away from Cooper James and his pretty blue eyes. He’s the opposite of what I need right now.
Nah—Who am I kidding? I’m going for him.

Genre: Romance

Year: 2021

Nº of pages: 291

Goodreads rate: 3,87

Tropes: Brother’s best friend, Single Parent

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 2/5 closed-door (kissing and sex is implied)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Body shaming, Cursing, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual Content, Toxic relationship, Vomit

 

Main characters: Cooper and Lucy 

Main conflict: Brothers best friend + personal insecurities

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Deep, Fun, Sweet

Hero: Sturn Brunch Daddy

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Good

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 Single mom, trust issues and self-development, super strong woman

Adjectives and general thoughts: Super funny, loved it until the point where they got engaged and married after two weeks. It was almost perfect until this part.

Recommend this to people who enjoy books that are closed-door (don’t have sexual content), cute kids, and strong female main characters

The Temporary Roomie

(It Happened in Nashville #2)

by Sarah Adams

 

What happens when you have to play nice with your greatest enemy? Revenge.
Drew Marshall may have let me move into his spare bedroom while my house is being renovated, but don’t think for one second his kindness comes without strings. Big, ugly, fake relationship strings.
That’s okay, though, Dr. Andrew. I’ll agree to your terms, move into your house, and act like your girlfriend when the big day comes; but I also plan to make your life miserable—make you pay for what you did to me.
I may not be good at forgiving or forgetting, but I’m excellent at getting even.

Genre: Romance

Year: 2021

Nº of pages: 286

Goodreads rate: 3,84

Tropes: Doctor, Pregnant, Roommates, Single Parent

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 2/5 closed-door (kissing and sex is implied)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Abandonment, Medical content, Pregnancy

 

Main characters: Drew and Jessie

Main conflict: The main character is pregnant and in need of a roof on her head, both of them hate each other, they go on a pranking war, and learn how to trust each other

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Deep, Fun, Sweet

Hero: Sturn Brunch Daddy

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Good

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 Strong and independent mom, works through her trust issues

Adjectives and general thoughts: Cute but with some “don’t do that!” screaming moments

Recommend this to people who enjoy books that are closed-door (don’t have sexual content), pregnancy books, and cute, caring heroes

The Cheat Sheet

by Sarah Adams

 

Is it ever too late to leave the friend-zone?
Hi, my name is Bree Camden, and I’m hopelessly in love with my best friend and star quarterback Nathan Donelson (so is half of America, judging by the tabloids and how much the guy dates). The first step is admitting, right? Except, I can never admit it to him because he clearly doesn’t see me that way, and the last thing I want is for things to get weird between us.
Nothing but good old-fashioned, no-touching-the-sexiest-man-alive, platonic friendship for us! Everything is exactly how I like it! Yes. Good. (I’m not crying, I’m just peeling an onion.)
Our friendship is going swimmingly until I accidentally spill my beans to a reporter over too much tequila, and now the world seems to think me and Nathan belong together. Oh, and did I mention we have to date publicly for three weeks until after the Super Bowl because we signed a contract with…oops, forgot I can’t tell anyone about that!
Bottom line is, now my best friend is smudging all the lines and acting very un-platonic, and I’m just trying to keep my body from bursting into flames every time he touches me.
How am I going to make it through three weeks of fake dating Nathan without anything changing between us? Especially when it almost-sort-a-kinda seems like he’s fighting for a completely different outcome?
Send help.
XO Bree

Genre: Romance

Year: 2021

Nº of pages: 306

Goodreads rate: 3,80

Tropes: Ballerina, Friends to Lovers, Mental Health, Sports Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 2/5 closed-door (kissing and sex is implied)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Alcohol, Car accident, Child Abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Injury/injury detail, Medical Trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking

 

Main characters: Bree and Nathan

Main conflict: They are best friends, don’t want to ruin the friendship

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Easy, Fun, Sweet

Hero: Simp

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Good

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 I’ve never seen consent more explicit and I LOVE IT!

Adjectives and general thoughts: Cute with lots of amazing opportunities for some steam (which frustrated me, but I already knew the mood of the book so it’s all fine). Cute, but also a bit unrealistic at times, in my opinion, this hero is too much, or maybe I just don’t enjoy this type of hero.

Recommend this to people who like a clean and very sweet story

Grading Curve: Curvy Soulmates

(Curvy Soulmates)

by Emily Bunney

 

When a feisty, curvy school principal moves to a sleepy coastal town for a fresh start, she has no idea she’ll find love in an unexpected way.
Jess
After years in an unhappy marriage, Jess leaves everything behind for a new town and a new job. The only thing missing is a new relationship. Her best friend decides she needs to jump feet first into the dating pool and sets her up a profile on Curve Connection – a dating app for men seeking curvy women. At first she’s sceptical and some of the messages she receives don’t help. But then she matches with NerdGuy – a sweet sensitive younger man who just gets her. Could this be the new relationship she’s been looking for?
Tate
Starting a tech company with his twin brother was always Tate’s dream, but when times got tough, they took a job refitting the tech in a small Elementary school. He arrives expecting to meet a middle aged, matronly principal. However, the woman who crashes into him is a curvy, sexy, sassy pain in his ass. As they begin to work together, she fights him at every turn, but he just loves butting heads with her. Tate knows starting a relationship with Principal Jess Vega is not an option, not while they work together. So instead he turns to Curve Connection to see if he can match with another curvy woman to try and take his mind off Jess’s peachy round ass.
Can these two find love online or will it land unexpectantly on their doorstep?
Searching for your soulmate? Welcome to Curve Connection, a brand-new dating app developed by curvy women for curvy women and the men who love them. Whether you’re into executives, sports stars, blue collar workers, rockstars, or billionaires, we deliver guaranteed happily-ever-afters. Swipe left or right to start searching for your soulmate today.
Curvy Soulmates is a collection of steamy short romances brought to you by 12 of your favorite instalove authors.

Genre: Romance, ARC

Year: 2021

Nº of pages: 73

Goodreads rate: 4,31

Tropes: Curvy heroine, Divorced, Female age gap, Latinx character, Neighbor, School principal, Tattooed hero, Twins in Romance, Victim of a past abusive relationship

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): This book is not added to Story Graphs 

 

Main characters: Jessica and Tate

Main conflict: There’s not much conflict, they are simply working together for some time and need some personal growth.

Pacing: Fast

Mood: Easy

Hero: Alpha Hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Good

Diverse Cast: Latinx

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 3/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 Older heroine (10 years older)!!!! And there is a power unbalance, and it’s on the female side. She is the boss (in the office and also in bed) and I LOVE that. And she also plays very lightly with the school principal kink. Also, I see a lot of body positivity, not only because she is a curvy heroine, but she is a heroine that has (and I quote) brown nipples and she is not completely shaved, so I see Emily breaking a lot of the toxic patterns I see in society and a lot of other romance books and I love that.

Adjectives and general thoughts: Light, funny, and positive in all the ways possible. Exaggerated sexual reactions by the mention of a name or while seeing a picture.

Recommend this to people who love easy stories with insta love and a sweet HEA (happily ever after)

Complete review link: https://anaennoir.com/2021/11/22/grading-curve-curvy-soulmates-by-emily-bunney-review/

The Hating Game

by Sally Thorne

 

Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.
2) A person’s undoing
3) Joshua Templeman
Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office. She’s charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Everyone except for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is mutual.
Trapped in a shared office together 40 (OK, 50 or 60) hours a week, they’ve become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous never-ending game of one-upmanship. There’s the Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. Lucy can’t let Joshua beat her at anything—especially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking.
If Lucy wins this game, she’ll be Joshua’s boss. If she loses, she’ll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua, and dressing for work like she’s got a hot date? After a perfectly innocent elevator ride ends with an earth-shattering kiss, Lucy starts to wonder whether she’s got Joshua Templeman all wrong.
Maybe Lucy Hutton doesn’t hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Year: 2016

Nº of pages: 387

Goodreads rate: 4,07

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Grumpy and Sunshine, Office Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 3/5 (sex on the page)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Fatphobia, Sexual Content, Toxic relationship, Vomit

 

Main characters: Josh and Lucy 

Main conflict: Co-workers, hate each other, competing over a promotion

Pacing: Medium, Slow

Mood: Fun, Sweet

Hero: Sturn Brunch Daddy

Plot or character-driven: Mix

P.O.V.: Single P.O.V.

Character development: Deep

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 5/5 (Amazing writing)

Feminist rate: 4/5 (Consent lines were a bit blurry sometimes, and Josh’s crush was a bit creepy at times too, a bit (or a lot, hopefully) not realistic, but still sweet in the context of a romance book.)

Adjectives and general thoughts: Fun and sweet, beautifully written. Loved it, the writing was chef’s kiss. I can’t believe this was her debut. 

Recommend this to people who love a good banter, enemies to lovers, sweet as pie hero, and an amazingly written book

Escaping Christmas

by Marie Landry

 

Joss’s no-strings-attached holiday is about to become more tangled than a string of Christmas lights.
What happens when the so-called Queen of Christmas feels more like Scrooge? In actress Josslyn Hazelwood’s case, she decides to escape it all: the heartache and mess of her very public divorce, the press, and, most of all, the holidays and everything that comes with them. Spending a few weeks in the small town of Honeywell Hollow as “just Joss” is exactly what she needs.
Liam Doherty is happy to help Joss test her BFF’s theory that the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. Her no-strings-attached holiday fling soon becomes more entangled than a string of Christmas lights, and she finds herself not only caught up in a whirlwind romance with Liam, but also getting sucked into the festive fun of Honeywell.
Joss knows she’s falling for both Liam and Honeywell, but the ghost of Christmas Past is determined to visit this Scrooge after all. No matter how much she tries to escape her past and Christmas, she’s forced to confront them both before she can appreciate the gifts of Christmas Present.

Genre: Romance

Year: 2021

Goodreads rate: 4,26

Tropes: Celebrity Romance, Cheating Ex, Christmas Romance, Divorced, Handyman, Movie Star/Actress-Actor Romance, Small Town Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 3/5 (sex on the page)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

 

Main characters: Joss and Liam

Main conflict: Recently divorced, past traumas, lives and works in another city. Joss is only on vacation in Honeywell Hollow

Pacing: Slow

Mood: Deep, Sweet

Hero: Cinnamon Roll Hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Single P.O.V.

Character development: Deep

Read in: 2021

My Rate: 4/5 Great development on secondary characters, I want to read about all those people, the problem? They don’t have books out yet (this is a stand-alone, you can read it by itself and be fine, but I love a series and if I could, every single one of these characters would get a book). Also (SPOILER) I’ll be pissed if Murph dies in the next book, even though it sounds very likely 😭

Feminist rate: 4/5 (I loved the process Joss went through in this book, recovering from her divorce and other traumas and being strong and finding love again, not only romantic love but family love, something she missed most of her life. But I didn’t see major “feminist romance” vibes, but that is okay.)

Adjectives and general thoughts: Sweet, deep, adorable, and positive. Beautifully written. 

Recommend this to People who love a sweet but deep book, that deals with mental health, past traumas, and cute small towns.

Complete review link: https://anaennoir.com/2021/11/27/escaping-christmas-by-marie-landry-review/

 

The Match

(It Happened in Charleston #1)

by Sarah Adams

 

Having worked for Southern Service Paws for a few years now, I like to think I’m prepared for just about any client meeting under the sun. I am dead wrong.
The day I meet with single dad, Jacob Broaden, about potentially matching his daughter with one of our service dogs, I learn a few valuable lessons.
1) Always set my alarm clock.
2) Single dads are way hotter than I previously thought.
3) It is possible to go from fantasizing about kissing someone to wishing they would be run over by a truck in a matter of two minutes.
Unfortunately, I don’t hold that opinion of him for very long. Not when he shows me a different side of himself—one that’s sweet as maple syrup and hot as apple pie fresh out of the oven.
Too bad this guy is so far out of my league that I shouldn’t even be allowed to enter the game. Jake doesn’t seem to get that memo though. And after a few days of working closely with him and his daughter, he starts looking at me with fire in his eyes, making me dream of something I probably shouldn’t…
A family.

Genre: Romance

Year: 2020

Nº of pages: 291

Goodreads rate: 4,11

Tropes: Age Gap Romance, Disabled character, Divorced, Grumpy and Sunshine, Single Parent

Smut factor: 🔥 1/5 (clean, kissing only)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Abandonment, Ableism, Chronic Illness, Emotional Abuse, Infertility, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment

 

Main characters: Evie and Jake

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Sweet

Hero: Alpha Hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Deep

Diverse Cast: Disabled characters

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 Because it’s a very inclusive book, that introduces a different reality to us readers, and that is my favorite type of book.

Recommend this to people who enjoy a very cute and inclusive book with cute kids and cute dogs

The Enemy

(It Happened in Charleston #2)

by Sarah Adams

 

It’s been twelve years since I’ve seen him. Twelve years since he won our war of wits by outsmarting me with a tactic I didn’t even know was allowed. But tonight…I resurrect the battle.
Ryan Henderson is back in town for our best friends’ wedding, and I plan on showing him exactly how much I don’t care about him—or the almost kiss he ruthlessly dangled over me after graduation.
A lot has changed since our feuding days. I’m a successful bakery owner now, and I plan to rub every delicious detail of my life in his ugly face.
Just one problem: his face is gorgeous.
He wasn’t supposed to look like this or pursue me like a sexy guided missile. I must stay strong until the wedding is over and Ryan scurries back into whatever alternate universe he escaped from.
His interest in me is nothing but a continuation of the games we played in high school…right?
But the longer he stays, the more I wonder if I’m wrong and his tender smile and heated attentions are genuine. Maybe it’s not a game.
Ha! Who am I kidding? This is Ryan we’re talking about. Of course it’s a game. A game called war. And this time, I will win.

Genre: Romance

Year: 2020

Nº of pages: 258

Goodreads rate: 4,01

Tropes: Baker Romance, Chef Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Foodie Romance, Second chance romance

Smut factor: 🔥 1/5 (clean, kissing only)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Body shaming, Cursing, Death of a parent, Emotional Abuse, Infidelity, Pregnancy

 

Main characters: June and Ryan

Main conflict: Trust issues. June was cheated by her ex, they both “hated” each other in high school, so they don’t trust each other. And Ryan lost his mom and dad, I don’t know how it affected him, but I know it did because Sarah Adams is a good writer

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Fun, Sweet

Hero: Sturn Brunch Daddy

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Deep

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 4/5 Strong woman and cute hero but I honestly don’t remember anything remarkable in the feminist category

Recommend this to people who love cute and clean books with strong women and sweet heroes, with a lot of delicious food 

These were all the books I read in November! Have you read any of them? Did you like them? Do you agree with me? If not you can tell me so too! 

Well, that is all for today, I hope you like this post, hope you enjoy these books if you decide to read them. Feel free to leave your opinion about it in the comments and I will see you next time! 

Bye sassy people! 

 

  • I know that some comments I make about decent guys on my posts are the bare minimum a guy should do, so no, they don’t deserve to be treated like gods for doing the minimum, but at the same time, I’ve read a lot of sexist books and I appreciate authors who make characters that can serve as role models and examples of how a decent guy acts and what a loving and respectful relationship looks like. I believe we should always encourage these authors and bring attention to the ones that still write sexist characters and stories. 
  • I make a lot of comments about sexism and healthy role models in books, but a lot of times these characteristics don’t make the book a bad book and definitely don’t make the author a bad author. Please never shame these authors and these books for these comments, I simply feel that we need to have awareness of the less than ideal situations some books bring us, and not use the romanticized problem as examples of what a relationship should be. Most of these authors are still amazing, and the content they write doesn’t reflect directly with their personal views and opinions. Always make sure to respect and be kind to everyone, even while criticizing their content. 

Find Me In 

Meet Me

Meet Me

Brazilian architecture student and book lover

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22 books I want to read in 2022

22 books I want to read in 2022

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!! 

This post may contain affiliate links for products and services I recommend. If you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission. 

Hello sassy people! 

Today my post is about all the books that I really wanted to read in 2021, but the time, opportunity, or mood didn’t give me a chance, so 2022 it is! 

Just to make it clear, these books are not books being released in 2022, they were released before, I just want to read them in 2022! 

The Love Hypothesis

(The Love Hypothesis #1)

by Ali Hazelwood

As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor–and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding… six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown

(The Brown Sisters #2)

by Talia Hibbert

Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.

When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse?

Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his… um, thighs.

Suddenly, the easy lay Dani dreamed of is more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint?

Wasted Words

(The Austens #1)

by Staci Hart

Some universal truths refuse to be ignored.

Peanut butter and jelly are a match made in heaven. Spaghetti and meatballs are best friends forever. And guys like Tyler Knight don’t go for girls like Cam Emerson.

She knew from the second she met him that he didn’t belong on her bookshelf, the six-foot-six ex-tight end with a face so all-American, it could have sold apple pie. So she shelved him next to the supermodels and rock stars and took her place on her own shelf — the one with the flannel-clad, pasty-faced comic book nerds. Most of her boyfriends have existed between the pages of books, but rather than worrying over her own lacking love life, she puts all her energy into playing Cupid, using her job at the book bar, Wasted Words, as her stomping ground.

Tyler Knight always looks on the bright side. His career-ending injury turned into a job as a sports agent. A horrible breakup led him to Cam, his quirky, smart roommate who is far more beautiful than she realizes. She’s made it perfectly clear she’s not interested in him — not like that at least — but if she ever changes her mind, he won’t hesitate. Because he doesn’t see the lines she’s drawn between them, as much as she insists that they’re there. Deep down he knows that despite their differences, they’re a match well made.

*A romantic comedy inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma.*

Bombshell

(Hell’s Belles #1)

by Sarah MacLean

After years of living as London’s brightest scandal, Lady Sesily Talbot has embraced the reputation and the freedom that comes with the title. No one looks twice when she lures a gentleman into the dark gardens beyond a Mayfair ballroom…and no one realizes those trysts are not what they seem.

No one, that is, but Caleb Calhoun, who has spent years trying not to notice his best friend’s beautiful, brash, brilliant sister. If you ask him, he’s been a saint about it, considering the way she looks at him…and the way she talks to him…and the way she’d felt in his arms during their one ill-advised kiss.

Except someone has to keep Sesily from tumbling into trouble during her dangerous late-night escapades, and maybe close proximity is exactly what Caleb needs to get this infuriating, outrageous woman out of his system. But now Caleb is the one in trouble, because he’s fast realizing that Sesily isn’t for forgetting…she’s forever. And forever isn’t something he can risk.

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me

by Mariana Zapata

Vanessa Mazur knows she’s doing the right thing. She shouldn’t feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary.

But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she’s beyond shocked.

For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn’t find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He’s asking for the unthinkable.

What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?

Thoroughly Whipped

by Tillie Cole

I, Faith Parisi, love my life. I have the best job—resident sex-advice diva for Visage magazine—I have the best friends, and I live in the best city in the world. Things are pretty damn fabulous. That is, until Henry “Harry” Sinclair III comes crashing back into my world like a bad case of herpes.

 

I hate the way Harry’s lip curls in contempt whenever he sees me. I hate his bright blue eyes and those inexplicably offensive dimples. I hate his stuffy English accent and the stick that’s permanently jammed up his aristocratic ass. More than anything, I hate that he’s now my boss.

 

But my professional prospects start to look up when a chance at writing Visage’s big summer feature falls into my lap. Success won’t be easy. I’ll need to let go of all my inhibitions—not that I have that many of those—and jump, stiletto heels first, into a hedonistic new world. An exclusive, secretive world, filled with leather, latex, and Manhattan’s elite.

 

Pulling this off will take every ounce of daring I have, and every ounce of focus. I can’t afford to get distracted by anything, least of all my new boss, his arrogant mouth, or the way the ice between us seems to be slowly melting away.

Make It Sweet

by Kristen Callihan

Life for Emma isn’t good. The world knows her as Princess Anya on Dark Castle, but then her character gets the axe—literally. The cherry on top is finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman. She needs a break, and sanctuary comes in the form of Rosemont, a gorgeous estate in California promising rest and relaxation.

Then she meets the owner’s equally gorgeous grandson, ex–hockey player and current recluse Lucian Osmond, and she sees her own pain and yearning reflected in his eyes.

He’s charming when he wants to be but also secretive and gruff, with protective walls as thick as Emma’s own. Despite a growing attraction, they avoid each other.

But then there’s an impromptu nighttime skinny-dip, and Lucian’s luscious homemade tarts and cream cakes start arriving at Emma’s door, tempting her to taste life again…

In trying to stay apart, they only grow closer—and their broken pieces just might fit together and make them whole.

Someone You Love

by Kristen Granata

Charly Johnson created a bucket list when cancer left her mother with less than a year to live. They didn’t make it all the way through the list before she died, but she made Charly promise to finish it and live her life to the fullest.

Spending the summer in a coastal mountain city in Maine is next on her list. The scenic town is perfect for finding adventure, and the quirky inn owner makes her feel right at home in the guest house.

Except for the fact that her new living quarters belong to the owner’s grump of a grandson.

Bryce Holden was an NFL player before sustaining a career-ending spinal injury. The people he thought would stand by his side left him when he was no longer a football star. Now, he prefers to live his life as a recluse, keeping outsiders at arm’s length where his heart is safe.

The last thing Bryce needs is to fall for a beautiful woman who will leave him like everyone else. But when he sees Charly’s incomplete bucket list, and the bruised heart she wears on her sleeve, he resolves to help her on her journey.

Even if it means losing her at the end of it.

The Bride Test

(The Kiss Quotient #2)

by Helen Hoang

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.

Only When It’s Us

(Bergman Brothers #1)

by Chloe Liese

Ryder
Ever since she sat next to me in class and gave me death eyes, Willa Sutter’s been on my shit list. Why she hates me, I don’t know. What I do know is that Willa is the kind of chaos I don’t need in my tidy life. She’s the next generation of women’s soccer. Wild hair, wilder eyes. Bee-stung lips that should be illegal. And a temper that makes the devil seem friendly.
She’s a thorn in my side, a menacing, cantankerous, pain-in-the-ass who’s turned our Business Mathematics course into a goddamn gladiator arena. I’ll leave this war zone unscathed, coming out on top…And if I have my way with that crazy-haired, ball-busting hellion, that will be in more than one sense of the word. 
Willa
Rather than give me the lecture notes I missed like every other instructor I’ve had, my asshole professor tells me to get them from the silent, surly flannel-wearing mountain man sitting next to me in class. Well, I tried. And what did I get from Ryder Bergman? Ignored. What a complete lumbersexual neanderthal. Mangy beard and mangier hair. Frayed ball cap that hides his eyes. And a stubborn refusal to acknowledge my existence.
I’ve battled men before, but with Ryder, it’s war. I’ll get those notes and crack that Sasquatch nut if it’s the last thing I do, then I’ll have him at my mercy. Victory will have never tasted so sweet.
Only When It’s Us is a frenemies-to-lovers, college sports romance about a women’s soccer star and her surly lumberjack lookalike classmate, complete with a matchmaking professor, juvenile pranks, and a smoking slow burn. This standalone is the first in a series of new novels about a Swedish-American family of five brothers, two sisters, and their wild adventures as they each find happily ever after.

Priest

(Priest #1)

by Sierra Simone

There are many rules a priest can’t break. 

A priest cannot marry. A priest cannot abandon his flock. A priest cannot forsake his God.

 

I’ve always been good at following rules. 

Until she came. 

My name is Tyler Anselm Bell. I’m twenty-nine years old. Six months ago, I broke my vow of celibacy on the altar of my own church, and God help me, I would do it again. 

I am a priest and this is my confession.

Man Crush Monday

(Love For Days #1)

by Kirsty Moseley

Perma-single Amy Clarke prides herself on three things: her pink hair, her Converse collection, and her ability to drink copious amounts of margarita without puking. She isn’t looking for love. She’s perfectly content with her simultaneous love affairs with Netflix and both Ben and Jerry. The trouble is, sometimes, love finds you.

Five months ago, he climbed aboard her train, and nothing has been the same since. Fast-forward to now, she still doesn’t know his name, but she knows she wants his babies.

Her crush—this tall, dark, and handsome dork who gets on her train every other Monday—has no idea he brightens her day with his panty-wetting smile and laugh that makes her pulse quicken.

When a chance encounter outside of work forces them to have their first proper conversation, things quickly go from loving him from afar to up close and very personal. With a string of disastrous exes in her past, has Amy finally found her Mr Perfect? Or does fate have other plans?

Block Shot

(Hoops #2)

by Kennedy Ryan

𝗝𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗗
If I had a dollar for every time Banner Morales made my heart skip a beat…
The heart everyone assumes is frozen over.
Her anger is . . . arousing.
Every glare from those fire-spitting eyes, every time she grits her teeth, gets me . . . well, you know.
If I had a dollar for every time she’s put me in my place, I’d be an even richer man.
I’m a successful sports agent because I assume “no” means you’ll think about it.
I’m sure what you meant to say is “Coming right up.”
They say even rich men don’t always get what they want,
but those men don’t know how to play the game. The trick is to keep them guessing.
Take Banner. She assumes she’s winning, but this game?
She doesn’t even know how to play.
𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥
If I had a dollar for every time Jared Foster broke my heart, I’d have exactly one dollar.
One night. One epic fail. One dollar . . . and I’m out.
I’ve moved on.
I’ve found success in a field ruled by men.
Anything they can do, I have done better.
They can keep the field while I call the shots, blocking them when I have to.
And Jared has the nerve to think he gets a second chance?
Boy, please. Go sit down. Have several seats.
I’ll just be over here ignoring the man carved from my fantasies with a lust-tipped chisel.
Oh, I didn’t say the struggle wasn’t real.
But I’ve got that one dollar, and Jared won’t have me.

Unteachable

by Leah Raeder and Elliot Wake

Maise O’Malley just turned eighteen, but she’s felt like a grown-up her entire life. The summer before senior year, she has plans: get into a great film school, convince her mom to go into rehab, and absolutely do not, under any circumstances, screw up her own future.

But life has a way of throwing her plans into free-fall.

When Maise meets Evan at a carnival one night, their chemistry is immediate, intense, and short-lived. Which is exactly how she likes it: no strings. But afterward, she can’t get Evan out of her head. He’s taught her that a hookup can be something more. It can be an unexpected connection with someone who truly understands her. Someone who sees beyond her bravado to the scared but strong girl inside.

That someone turns out to be her new film class teacher, Mr. Evan Wilke.

Maise and Evan resolve to keep their hands off each other, but the attraction is too much to bear. Together, they’re real and genuine; apart, they’re just actors playing their parts for everyone else. And their masks are slipping. People start to notice. Rumors fly. When the truth comes to light in a shocking way, they may learn they were just playing parts for each other, too.

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors

(The Rajes #1)

by Sonali Dev

It is a truth universally acknowledged that only in an overachieving Indian American family can a genius daughter be considered a black sheep.
Dr. Trisha Raje is San Francisco’s most acclaimed neurosurgeon. But that’s not enough for the Rajes, her influential immigrant family who’s achieved power by making its own non-negotiable rules:
· Never trust an outsider
· Never do anything to jeopardize your brother’s political aspirations
· And never, ever, defy your family
Trisha is guilty of breaking all three rules. But now she has a chance to redeem herself. So long as she doesn’t repeat old mistakes.
Up-and-coming chef DJ Caine has known people like Trisha before, people who judge him by his rough beginnings and place pedigree above character. He needs the lucrative job the Rajes offer, but he values his pride too much to indulge Trisha’s arrogance. And then he discovers that she’s the only surgeon who can save his sister’s life.
As the two clash, their assumptions crumble like the spun sugar on one of DJ’s stunning desserts. But before a future can be savored there’s a past to be reckoned with…
A family trying to build home in a new land.
A man who has never felt at home anywhere.
And a choice to be made between the two.

Advanced Physical Chemistry

(Chemistry Lessons #3)

by Susannah Nix

After four lousy boyfriends in a row, chemical engineer Penny Popplestone swears off men until she can figure out why they keep cheating on her. But her no-men resolution hits a snag when the mysterious and superhumanly hot barista at her favorite coffee shop strikes up a friendship with her.

Penny strives to keep things platonic, but when Caleb gives her the kiss of her life, she realizes he wants to be more than just friends. Tired of always being “good little Penny,” she throws caution to the wind and pursues a no-strings fling with the hottie barista. It’s not like they have anything in common beyond scorching physical chemistry, so what does she have to lose?

Only her heart.

Now, this fanfic-reading, plus-size heroine faces an unsolvable problem. What do you do when being apart is unbearable…but being together is impossible?

The Pool Boy

(Nashville Neighborhood #2)

by Nikki Sloane

Nothing says happy birthday like catching your husband in a compromising position with his boss.

His male boss.

Why, hello, midlife crisis. I’m starting over, but this time I’m doing it right. Or at least I’m doing what I want.

Taking the day off from work to hang out poolside? Yup. Do I leave the swimsuit in my house? Sure.

Does my very hot, twenty-something pool boy happen to catch me naked? Oh, yeah, he does. And he likes what he sees… a lot.

My best friend keeps telling me to have a fling and get back out there. But I’m not so sure she meant for me to do it with her son.

Boy Toy

(Man Hands #3)

by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby

Liam

The moment Sadie Matthews walks through the daycare center door, I feel my world tilt in her direction. Again. I fell for her when I was fourteen, and I’m still not over her. Problem: she still thinks of me as a teen she used to babysit. But I’ve learned a few things about pleasing a woman in the last fifteen years. I can’t wait to show her how good it could be. I need to move quickly before I lose her again. This is more than a game to me, but I still plan to win.

Sadie

I’ve just survived the worst year of my life. As a single mom of twin toddlers, I don’t have time for a man. I barely have time to finish a thought. Who knew that Liam McAllister would grow up to be so devastating? He’s everything my husband was not: tall, built, and willing to have a tea party with my girls.

I can’t possibly get involved with him. He’s too young for me. Too handsome. But he’s so persuasive…

The Spanish Love Deception

by Elena Armas

Catalina Martín, finally, not single. Her family is happy to announce that she will bring her American boyfriend to her sister’s wedding. Everyone is invited to come and witness the most magical event of the year.

That would certainly be tomorrow’s headline in the local newspaper of the small Spanish town I came from. Or the epitaph on my tombstone, seeing the turn my life had taken in the span of a phone call.

Four weeks wasn’t a lot of time to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic–from NYC and all the way to Spain–for a wedding. Let alone, someone eager to play along my charade. But that didn’t mean I was desperate enough to bring the 6’4 blue eyed pain in my ass standing before me.

Aaron Blackford. The man whose main occupation was making my blood boil had just offered himself to be my date. Right after inserting his nose in my business, calling me delusional, and calling himself my best option. See? Outrageous. Aggravating. Blood boiling. And much to my total despair, also right. Which left me with a surly and extra large dilemma in my hands. Was it worth the suffering to bring my colleague and bane of my existence as my fake boyfriend to my sister’s wedding? Or was I better off coming clean and facing the consequences of my panic induced lie?

Like my abuela would say, que dios nos pille confesados.

Forrest for the Trees

(Green Valley Heroes #1)

by Kilby Blades

Forrest Winters isn’t just a federal fire marshal; he’s a thorn in Ranger Sierra Betts’s side. The way he swings his big axe, fixes her with his chameleon gray eyes, and talks about his jurisdiction has a way of breaking her concentration. He has a way of showing up everywhere he doesn’t belong, including Greenbrier Ranger Station. And he really needs to quit stealing her bacon bites.

When a series of suspicious fires, an underhanded co-worker, and a cagey Parks Police Chief threaten her job and the park itself, Sierra grudgingly agrees to partner with Forrest. Their side investigation may be her best shot at preventing the framing of an innocent man. But can his firefighting expertise and her detective skills lead them to the real arsonist before Forrest breaks her with his charm?

‘Forrest for the Trees’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone and is book #1 in the Green Valley Heroes series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe

You Had Me at Hola

(Primas of Power #1)

by Alexis Daria

Leading Ladies do not end up on tabloid covers. 

After a messy public breakup, soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez finds her face splashed across the tabloids. When she returns to her hometown of New York City to film the starring role in a bilingual romantic comedy for the number one streaming service in the country, Jasmine figures her new “Leading Lady Plan” should be easy enough to follow—until a casting shake-up pairs her with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez. 

Leading Ladies don’t need a man to be happy

After his last telenovela character was killed off, Ashton is worried his career is dead as well. Joining this new cast as a last-minute addition will give him the chance to show off his acting chops to American audiences and ping the radar of Hollywood casting agents. To make it work, he’ll need to generate smoking-hot on-screen chemistry with Jasmine. Easier said than done, especially when a disastrous first impression smothers the embers of whatever sexual heat they might have had. 

Leading Ladies do not rebound with their new costars. 

With their careers on the line, Jasmine and Ashton agree to rehearse in private. But rehearsal leads to kissing, and kissing leads to a behind-the-scenes romance worthy of a soap opera. While their on-screen performance improves, the media spotlight on Jasmine soon threatens to destroy her new image and expose Ashton’s most closely guarded secret.

The Ex Talk

by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can’t imagine working anywhere else. But lately it’s been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who’s fresh off a journalism master’s program and convinced he knows everything about public radio.

When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it’s this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it’s not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts.

As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers.

These are only some of the books in my 2022 TBR, but they are the ones I want to read the most! Have you read any of them in 2021 or they are also on your 2022 TBR? Let me know the books you want to read next year!

Well, that is all for today, I hope you like this post, hope you enjoy these books if you decide to read them. Feel free to leave your opinion about it in the comments and I will see you next time! 

Bye sassy people! 

 

  • I know that some comments I make about decent guys on my posts are the bare minimum a guy should do, so no, they don’t deserve to be treated like gods for doing the minimum, but at the same time, I’ve read a lot of sexist books and I appreciate authors who make characters that can serve as role models and examples of how a decent guy acts and what a loving and respectful relationship looks like. I believe we should always encourage these authors and bring attention to the ones that still write sexist characters and stories. 
  • I make a lot of comments about sexism and healthy role models in books, but a lot of times these characteristics don’t make the book a bad book and definitely don’t make the author a bad author. Please never shame these authors and these books for these comments, I simply feel that we need to have awareness of the less than ideal situations some books bring us, and not use the romanticized problem as examples of what a relationship should be. Most of these authors are still amazing, and the content they write doesn’t reflect directly with their personal views and opinions. Always make sure to respect and be kind to everyone, even while criticizing their content. 

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Meet Me

Meet Me

Brazilian architecture student and book lover

One of my goals in analysing my readings was to talk about important topics, like feminist and consent, because literature, art and culture influence us, and I believe we should always encorage authors who talk about this topics.

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I read 148 books in 2020, come see them!

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Books I read in October 2021

Books I read in October 2021

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!! 

This post may contain affiliate links for products and services I recommend. If you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission. 

Hello sassy people!
Today I’m gonna tell you guys about the books I read in August 2021, and introduce you guys to my new “system” for reviewing.
Before I used to just write down a small text with what I liked about a book, but since I’m an architecture college student, I normally don’t have time or energy to write down my opinions as soon as I finish a book, so when I finally sit to write my reviews I don’t really remember everything from the book. So here is my new system, which is basically the most important information about a book. I’ll make a post detailing it later on, but for now, I’m really happy with the outcome and I believe it is going to make writing easier for me!
But let’s talk about my reads this month! I spent two months reading Penny Reid, and apparently, I don’t want to stop, so I read 5 more books by her.

Dirty

(Dive Bar #1)

by Kylie Scott

Love—on the rocks….
The last thing Vaughan Hewson expects to find when he returns to his childhood home is a broken hearted bride in his shower, let alone the drama and chaos that come with her.
Lydia Green doesn’t know whether to scream or cry in a corner. Discovering the love of your life is having an affair on your wedding day is bad enough. Finding out it’s with his best man is another thing all together.
Just when this runaway bride has nowhere left to turn, a handsome stranger offers her a broad, muscular shoulder to cry on. Vaughan is the exact opposite of the picture perfect, respected businessmen she’s normally drawn to. This former musician-turned-bartender is rough around the edges and is facing his own crossroads. But Lydia’s already tried Mr. Right and discovered he’s all wrong–maybe it’s time to give Mr. Right Now a chance.
After all, what’s wrong with getting dirty?
Dirty is the first book in the Dive Bar series from bestselling author Kylie Scott.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Year: 2016

Nº of pages: 275

Goodreads rate: 3,89

Tropes: Bartender, Curvy heroine, Rock Star Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

Main characters: Lydia, Vaughan

Main conflict: Lydia discovers is surprised on her wedding day, leaving her fiance at the altar and escaping into the neighbor’s house. She enters the house to cry in the bathtub and is surprised (once again) by the owner of the house, Vaughan. She has nowhere to go so Vaughan offers for her to stay and we all know how that goes, but Vaughan doesn’t want to stay in this little town full of ghosts from his past, he wants to go back on tour with his new band and he will leave Lydia behind. 

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Hot and complicated

Hero: Alpha Hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Single P.O.V.

Character development: Good

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: 2021

My Rate: 3/5

Feminist rate: 4/5 I like that she is escaping her very very bad situation, I love that she has the initiative and the courage, and the strength to do all of the things she does. I also love how Kylie is able to explain to us why this woman stayed in a relationship that wasn’t good for her. Her past, her home life, everything in her life made it possible for her to be in an emotionally abusive and at the very least unhappy relationship. 

I also love that she is plus size and I love how she can accept that about herself and make jokes about it, but not in a self-deprecating way. 

I didn’t remember this but reviewing my notes now I saw one that says “CONSENT! YAY!” So apparently this book also has explicit consent. Yay!

And I also love how Lydia has a self-preservation instinct. She was hurt before, she doesn’t want that again and I get her. 

SPOILERS

I don’t really love the resolution, the whole problem solves itself too fast (and honestly this guy is throwing away his dream job and this entire opportunity for a woman he met 1 week ago. Really?)

Oh and engagement? Are you f***ing kidding me? 1 WEEK!

Adjectives and general thoughts: Cool, not amazing though. But very funny and the meet-cute idea was incredible! I love the secondary characters and the whole story happening in the background. It makes this whole family and group of people a lot more believable and relatable. 

Recommend this to People who like insta love (since a lot of Kylie’s books happen in like 1 or 2 weeks time)

Twist

(Dive Bar #2)

by Kylie Scott

When his younger brother loses interest in online dating, hot, bearded, bartender extraordinaire, Joe Collins, only intends to log into his account and shut it down. Until he reads about her.

Alex Parks is funny, friendly, and pretty much everything he’s been looking for in a woman. And in no time at all they’re emailing up a storm, telling each other their deepest darkest secrets… apart from the one that really matters.

And when it comes to love, serving it straight up works better than with a twist.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Year: 2017

Nº of pages: 288

Goodreads rate: 3,92

Tropes: Bartender, Sickbed scene, Small Town Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

Main characters: Alex, Joe

Main conflict: Alex met a guy online dating and went to surprise him on his birthday, only to find out that she was catfished by this men’s brother, Joe. Now Joe needs to convince Alex that the connection they had was true, even if the face she knew wasn’t his. Also, Alex is going back to her town when she gets better from a flu episode. 

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Easy, Fun, Sweet

Hero: Cinnamon Roll Hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Single P.O.V.

Character development: Good

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: 2021

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 4/5 He lied to her and that is really bad, but I do believe in this couple. They had an actual connection over their conversation, even with the catfishing and I love a good sickbed scene, I love how he takes care of her, how he is a very soft lumbersexual so I really enjoyed this book. 

I like that he is not ripped, he is a normal guy and even though he is not her type, he conquers her with his personality. 

Adjectives and general thoughts: Cute, easy, and good.

Recommend this to People who love a sickbed scene, cute lumbersexual cinnamon rolls, and a good groveling. 

Chaser

(Dive Bar #3)

by Kylie Scott

Given his well-earned bad boy reputation, Eric is having a tough time scoring.. When single Jean moves to town, she seems heaven sent by the sex gods. Only problem is, she not only wants nothing to do with him, but it turns out that she’s pregnant.

Starting over in a small town, Jean is determined to turn her wild lifestyle around and be the kind of mother she always wished she’d had. Since local bar owner and all round hottie, Eric Collins, is now determined to steer clear of her pregnant self, it should be easy. When she goes into labour during a snow storm and her car slides on some ice, it’s Eric who comes to the rescue.

There seems to be a bond between them now, but is it enough? And can Eric give up his manwhore ways to be the man Jean needs?

Genre: Romance

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Year: 2018

Nº of pages: 270

Goodreads rate: 3,93

Tropes: Bartender, Cute kids in romance, Pregnant, Single Parent, Small Town Romance, Tattooed hero

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

 

Main characters: Eric, Jean

Main conflict: Jean is pregnant and Eric likes her and wants to be with her, he was always perceived as the player who would never settle down, but for reasons of his past he is very attracted and attached to Jean. 

SPOILERS

Eric gets an offer on his bar and Jean gets close to her mother and thinks about moving away. 

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Easy, Fun, Sweet

Hero: Ster Brunch Daddy

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Male single P.O.V.,Single P.O.V.

Character development: Deep

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: 2021

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 I love how Eric struggles with the miscarriage of his own baby and how protective he gets of Jean and her baby. I love how he deals with Nell’s new pregnancy and his relationship with her. I love that he screws up but he redeems himself. 

Adjectives and general thoughts: Super cute, hot, and lovely.

Recommend this to People who love a single-parent trope, books with pregnancy, and a very worried hero.

 

America’s Geekheart

(Bro Code #2)

by Pippa Grant

Remember that time you accidentally sexted your in-laws?
Yeah. I just did that. Except worse. Now my million social media followers are reading and sharing the rude, smartass message I meant to send privately to my little sister…and I’m officially public enemy number one.
I’m Beck Ryder. Former boy bander. Underwear model. Fashion mogul. And I just buried my entire leg in my mouth—not just my foot—modern internet style, and publicly insulted my sister’s neighbor.
Sarah Dempsey.
Also known as the woman of my dreams, who loves geeky TV shows, baseball, and giraffes, who’s just as turned on by food as I am, and who has a huge secret that I didn’t see coming.
Now it’s time to grovel and apologize publicly on social media and hope that those same followers who helped start the raging shitstorm will help calm the waters.
Because Sarah doesn’t want the spotlight. For very good reasons that I can’t tell you right now and trying to convince her to be my fake girlfriend to fix this mess and make me look like less of a jackass is worse than taking a kick to the nuts by Jackie Chan.
And I thought modeling underwear made me feel naked.
Trying to start a relationship in the era of the twitterazzi isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.
America’s Geekheart is a rockin’ fun romantic comedy featuring a billionaire fashion mogul who got his start modeling underwear, the geeky girl next door with a secret the size of California, and more superstitions and secrets than you can shake a baseball bat at. It stands alone with no cheating or cliffhangers.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Indie

Year: 2019

Nº of pages: 364

Goodreads rate: 4,41

Tropes: Fake dating, Fake relationship, Famous family member, Model, Movie Star/Actress-Actor Romance, Sustainability mc

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

 

Main characters: Beck, Sarah

Main conflict: Beck messes up and to solve his mess Sarah needs to pretend to be his girlfriend. Problem? She is the daughter of a famous Hollywood couple and she likes her life away from the spotlights, but fake dating a famous guy might destroy things. But Sarah wants to use Becks fame to help the planet and also she likes him, so… And as it normally happens in fake dating tropes, they are not sure the other is in it for real or not. 

Pacing: Fast

Mood: Easy, Fun, Sweet

Hero: Cinnamon Roll Hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Deep

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: 2021

 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 I love this couple. Beck is the cutest, for him, this is love at first sight. And I absolutely love Sarah. She tasered him!!! That is badass. She came out of a situation that was not working for her and she made for herself the life she wanted. She is sustainable and in my book that gets all the points and she cares so much she is willing to put her lifestyle at risk to promote the giraffes and the planet. I love their banter and their personalities. These two are just the cutest. 

Adjectives and general thoughts: Funny and sweet. I also love all the secondary characters, they make you want to come back for more. 

Recommend this to People who love a cinnamon roll hero, a strong and quirky heroine, and the same super cute fake dating. 

Liar, Liar, Hearts on Fire

(Bro Code #3)

by Pippa Grant

The lies will come back to bite you every time…
Never borrow pants from your brother. Especially if he’s a size smaller than you are, because all that pressure in the junk will short-circuit your brain.
And you’ll lie to a woman in a club about your real name.
Leave her unsatisfied after making out in a bathroom.
Then find out that she’s the one thing standing in the way of your dreams. And she very much doesn’t like being lied to.
Now I have to convince Lila Valentine—the woman I can’t stop thinking about, my biggest regret, and my new boss—that I’m what’s best for the baseball team she’s inherited.
If we can’t work together to save the Fireballs, the commissioner’s forcing a sale and moving them across the country.
I’ll do anything to save my home team.
But the one thing I can’t do?
Keep my hands to myself.
Which would be fine, if she hadn’t been telling me lies this whole time too.
Liar, Liar, Hearts on Fire is a rocking fun romance between a single dad obsessed with baseball, an heiress with secrets, baseball pants, a rundown team, and rabid ducks. It stands alone and comes with a guaranteed happily-ever-after.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Bang Laugh Love Inc

Year: 2020

Nº of pages: 308

Goodreads rate: 4,46

Tropes: Girls in Sports, Single Parent, Small Town Romance, Sports Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Death

 

Main characters: Lila, Tripp

Main conflict: Lila inherited the baseball team Tripp wanted to buy and to save this team they have to work, despite their tumultuous meet cute and Tripp’s messy and adorable kids and Lila’s past.

Pacing: Fast

Mood: Easy, Fun, Sweet

Hero: Ster Brunch Daddy

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Deep

Diverse Cast: Not that I remember

Read in: 2021

 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 A hero with mental health issues! I’m here for it! I live for this! A hero with trauma, small kids, and who is a Stern Brunch Daddy, Tripp is perfect. And Lila is so strong!!! She is fierce, she won’t take anyone’s shit and she owns a baseball team, that alone to me is amazing. 

Adjectives and general thoughts: Funny, super sweet, and has those deep moments, that I love, but without losing the lightness of the book. This is a book that finds the perfect balance between being a light, fun, easy read and that deals with serious and deep topics.

Recommend this to People who love a germophobic single dad, a strong badass heroine, and a whole small town as a secondary story. 

The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob

(Bro Code #4)

by Pippa Grant

A rock star / single mom / fairy tale romcom
You don’t know me, but you do know me. I’m your neighborhood hot mess single mom, doing my best to keep my head above water while running my little slice of heaven and keeping my youngest from shoving marbles up his nose, which is exactly what he’s doing the first time Levi Wilson, pop star god, world’s sexiest man, and my all-time number one celebrity obsession, walks into my bookstore.
Related: I’m writing this from beyond the grave, because I’ve died of mortification and am now residing in an alternate universe.
I have to be.
Because Levi Wilson came back.
And we had a moment.
Like, a moment moment. The kind that makes me remember that adult pleasure isn’t all about hoping the lock holds in the bathroom so your kids don’t interrupt on the rare occasion you feel like taking an extra-long mommy-time shower.
So when he proposes a no-strings fling?
Count. Me. In.
Thrill of a lifetime, right?
Surely, nothing will go wrong…
The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob is a rockin’ fun, sexy romantic comedy featuring a celebrity panty-melter who doesn’t know what he’s been missing, a sassy single mom hanging on by a string, three adorable children who would never burst in on a woman when she’s on a toilet (ha!), and shameless ovary-busting moments between a guy who never thought he’d be a dad and a family who thought they got along just fine without him. It stands alone and comes complete with a happily-ever-after (though you’d never go wrong to read the other Bro Code series books first).

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Bang Laugh Love Inc

Year: 2021

Nº of pages: 339

Goodreads rate: 4,26

Tropes: Military Romance, Rock Star Romance, Single Parent, Small Town Romance, Victim of a past abusive relationship

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

 

Main characters: Ingrid, Levi

Main conflict: Ingrid is a single mom of three small children, owner of a bookstore, and a woman, her life is a mess, and then enters Levi, a rockstar who is hot and sweet and wants her. How can she have everything? How can she protect her family from Levi’s fame, how can she actually date a rock star?

Pacing: Fast

Mood: Easy, Fun, Sweet

Hero: Cinnamon Roll Hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Deep

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: Nope

 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 I love a single mom trope, I love when books show how much women do every single day, how hard and tiring it is. And I love when a hero enters to help, even with the smallest part of that burden. Levi is in this story to show Ingrid that she is still a woman, on top of every other duty she has, she is still a woman, hot, sexy, desired, with adult wants and needs. And Ingrid is here to show Levi all the things he is missing, all the things that he could be enjoying if he just slowed down a bit. 

Also, I love the deep parts, Ingrid’s past relationship, her being a soldier. 

Adjectives and general thoughts: So real (not the rock star part, but you get what I’m saying) but so funny and sweet.

Recommend this to People who like a good single mom and a reformed playboy rock star.

 

The Grumpy Player Next Door

(Copper Valley Fireballs #3)

by Pippa Grant

An enemies-to-lovers / sports / grumpy-sunshine / neighbor romance
I, Tillie Jean Rock, am not in love with my brother’s teammate. Sure, he might have those biceps and that “I am the grouchiest of grouchy bears” smolder, and he might shovel snow off his driveway next door wearing nothing but boxer shorts and rubber boots, and he might be running a side business feeding all the stray goats in town, but studliness is only skin-deep.
And I might flirt with him every chance I get, but I swear it’s only to annoy my brother.
And him.
Because Max Cole?
Under all of those glorious muscles and chiseled cheekbones and searing glares beats the heart of a heartless devil.
I could no sooner fall in love with a guy who treats me like a kid, and judges me at every opportunity, and sets an army of garden gnomes loose on my yard, than I could fall in love with my grandfather’s pet parrot.
But I can definitely annoy him. I can one hundred percent get on board with annoying him.
That’s what you do when you don’t like your neighbor, right?
But you know what they say about love and hate…
It’s a very thin line.
Especially when the real reason I’m not in love with Max Cole—that he’s incapable of love—might not be true at all.
The Grumpy Player Next door is a fun-filled enemies-to-lovers romcom featuring a ray of sunshine on a mission, an athlete who’s only grouchy around her, and an epic prank gone wrong. It stands alone and comes complete with small-town shenanigans, a goat who’s not nearly as wise as his name suggests, and proof that sometimes, love is the best kind of vengeance.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Bang Laugh Love Inc

Year: 2021

Nº of pages: 362

Goodreads rate: 4,39

Tropes: Brother’s best friend, Enemies to Lovers, Grumpy and Sunshine, Neighbor, Sports Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders

 

Main characters: Max, Tillie Jean

Main conflict: Tillie Jean is Max’s best friend’s sister, so she is off-limits and Max values his relationship with Cooper too much to risk it. 

Pacing: Fast

Mood: Deep, Easy, Fun, Sweet

Hero: Cinnamon Roll Hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Deep

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: 2021

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 This hero is so good! He had a horrible past and he is trying to figure things out now. He has panic attacks, he has deep trauma and deep scars that are controlling his life to this day, he is in a career that can end at any minute and that consumes him and his friendship with Cooper might be in danger if he can’t control his feelings for Tillie Jean. And Tillie is also trying to figure her things out. She has choices that she made and her future to decide and all of that scares her and she doubts herself and her decisions all the time, but she is always happy and has the image of positivity. 

These two are constantly making the other better and that is so cute. 

We have mental health issues, which I love, and reality about professional sports that not all books talk about. 

Adjectives and general thoughts: Sweet, laugh out loud funny, but deep and interesting. And the small town happening in the background? I need more from Shipwreck!!! 

Recommend this to People who love a deep story with a grumpy hero, that is actually a softy, an incredibly strong and amazing heroine, and a small town that makes you laugh and swoon at the same time.

Jock Blocked

(Copper Valley Fireballs #1)

by Pippa Grant

She can’t let him score…
Call it superstition, but when a guy bats as hot as Brooks Elliott, you don’t mess with what’s working. And what’s working is him keeping his pants zipped and doing all of his scoring on the field.
So when I hear he’s planning to ditch his V-card now that he’s been traded to baseball’s lovable losers — aka my home team and my reason for living every March through October — I do what any rational, dedicated, obsessed fan would do.
I make a plan to stop him.
But the thing about stopping him is that it requires spending time with him.
Lots. And lots. And lots of time.
And the more time I spend with him, the more I like him. Not as the guy who’s going to help save my favorite team and finally bring home a championship ring, but as the guy who’s helping me in my quest to bring back the team’s old mascot. Who also loves making pancake and bacon sandwiches. And who would do almost anything for his love of the game.
But after all this time of jock-blocking him… do I even have a chance?
And if I do, are we both destined to a life of celibacy in the name of winning?
Jock Blocked is a home run of a romantic comedy featuring the world’s most superstitious sports fan, baseball’s oldest virgin hero, a rogue meatball, an adorable puppy with a cussing problem, and the best lovable losers. It stands alone and comes with a happily ever after more satisfying than a game-winning grand slam.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Indie

Year: 2020

Goodreads rate: 4,30

Tropes: Girls in Sports, Small Town Romance, Sports Romance, Virgin Hero

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

 

Main characters: Brooks, Mackenzie

Main conflict: Brooks can’t lose his virginity, or else his game is going to suffer and his new team, The Fireballs, will suffer too. Mackenzie can’t have that. So she is going to do everything to c**k block him, but can she really be away from him? Will she risk her favorite’s teams championship over this man?

Pacing: Fast

Mood: Easy, Fun, Sweet

Hero: Cinnamon Roll Hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Deep

Diverse Cast: Mackenzie’s adoptive parents are drag queens

Read in: 2021

 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 Well, we all know I love a virgin hero! And this one actually has an explanation for it besides “I fell in love in high school and never had sex for 10 years” and we have a CRAZY heroine who is amazing. She will get everything she wants, no matter what it takes and she is funny, and she has her past and her own reasons. And Brooks also has his traumas, his superstitions, and his problems to solve. 

Adjectives and general thoughts: Funny and sweet and easy. Again, the secondary characters are everything!

Recommend this to People who love a virgin hero and a crazy amazing heroine. 

 

These were all the books I read in October! I was really happy with all the books I read this month. Have you read any of them? Did you like them? Do you agree with me? If not you can tell me so too! 

Well, that is all for today, I hope you like this post, hope you enjoy these books if you decide to read them. Feel free to leave your opinion about it in the comments and I will see you next time! 

Bye sassy people! 

 

  • I know that some comments I make about decent guys on my posts are the bare minimum a guy should do, so no, they don’t deserve to be treated like gods for doing the minimum, but at the same time, I’ve read a lot of sexist books and I appreciate authors who make characters that can serve as role models and examples of how a decent guy acts and what a loving and respectful relationship looks like. I believe we should always encourage these authors and bring attention to the ones that still write sexist characters and stories. 
  • I make a lot of comments about sexism and healthy role models in books, but a lot of times these characteristics don’t make the book a bad book and definitely don’t make the author a bad author. Please never shame these authors and these books for these comments, I simply feel that we need to have awareness of the less than ideal situations some books bring us, and not use the romanticized problem as examples of what a relationship should be. Most of these authors are still amazing, and the content they write doesn’t reflect directly with their personal views and opinions. Always make sure to respect and be kind to everyone, even while criticizing their content. 

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Meet Me

Meet Me

Brazilian architecture student and book lover

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Books I read in September 2021

Books I read in September 2021

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!! 

This post may contain affiliate links for products and services I recommend. If you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission. 

Hello sassy people! 

Today I’m going to tell you guys about all the books I read in September of 2021! I discovered a new author and I read all the books I could find by her!!!

For the Record

(Record #3)

by K.A. Linde

With Congressman Brady Maxwell up for reelection and journalist Liz Dougherty about to graduate into a promising career, the ambitious couple’s future is brighter than ever. They share a passion for their work…and for each other. But when Brady holds a press conference to officially introduce Liz as his girlfriend, reporters hungry for a scandal bombard her. Now, her every move is under a vicious magnifying glass, and her life feels like it’s falling apart.

On the road to reelection, the passionate bond between the congressman and the journalist gets tested at every stop. Threatened by shameless media sensationalism and jealous exes, Brady and Liz now have to learn to trust each other despite what they read in the papers.

I started the month by finishing the “Off the Record” trilogy. There are two more books, but they were about other couples, and I had gotten in a reading slump over this series, so I decided to read something else and come back later.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Year: 2014

Nº of pages: 352

Goodreads rate: 4,25

Tropes: Age Gap Romance, Political Romance, Reporter Romance, Secret Relationship

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

 

Main characters: Brady and Liz

Main conflict: Braddy is up for re-election and his relationship with Liz can put everything that they both worked hard for at risk.

Pacing: Slow

Mood: Hot and complicated

Hero: Alpha Hero

Plot or character-driven: Mix

P.O.V.: Single P.O.V., Third-person narration

Character development: Shallow

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 3/5 Through out this whole series I felt that Liz and her job, was shadowed by Braddy, and that is not exactly Braddy’s fault, I sincerely liked him in this third book, but there is a very big power imbalance between the two of them. 

Adjectives and general thoughts: Interesting, a good ending to the trilogy

Recommend this to People who like cliffhangers (since is a trilogy), and who like alpha males who bend for their heroines. 

 

Repeat

(Larsen Bros #1)

by Kylie Scott

When a vicious attack leaves 25-year-old Clementine Johns with no memory, she’s forced to start over. Now she has to figure out who she was and why she made the choices she did – which includes leaving the supposed love of her life, tattoo artist Ed Larsen, only a month before.

Ed can hardly believe it when his ex shows up at his tattoo parlor with no memory of their past, asking about the breakup that nearly destroyed him. The last thing he needs is more heartache, but he can’t seem to let her go again. Should they walk away for good, or does their love deserve a repeat performance?

I found this book because of a photo challenge I participated in on Instagram and when I read the synopsis I had to stop everything and read this book! I’m glad I did because it was worth it!

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Indie

Year: 2019

Nº of pages: 304

Goodreads rate: 4,11

Tropes: Amnesia Romance, Second chance romance, Tattoo Artist, Tattooed hero

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Blood, Sexual Content, Violence

 

Main characters: Clementine and Ed

Main conflict: Clem lost her memory and is now trying to get back to her normal life, with the help of Ed, her ex-boyfriend. Problem is, they broke up for a reason and Clem is finding out more and more that she is not who she was anymore. There’s also someone attacking Clem, so that’s scary for her too. (the small sub-plot about the attacker gives a lot of balance and justifications to the whole story)

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Hot and complicated

Hero: Ster Brunch Daddy

Plot or character-driven: Mix

P.O.V.: Single P.O.V.

Character development: Good

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 5/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 I love Clem’s search for independence and of who she is. I love the deep meanings in this book and the parallels we can make with this crazy (not so realistic) story. I love that she doesn’t want to only believe what her sister tells her and goes after her own pieces of information. She wants to defend herself, she takes self-defense classes! I love that! And I loved to analyze her former self and her new self, how she can observe her own life and judge her life choices, almost like an outsider. I also loved that she was able to set boundaries for Ed at the beginning of their relationship, we don’t see a lot of boundaries in romance/real life! (It was a mistake to go back and read my notes and highlights for this part, because now I’m remembering all the amazing things about this book, so I’ll stop here and make a review post only for this book)

Adjectives and general thoughts: Different, interesting, lovely, innovative, and it gives us (or at least me) a lot of places to analyze a lot of things (so, just my kind of book!)

Recommend this to Anyone who loves a second chance, anyone who is interested in analyzing the book, themselves, society, this might be awesome without all the analyzing too, but I loved it in every aspect

 

Pause

(Larsen Bros #2)

by Kylie Scott

When Anna wakes up from a coma after a car crash, she discovers life has gone on without her. Her husband has been unfaithful—with her best friend—and she’s been long since replaced at work. While her old life is a distant memory, her new life feels like an empty shell. Then she meets the stranger who saved her life during the crash, and he changes everything.

Leif Larsen—tattooist, joker, and player—has his own scars thanks to the crash that put Anna in a coma. Helping her move on from her failed marriage, and create a new life, sounds like a perfect distraction. So when he needs a new roommate, he invites Anna to begin her new life with him.

Although their lives may have been put on pause, together they just might find a way to heal.

When I started “Repeat” I didn’t know it was a duology, but when I discovered… I had to read this book, and this completely derailed my month’s hopefuls, but it was worth it!

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Indie

Year: 2021

Nº of pages: 194

Goodreads rate: 3,90

Tropes: Cheating Ex, Coma Romance, Divorced, Friends to Lovers, Mental Health, Roommates, Tattoo Artist, Tattooed hero

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Car accident, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Violence

 

Main characters: Anna and Leif

Main conflict: After a car accident, Anna’s in a coma for months, her husband cheats on her and she meets Leif, the guy who was in the accident with her, and he helps her move on with her life. 

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Hot and complicated

Hero: Beta Hero

Plot or character-driven: Mix

P.O.V.: Single P.O.V.

Character development: Good

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 This book had a very appealing premise, the fact that Anna woke up to her husband having moved on with his life was a very real and very understandable trauma, beyond all the rest of the trauma of being in a car accident and a coma for months. All her life plans go to space and she has to figure EVERYTHING out. So I love that this book talks about her, taking control of her own life, moving on, finding new things, seeing her old life in a new way and deciding to do things differently, and also giving value to things that seemed meaningless before. I also love to see Leif’s trauma. (It sounds horrible but) I love to see a hero who has some mental health issues, and he deals with them. I love how honest Leif is and how he just say “let’s hug it out” and it makes everything better. He apologizes for interrupting her! That’s a win in my book. I also love their feminist analysis of Twilight. And last, but definitely not least, one of my favorite parts of this book was the “I’m not going to suffer in polite silence anymore”, I just adore that!

Adjectives and general thoughts: Again, the premise was amazing and this book had incredible points, as I just mentioned on my very long rant on the feminist rate, but it also disappointed me. I expected more of the book, something more like Repeat, relationship-wise. I think that Clem and Ed had a lot more conflict in their relationship and Lief and Anna, even though separately they have great stories, there’s nothing that separates them, so their relationship was a lot less interesting to read, even though their situation, as people, had incredible potential.

Recommend this to Who loves a cute and sarcastic hero, and a heroine who is taking control over her life, and also, if the trope of post coma story interested you, go for it, you’ll probably love it! 

Love Under Quarantine

by Kylie Scott and Audrey Carlan

While the world is ravaged by a global pandemic, hotshot NFL running back Evan Sparks is locked in his own personal hell. With a career-ending scandal on his back, Evan hides out in his best friend’s empty San Francisco home, the full city shutdown locking him in a lonely twenty-story apartment in the sky.

Romance writer Sadie Walsh is having the worst case of writer’s block ever…until the incredible, muscular stranger staying next door gets her muse going strong. The pair of loners, never expecting to find a friend in all the madness, meet each day out on their balconies like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet.

Each new day brings unique challenges for the pair as they navigate the unknown and find solace together. They quickly figure out that as long as they have one another, they can handle anything.

Even falling in love under quarantine.

When I saw Repeat on Goodreads I saw this one too and I got so excited to read a book in pandemic reality! Unfortunately it didn’t reach my expectations…

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Indie

Year: 2020

Nº of pages: 275

Goodreads rate: 3,64

Tropes: COVID Quarantine Romance, Football Romance, Instalove, Neighbor, Sports Romance, Writers in Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

 

Main characters: Evan and Sadie

Main conflict: They are neighbors in the middle of the COVID 19 lockdown 

Pacing: Fast

Mood: Too fast for my taste

Hero: Alpha Hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Shallow

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 3/5

Feminist rate: 3/5 The hero grates my nerves, he is one of the winiest people I’ve ever read, and the insta love part really disappointed me, like I know, they are in Quarantine, but come on! And also, they are neighbors, who see each other on the window, it’s not exactly a forced proximity trope, they don’t need to see each other at all. I guess I was expecting a lot more and I just didn’t receive it. I liked the heroine but didn’t love her. I didn’t read anything remarkable.

Adjectives and general thoughts: Again, this premise had a lot of potentials, I just think it was executed poorly. I think the coolest part for me was reading this story, knowing how the world is 2 years after their time frame, but that’s all. If this book didn’t have COVID in it, I would honestly not like it much, there would be no story at all. 

Recommend this to people who love insta love, don’t really care about character development, and enjoy a douchy hero who gets better way too fast to be believable.

Lick

(Stage Dive #1)

by Kylie Scott

Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this.

Evelyn Thomas’s plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man in her room, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened.

One thing is certain, being married to one of the hottest rock stars on the planet is sure to be a wild ride.

I first heard about this book in a Fated Mates podcast episode, and then it appeared on a photo challenge I was participating in on Instagram, so when I saw that Kylie Scott wrote some good books I decided to leave my hopefuls list behind and read this series.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Momentum

Year: 2013

Nº of pages: 286

Goodreads rate: 4,09

Tropes: Celebrity Romance, Drunk in Vegas Romance, Instalove, Married in Vegas Romance, Rock Star Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Addiction, Drug Abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual Content

 

Main characters: David and Evelyn

Main conflict: After waking up in Vegas, married to a man she doesn’t remember, Ev needs to decide if they get a divorce or not, only he is a rock star and he is hot and she instantly falls for him, so….. (Oh and he has a past with his ex…. so)

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Hot and complicated

Hero: Alpha Hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Single P.O.V.

Character development: Shallow

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 3/5

Feminist rate: 3/5 this girl has no one she really trusts, there is assault when a friend of the hero kisses her, without consent, there is instalove and I just hate that, the hero doesn’t know how to deal with his feeling and baggage and he is not honest with her, until he f*** up and he comes back crawling. I can’t even count in one hand how many times I wrote: “You’ve known him for TWO F****ING DAYS” in the notes of this book. And last, but definitely not least, when she is mad at him, they bang. That for me is just stupid.

Adjectives and general thoughts: Disappointed really, and annoyed at the instalove.

Recommend this to People who like instalove, rock star romance, and people who bang instead of having a conversation

Play

(Stage Dive #2)

by Kylie Scott

Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl.

Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

Despite not having loved Lick, it was a cool book and I knew what Kylie could write, so I never lost hope in her books, and my perseverance was rewarded. 

 Genre: Romance

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Year: 2014

Nº of pages: 294

Goodreads rate: 4,27

Tropes: Celebrity Romance, Fake dating, Fake relationship, Rock Star Romance, Roommates

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Sexual Content

 

Main characters: Anne and Mal

Main conflict: Anne and Mal move in together to solve their problems, but they obviously fall for each other, but Mal has some problem he needs to learn how to deal with.

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Hot and complicated

Hero: Alpha Hero, Sarcastic Hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Single P.O.V.

Character development: Good

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 5/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 I love Mal, I love his boundaries talk (even though he oversteps boundaries all the time), I love that they have a sex scene where she doesn’t climax (which is much more realistic than the multiples most books portrait) but Mal fixes that after the sex. I love how Mal asks her for help when he is not in a good place mentally and again (it sounds bad) but I love a hero who is struggling mentally.  

Adjectives and general thoughts: Sweet, extremely funny, sexy, and it is an almost insta love story, but compared to the other stories in this series, it is completely okay.

Recommend this to People who love a sarcastic, sexy, funny hero, with a heart of gold and a very filthy mouth 

 

Lead

(Stage Dive #3)

by Kylie Scott

As the lead singer of Stage Dive, Jimmy is used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, whether it’s booze, drugs, or women. However, when a PR disaster serves as a wake-up call about his life and lands him in rehab, he finds himself with Lena, a new assistant to keep him out of trouble.

Lena’s not willing to take any crap from the sexy rocker and is determined to keep their relationship completely professional, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when Jimmy pushes her too far and Lena leaves, he realizes that he may just have lost the best thing that ever happened to him.

I was not so patiently waiting for this book, ever since I met Jimmy in the first book, and it was worth the wait.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Year: 2014

Nº of pages: 305

Goodreads rate: 4,28

Tropes: Alcoholic, Celebrity Romance, Mental Health, Redemption story, Rock Star Romance, Roommates, Sober companion

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Ableism, Addiction, Drug Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Sexual Content

 

Main characters: Jimmy and Lena

Main conflict: Jimmy doesn’t believe he can love or feel anything at all, but Lena falls for him over their professional relationship. 

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Hot and complicated

Hero: Alpha Hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Single P.O.V.

Character development: Deep

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 4/5 I believe that my rate here is just 4/5 because Jimmy is mean at some points, he is so convinced that he is unlovable he is mean to her. But if you understand his point of view (we won’t forgive, and we won’t forget) but his story, and his struggles, they make this entire book, and they are amazing to read! I think that substance abuse is a very serious topic, and Kylie handled it (in my very humble option) very well, and it made me want to read more books with this trope.

Adjectives and general thoughts: Heavy, incredibly interesting, deep, and in the end sweet.

Recommend this to people who like a suffering hero, who like heavy and deep stories, who are okay with hard topics and are willing to overlook some emotional abuse and some workplace harassment

Deep

(Stage Dive #4)

by Kylie Scott

 

Positive. With two little lines on a pregnancy test, everything in Lizzy Rollins’ ordinary life is about to change forever. And all because of one big mistake in Vegas with Ben Nicholson, the irresistibly sexy bass player for Stage Dive. So what if Ben’s the only man she’s ever met who can make her feel completely safe, cherished, and out of control with desire at the same time? Lizzy knows the gorgeous rock star isn’t looking for anything more permanent than a good time, no matter how much she wishes differently.

Ben knows Lizzy is off limits. Completely and utterly. She’s his best friend’s little sister now, and no matter how hot the chemistry is between them, no matter how sweet and sexy she is, he’s not going to go there. But when Ben is forced to keep the one girl he’s always had a weakness for out of trouble in Sin City, he quickly learns that what happens in Vegas, doesn’t always stay there. Now he and Lizzie are connected in the deepest way possible… but will it lead to a connection of the heart?

This was also a book that I was super excited about and it started on a trope I love, but I couldn’t be more disapointed

Genre: Romance

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Year: 2015

Nº of pages: 271

Goodreads rate: 4,05

Tropes: Celebrity Romance, Drunk in Vegas Romance, Pregnant, Rock Star Romance, Surprise Baby, Surprise pregnancy

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Pregnancy, Sexual Content

 

Main characters: Ben and Lizzy

Main conflict: Surprise pregnancy with an asshole who never wanted to settle down

Pacing: Medium

Mood: Hot and complicated, I didn’t like it

Hero:  Alpha Hero, Asshole hero

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Single P.O.V.

Character development: Shallow

Diverse Cast: Nope

Read in: 2021

 

 

My Rate: 2/5

Feminist rate: SPOILERS AND A VERY ANGRY RANT (I’M SORRY) 1/5 This is a book about a girl who sleeps with a very immature man, and gets pregnant. This girl gives up all her dreams and goals and pursuits an asshole who through the whole book, never cleans up his act (not even at the end) and fixes things by making a very half-assed public declaration. 

Adjectives and general thoughts: I was deeply disappointed in this book and Ben is one of the very few heroes that I HATE. 

Recommend this to (I have very strong, negative feelings over this whole story, but I know a lot of people who loved it so…..) give it a try if you like surprise pregnancy (which I love, the trope was not my problem with the story), rock bands and I can’t think of anything else cool, but read the tropes, it might be your kind of book. 

These were all the books I read in September! There were some great books this month and some not-so-great, so it was an interesting month! Have you read any of these? Did you like them? Do you agree with me? If not you can tell me so too! 

Well, that is all for today, I hope you like this post, hope you enjoy these books if you decide to read them. Feel free to leave your opinion about it in the comments and I will see you next time! 

Bye sassy people! 

 

  • I know that some comments I make about decent guys on my posts are the bare minimum a guy should do, so no, they don’t deserve to be treated like gods for doing the minimum, but at the same time, I’ve read a lot of sexist books and I appreciate authors who make characters that can serve as role models and examples of how a decent guy acts and what a loving and respectful relationship looks like. I believe we should always encourage these authors and bring attention to the ones that still write sexist characters and stories. 
  • I make a lot of comments about sexism and healthy role models in books, but a lot of times these characteristics don’t make the book a bad book and definitely don’t make the author a bad author. Please never shame these authors and these books for these comments, I simply feel that we need to have awareness of the less than ideal situations some books bring us, and not use the romanticized problem as examples of what a relationship should be. Most of these authors are still amazing, and the content they write doesn’t reflect directly with their personal views and opinions. Always make sure to respect and be kind to everyone, even while criticizing their content. 

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Meet Me

Brazilian architecture student and book lover

One of my goals in analysing my readings was to talk about important topics, like feminist and consent, because literature, art and culture influence us, and I believe we should always encorage authors who talk about this topics.

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Books I read in August 2021

Books I read in August 2021

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!! 

This post may contain affiliate links for products and services I recommend. If you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission. 

Hello sassy people!
Today I’m gonna tell you guys about the books I read in August 2021, and introduce you guys to my new “system” for reviewing.
Before I used to just write down a small text with what I liked about a book, but since I’m an architecture college student, I normally don’t have time or energy to write down my opinions as soon as I finish a book, so when I finally sit to write my reviews I don’t really remember everything from the book. So here is my new system, which is basically the most important information about a book. I’ll make a post detailing it later on, but for now, I’m really happy with the outcome and I believe it is going to make writing easier for me!
But let’s talk about my reads this month! I spent two months reading Penny Reid, and apparently, I don’t want to stop, so I read 5 more books by her.

Engagement and Espionage

(Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries #1)

by Penny Reid

 

Jennifer Sylvester made her deal with the devil . . . and now they’re engaged!

But all is not well in Green Valley. A chicken choker is on the loose, 61 dead birds most “fowl” need plucking, and no time remains for Jennifer and her devilish fiancé. Desperate to find a spare moment together, Jenn and Cletus’s attempts to reconnect are thwarted by one seemingly coincidental disaster after another. It’s not long before Cletus and Jenn see a pattern emerge and the truth becomes clear.

Sabotage!

Will an undercover mission unmask the culprit? Or are these love-birds totally plucked?

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Cipher-Naught

Year: 2020

Nº of pages: 351

Goodreads rate: 4,21

Tropes: Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Romance Family, Small Town Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 3/5 (sex on the page)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Animal Cruelty, Animal Death, Domestic Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Physical Abuse, Sexual Content

 

Main characters: Jenn and Cletus

Main conflict: A series of mysteries stall their relationship and its progress

Plot or character-driven: Mix 

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V. 

Character development: Deep

Diverse Cast: No

Read in: August 2021

My Rate: 5/5 

Feminist rate: 5/5 (The development of Jenn as a strong woman is the main plot point and Cletus is an amazing, very respectful guy)

Adjectives and general thoughts: Lovely mysterious 

Recommend this to People who love mystery and slow burn

Marriage and Murder

(Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries #2)

by Penny Reid

 

The Devil is in the details . . .

Cletus Byron Winston wishes to marry Jennifer Anne Donner-Sylvester (aka The Banana Cake Queen) posthaste! He’s spent the last year wanting nothing more than for the celebrations to be brief, libations flowing, and BYOB (bring your own blueberries). His future mother-in-law has other plans, plans his intended has been willing to indulge, much to Cletus’s chagrin. Therefore, so must he. To a point. But truth be told, he wouldn’t mind if the meddlesome matriarch disappeared, at least until the nuptials are over.

On the night of Cletus and Jenn’s long-awaited engagement party, just when the surly schemer is of a mind to take matters into his own hands, a shocking event upends everyone’s best laid plans and sends the small hamlet of Green Valley into complete disarray. The final months leading up to Cletus and Jenn’s matrimonial bliss are plagued with chaos and uncertainty. Will Cletus and Jenn finally make it to the altar? Or will murder and mayhem derail their happily-ever-after?

And most importantly, who done it?

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Cipher-Naught 

Year: 2021

Nº of pages: 374

Goodreads rate: 4,40

Tropes: Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Romance Family, Small Town Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 3/5 (sex on the page)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Murder, Sexual Content

Main characters: Jenn and Cletus 

Main conflict: A murder happens and Cletus + Jenn need to solve it, again derailing their plans for their relationship.

Plot or character-driven: Mix

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V. 

Character development: Deep 

Diverse Cast: No

Read in: August 2021 

My Rate: 5/5 

Feminist rate: 5/5 (Again, the main plot is Jenn, setting boundaries, becoming more and more independent, and dealing with the abusive relationship with her parents.)

Adjectives and general thoughts: Lovely mysterious

Recommend this to People who love mystery

A Beardy Bonus: Bonus and deleted scenes from the Winston Brothers Series

(Winston Brothers #8)

by Penny Reid

All the Winston Brothers bonus scenes and deleted excerpts all in one place! This collection includes:

 

Extra Scene: Billy and Scarlet
A Winston Christmas
Beauty and the Beard
Deleted Scene: Truth or Beard
Deleted Scene: Grin and Beard It
Deleted Scene: Beard in Mind
Duane’s Letter to Beau
Cletus’s Letter to Santa
Duane’s Letter to Jess
Billy’s Letter to Scarlet
Pie in the Beard
Beard in Waiting
A Very Beardy Christmas
Beard and Hen

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Cipher-Naught

Year: 2020

Nº of pages: 141

Goodreads rate: 3,98 

Tropes: Contemporary Romance, Romance Family, Small Town Romance

Smut factor: No smut

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

Main characters: The Winston Brothers and their partners

Main conflict: No conflict, just a lot of cute extra scenes

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Multiple P.O.V.

Character development: Relays on other books

Diverse Cast: Yes (Latinx) 

Read in: August 2021

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 4/5 (Nothing Remarkable, but nothing bad)

Adjectives and general thoughts: Cute

Recommend this to People who love extra scenes

Just Folking Around

(Good Folk: Modern Folktales #0.5)

by Penny Reid

 

One night? No strings? A sexy game of chess? No problem.

If you’ve never read a Penny Reid book before, this is the place to start! An all new series starter snack from the author of the WINSTON BROTHERS and KNITTING IN THE CITY series. . .

Raquel Ezra loves to fish. With so many fish in the sea, she’s never had a problem baiting the hook or reeling them in. Raquel is a good actress, she can be anyone’s fantasy for a single night as long as they agree to be hers. Which is why she doesn’t think twice about spending an evening in nowhere Tennessee with a smokin’ hot, well-mannered, and intriguing sheriff’s deputy by the name of Jackson James.

Except, when the time comes, Raquel discovers that reality might just be better than any fantasy, and maybe she’s not ready to release this catch.

 

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Cipher-Naught

Year: 2021

Nº of pages: 68

Goodreads rate: 4,24

Tropes: Contemporary Romance, Cop Romance, Movie Star/Actress-Actor Romance, Romance Family, Small Town Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 3/5 (sex on the page)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Sexual Content

Main characters: Raquel and Jackson

Main conflict: Raquel is afraid of commitment and Jackson needs it, he is tired of the single life and wants to settle down. 

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Good

Diverse Cast: Yes (Latinx)

Read in: August 2021 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 (Raquel is strong and forward and funny, while Jackson is a cinnamon roll, and both of them have struggles, so I loved it)

Adjectives and general thoughts: Fun and sweet, but also deep. This book is a prequel to Totally Folked, so my thoughts about them are exactly the same

Recommend this to People who love book series

Totally Folked

(Good Folk: Modern Folktales #1)

by Penny Reid

One unforgettable night leads to an unlikely shared connection, and unlikely connections never go unnoticed by the good folks in Green Valley, Tennessee…

Jackson James follows the rules. He has to. He’s a sheriff’s deputy in a super small town with a super big personality. However, strict adherence to the law during the day has been enjoyably balanced by rakish rules at night. Jackson, typically happy to protect and serve (and serve, and serve), starts questioning the value of wayward evenings when getting laid starts to feel more like being waylaid. Could it be that Green Valley’s most eligible—and notorious—bachelor longs for something (and someone) real?

Mega movie star Raquel Ezra follows only one rule: always leave them wanting more. Studio execs, reporters, audiences, fans, lovers—no one can get enough of the smart, savvy, and sexy bombshell. But when “generous offers” begin to feel more like excessive demands, years of always leaving has the elusive starlet longing for something (and perhaps someone) lasting.

When Raquel abruptly returns to the quirky Tennessee hamlet, her path crosses with the delectable deputy with whom she spent one unforgettable night. Unfortunately, scandal and intrigue soon follow. Raquel and Jackson must decide which is more important: following their rules? Or, at long last, finding something real.

 

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Cipher-Naught

Year: 2021

Nº of pages: 444

Goodreads rate: 4,26

Tropes: Contemporary Romance, Cop Romance, Movie Star/Actress-Actor Romance, Romance Family, Small Town Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 3/5 (sex on the page)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Abandonment, Homophobia, Sexual Content, Toxic Friendship

 

Main characters: Raquel and Jackson

Main conflict: Raquel is afraid of commitment and Jackson needs it, he is tired of the single life and wants to settle down. 

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Deep

Diverse Cast: Yes (Latinx)

Read in: August 2021 

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 5/5 (Raquel is strong and forward and funny, while Jackson is a cinnamon roll, and both of them have struggles, so I loved it, also in this book, we get a scene of Jethro and Cletus helping Jackson in a time of need, and forming a friendship that is hard to see in books and society, because of toxic masculinity and the notion that men can’t talk about their feelings, and last but not least, as a Latina, I love seeing other Latinx characters in page) 

Adjectives and general thoughts: Fun and sweet, but also deep

Recommend this to People who love deep romances

Then I was scrolling through bookstagram and saw the blurb of this book and an awesome photo, and I decided to check out…
But I DNFed.

Stripped Down

(Sonoma #1)

by Mae Harden

Olive

Baking is my thing. Bachelorette parties are not. Surprise strippers even less so. But I’m almost positive this guy isn’t really a stripper, and if he is, he’s pretty bad at it.

On the other hand, he’s very, very good at kissing. And maybe I shouldn’t have goaded him into doing it, but it’s not like I’ll ever see him again. At least I’ll have something to fantasize about when I’m baking muffins tomorrow morning.

Brooks

Contractor. Loner. Stripper? Not usually, but I’ll do anything to get the Bachelorette party in the room next door to settle down. All I wanted was a good night’s sleep. I never expected my entire world to shift when she opened the hotel door with her wide green eyes and sweet vanilla scent. Now that I’ve had a taste, I can’t let her go. I just have to find a way to break down her walls.

Genre: Romance

Year: 2020

Nº of pages: 162

Goodreads rate: 4,14

Tropes: Contemporary Romance

Smut factor: Don’t know (DNF)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

Main characters: Olive and Brooks

Main conflict: Almost a one night stand (who stripped in front of you) is now your contractor

Plot or character-driven: Have no idea

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: None

Diverse Cast: No

Read in: August 2021

My Rate: 2/5 DNF

Feminist rate: Don’t have one

Adjectives and general thoughts: Poor writing and no development. This is an insta story, insta love, insta hate, insta lust, no development, and poor writing. 

Recommend this to People who love insta love

Since Stripped Down didn’t work and I was seeing Max Monroe all over the place I decided to read a book with the same plot, but by two authors that I trusted to write a better book.

 The Bet

(Winslow Brothers #1)

by Max Monroe

When it comes to life’s fun and games, always know: The rules. What’s at stake. When to quit.

Wise words from…well…my fortune cookie. But wise words, nonetheless. I just wish the Fortune Cookie People had considered how hard the whole “knowing when to quit” would be to carry out when a woman like me is gambling with her feelings.

Heart-palpitating, vageen-tingling, butterflies-in-my-belly feelings for a noncommittal, hot-as-sin player by the name of Jude Winslow. After a crazy night where we were both pretending to be someone else, I’ve found myself immersed in the fun of the fling. The thrill. The irresistible charm. The pleasure of being with a man like him.

Problem is, I’m positive he’s the exact opposite of husband material, and that is a serious issue for someone who is fixated on finding her happily ever after. I know the rules and I know the stakes, oh wise Fortune Cookie. Now I’d just like to know how close to self-destruction I have to get before I find the will to quit Jude Winslow.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Max Monroe LLC

Year: 2021

Nº of pages: 386 

Goodreads rate: 4,33

Tropes: Contemporary Romance, Twins in Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

Main characters: Jude and Sophie

Main conflict: Jude is a player (that’s pretty much it)

Plot or character-driven: Character Driven 

P.O.V.: Double P.O.V.

Character development: Shallow

Diverse Cast: No

Read in: August 2021

 

My Rate: 3/5

Feminist rate: 

Adjectives and general thoughts: Fun and light

Recommend this to People who love Playboys

I discovered this series during a reading challenge and the theme was political romance, and since this was one of the only KU books recently added to my TBR, I decided to give it a shot.

Off the Record

(Record #1)

by K.A. Linde

Liz Dougherty has no idea a single question is about to change her life.

Her first big reporting assignment for her North Carolina college newspaper has her covering a state senator’s impromptu press conference. Brady Maxwell may have everything it takes to be a politician—a winning pedigree, devastating good looks, a body made to wear suits—but his politics rub Liz the wrong way. When Liz’s hard-hitting question catches the upstart senator off-guard, it impresses Hayden Lane, Liz’s editor who feels she’s headed for a promising career as a reporter.

But Liz is also headed into a secret romance with Brady that could destroy both their ambitions. Though he’s a bachelor, potential voters might frown on Brady cozying up to a reporter. And Liz isn’t sure sneaking around is enough for her—especially when things between her and Hayden might be less platonic than she thought.

Sleek, sexy, and smart, Off the Record ventures into a high-stakes campaign and an even higher-stakes affair to answer the question: When politics and love collide, can there ever be a winner?

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Year: 2014 

Nº of pages: 445 

Goodreads rate: 4,04 

Tropes: Age Gap Romance, Contemporary Romance, Love Triangle, Political Romance, Reporter Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): No content Warnings According to StoryGraph

Main characters: Liz and Brady 

Main conflict: Brady is a politician, Liz is a college paper reporter in the political division, so their relationship is not the most ethical and it can endanger both of their careers. 

Plot or character-driven: Mix

P.O.V.: Single P.O.V. 

Character development: Shallow

Diverse Cast: No 

Read in: August 2021

My Rate: 4/5

Feminist rate: 3/5 (This relationship has some dangerous power dynamics, no communication, close to a toxic relationship for a minute, but then it gets a bit better, and SPOILER, by the end she finally has a spine to take action into her own hands)

Adjectives and general thoughts: Really interesting

Recommend this to People who love Secret Relationship

On the Record

(Record #2)

by K.A. Linde

 

For political reporter Liz Dougherty, election day—a day of looking toward the future and saying goodbye to the past—seems like a fitting time to start a new relationship. But feelings for her former flame still linger…

The sexy second book in bestselling author K.A. Linde’s Record series decides whether it’s better to pick up the pieces and move on…or to pick up right where you left off.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Year: 2014

Nº of pages: 384

Goodreads rate: 4,15

Tropes: Age Gap Romance, Contemporary Romance, Love Triangle, Political Romance, Reporter Romance

Smut factor: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 4/5 (steamy)

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Based on StoryGraphs): Sexual Abuse/Rape on the page

Main characters: Liz, Brady, and Hayden

Main conflict: Brady is a politician, Liz is a college paper reporter in the political division, so their relationship is not the most ethical and it can endanger both of their careers. Liz is now in another relationship, but she is not over Brady

Plot or character-driven: Mix

P.O.V.: Single P.O.V.

Character development: Shallow

Diverse Cast: No

Read in: August 2021

My Rate: 3/5

Feminist rate: 3/5 (The man in Liz’s life are ridiculous, on many levels, and there is rape on the page)

Adjectives and general thoughts: Slow, but still interesting

Recommend this to People who love Love triangles

These were all the books I read in August! I was really happy with the number of books I read this month, since classes are back, and I believe overall it was a really good month, bookwise! Have you read any of them? Did you like them? Do you agree with me? If not you can tell me so too! 

Well, that is all for today, I hope you like this post, hope you enjoy these books if you decide to read them. Feel free to leave your opinion about it in the comments and I will see you next time! 

Bye sassy people! 

 

  • I know that some comments I make about decent guys on my posts are the bare minimum a guy should do, so no, they don’t deserve to be treated like gods for doing the minimum, but at the same time, I’ve read a lot of sexist books and I appreciate authors who make characters that can serve as role models and examples of how a decent guy acts and what a loving and respectful relationship looks like. I believe we should always encourage these authors and bring attention to the ones that still write sexist characters and stories. 
  • I make a lot of comments about sexism and healthy role models in books, but a lot of times these characteristics don’t make the book a bad book and definitely don’t make the author a bad author. Please never shame these authors and these books for these comments, I simply feel that we need to have awareness of the less than ideal situations some books bring us, and not use the romanticized problem as examples of what a relationship should be. Most of these authors are still amazing, and the content they write doesn’t reflect directly with their personal views and opinions. Always make sure to respect and be kind to everyone, even while criticizing their content. 

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Meet Me

Meet Me

Brazilian architecture student and book lover

One of my goals in analysing my readings was to talk about important topics, like feminist and consent, because literature, art and culture influence us, and I believe we should always encorage authors who talk about this topics.

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Books I read in July 2021

Books I read in July 2021

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!! 

This post may contain affiliate links for products and services I recommend. If you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission. 

Hello sassy people! Today I’m going to tell you guys about all the books I read in July 2021! I continued on my Penny Reid obsession this month, so get ready to hear a lot about her in the next months…

Beard Necessities

(Winston Brothers #7)

by Penny Reid

 

Billy Winston’s family is going to see him happy and in love if it’s the last thing they do.
No one deserves a happily-ever-after quite as much as the second oldest Winston brother and his lady love, Claire McClure (aka Scarlet St. Claire). Cruelty and circumstance tore them apart almost twenty years ago. Secrecy and bitterness kept them separated.
But you know who’s tired of their separation and stubbornness? Everyone. Especially Billy Winston’s family. And now they’re going to do something about it.
Well-meaning interference means the star-crossed lovers can’t stop tripping over each other in the hills of Tuscany, the catacombs of Rome, and the waterways of Venice. Billy and Claire find themselves thrown together and at the mercy of the Winston siblings’ shenanigans.
But will their forced proximity bring them together? Or push them even further apart?
This second-chance romance brings back the entire Winston gang, playing cupid in one last story of love, hi-jinks, and family collusion.

I have to say that I was waiting for this book for a long time! But I also have to say that it was not what I expected. Billy and Claire’s story was so epic and the suspense about it and the really long wait made it really special, but in the end, it was not my favorite. That is not to say that I didn’t like it, I liked it really much, it was just not all the hype I had in my head and it pales in comparison with other books in this series. Scarlet and Billy are a really cute couple, but they are both stubborn and not so great at communication. They are great at assuming things about the other, punishing themselves, and hiding things to protect the other person’s feelings. And let’s just make it clear that I don’t love 10-year separations, I don’t believe in them and I don’t like them, especially 10 years celibacy.
We have a really cute and emotional story, that at some points it’s really funny (those scenes often include Cletus or another Winston brother) and the ending is the perfect wrap-up for this amazing series.

General grade: 4/5 (Not much happens on the plot, it’s mostly a stubborn couple, on vacation with their mettlesome family and the main conflict is the lack of communication, and I don’t love books where the main problem could have been solved 10 years before in a simple honest conversation)

Feminist grade: 4/5 (The only problem I have with this couple is their dynamic like I said no communication, a lot of blaming, and childish behavior, but also we have a heroine who seeks psychological treatment and that helps a lot with their relationship, so we see a bit of progress, but it takes a long time, and I don’t see major changes, since it was such a simple problem)

Final grade: 8/10 (The story is cute, the characters are amazing and most of the awesome parts feature the family or a really cute moment between the couple, so overall pretty good, but not the best in the series)

Beauty and the Mustache

(Knitting in the City #4)

by Penny Reid

 

There are three things you need to know about Ashley Winston: 1) She has six brothers and they all have beards, 2) She is a reader, and 3) She knows how to knit.
Former beauty queen, Ashley Winston’s preferred coping strategy is escapism. She escaped her Tennessee small town, loathsome father, and six brothers eight years ago. Now she escapes life daily via her one-click addiction. However, when a family tragedy forces her to return home, Ashley can’t escape the notice of Drew Runous—local Game Warden, bear wrestler, philosopher, and everyone’s favorite guy. Drew’s irksome philosophizing in particular makes Ashley want to run for the skyscrapers, especially since he can’t seem to keep his exasperating opinions— or his soulful poetry, steadfast support, and delightful hands— to himself.
Pretty soon the girl who wanted nothing more than the escape of the big city finds she’s lost her heart in small town Tennessee.

I was also anxious about this book, since Ashley and Drew are present in most of the “Winston Brothers” series, and I already knew a bit about their personality and their relationship, but I have to say, this book was not what I was expecting. Drew is a big, quiet guy, he is a man of few words, cute moments with Ashley, and some poetic inspiration. While Ash is just an amazing, strong, opinionated woman. However, I still can’t understand the problem in their relationship. The main problem, your image, would be that she lives in the city, she loves Chicago, while Drew is a countryman, a Game Warden and nature is the place where he belongs. But that is not a major problem up until 60% or something. Before that, they simply don’t like each other, and that is a kind of problem for me, these are two people who are attracted to each other, and the way they deal with it is by antagonizing the other. Now, the situation they are in has a role in it, being that Ash’s mom is sick and Drew has a big role in her family’s dynamics, so that is a problem, but despite all the situation I still can’t understand where all the conflict is coming from. If you put that aside, the book has some amazing scenes, some truly funny and incredibly emotional scenes, all the characters, main or (especially) secondary, are amazing and the friendship and family moments are inspiring. I truly believe that Penny Reid’s biggest talent is building the relationships in her books, that being a romantic relationship, a friendship, or a family dynamic, her characters and their bond are always super developed.

General grade: 4/5 (Really well-developed characters and relationships with secondary characters, but the main relationship lacks that development.)

Feminist grade: 4/5 (Despite the fact that Ash is a super-strong, independent woman, with her own view of the world, I, sometimes, see Drew as a bit sexist, with opinions about females and their role in society and all, and that doesn’t sit well with me. Also, not a lot of communication with this couple, there is no clarity, they are rarely open about their feelings for each other)

Final grade: 8/10 (Cute, with some awesome moments, but again, after all the other books, this one was just not amazing)

Neanderthal Seeks Human

(Knitting in the City #1)

by Penny Reid

 

There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris:
1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved,
2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and
3) She doesn’t know how to knit.
After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can’t help wondering what new torment fate has in store.
To her utter mortification, Quinn Sullivan—aka Sir McHotpants—witnesses it all then keeps turning up like a pair of shoes you lust after but can’t afford. The last thing she expects is for Quinn to make her an offer she can’t refuse.

I have to be honest, I thought about quitting this book at least 4 times. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was not the writing or any problem with Penny Reid, but I just disliked Quinn so much, I wasn’t even excited to read his story anymore. In the beginning, he was quiet, but not in a cute wait, more in a sulky way, and he was always invading Janie’s personal space, had some small problems with consent, and was giving me too many Christian Grey vibes. I couldn’t stop thinking that most of the things he was doing with Janie would not be okay in the real world. He had no explicit consent from her, he did not know if she wanted to be close to him, so if we were not inside Janie’s head, and knew that she liked this guy, I would be accusing him of harassment. The things he did were not sexual, just being too close, touching her without asking, cornering her, taking her (uncontended) to his apartment, and also lying to her, they were all big red flags for me, and also Janie thought in more than one occasion that she was uncomfortable with his closeness but at the same happy about.
For all of those reasons I wanted to stop reading, but I loved other Penny Reid books, and I really wanted to continue reading the “Knitting in the City” series, and I was so excited about this book I decided to push through, and I have to say that I was happy I didn’t DNFed because it got better. We got to know Quinn more, and as he was falling for Janie he became better and better, cutter and cutter, and became an almost cool guy. But what makes up for all of Quinn’s flaws is Janie. She is just amazing, in a quirky, smart, real, and adorable way. She has personality to spare and she, alone, makes this book worth it. Of course, the rest of the book has positives too, but Janie is just precious.

General grade: 4/5 (The plot is not so structured, since is more focused on character’s development and journeys, but it has an honestly unnecessary action plot)

Feminist grade: 4/5 (As I said, a lot of problems with consent and harassment, but also has a really strong and independent female to compensate, so in the end is cool)

Final grade: 8/10 (The book by itself is okay, but Janie makes it special, and in the end, I ended up liking Quinn, so it all turned out okay)

Neanderthal Marries Human

(Knitting in the City #1.5)

by Penny Reid

 

There are three things you should know about Quinn Sullivan: 1) He is madly in love with Janie Morris, 2) He’s not above playing dirty to get what (or who) he wants, and 3) He doesn’t know how to knit.
After just five months of dating Janie, Quinn—former Wendell and unapologetic autocrat—is ready to propose marriage. In fact, he’s more than ready. If it were up to Quinn, he would efficiently propose, marry, and beget Janie with child all in the same day—thereby avoiding the drama and angst that accompanies the four stages of pre-matrimony: engagement, meeting the parents, bachelor/bachelorette party, and overblown, superfluous wedding day traditions.
But Janie, much to Quinn’s dismay, tosses a wrench in his efficacious endeavors and challenges him to prove his devotion by going through the matrimonial motions, no matter how minute and mundane.
Will Quinn last until the wedding day? Or will he yield to his tyrant impulses?

Remember all the bad things I said about Quinn five seconds ago? He made up for it in this book. He is just so cute and adorable, we get to know him more and he loves Janie so much, and since I love Janie so much, I started liking Quinn more too. And you know, Janie is her amazing, frenetic, quirky, smart, adorable self, so all is good in the world.

General grade: 5/5 (I loved the plot and it made for a different wedding planning book, with a lot of character development moments)

Feminist grade: 4/5 (I don’t know if I liked, or approved of the proposal the way it happened, I get that the scene was cute and all, but his desire to find a way for her to not escape was a bit difficult to me, but overall it was good and Quinn was a lot better)

Final grade: 9/10 (Cute, adorable, deep, and happy)

Friends Without Benefits

(Knitting in the City #2)

by Penny Reid

 

There are three things you need to know about Elizabeth Finney: 1) She suffers from severe sarcastic syndrome, especially when she’s unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her like Nico Manganiello, and 3) She knows how to knit.
Elizabeth Finney is almost always right about everything: the musical merits of boy bands are undervalued by society, “benefits” with human Ken dolls are better without friendship, and the sun has set on her once-in-a-lifetime chance for true love. But when Elizabeth’s plans for benefits without friendship are disarmed by the irritatingly charismatic and chauvinistic Nico Manganiello—her former nemesis—she finds herself struggling to maintain the electric fence around her heart while avoiding a Nico charisma-electrocution or, worse, falling in love.

Now, this was an interesting book. I love a female doctors, they are rare in romance and should appear more! I also love a comedian and these two are just amazing. They have a deep story, that affected both of them in really deep ways, a real problem to solve and some amazing scenes, incredible banter, and just the cutest moments. I honestly don’t have much to say, since it was simply great, had a simple but organized plot, we understand everyone’s motivations and emotions and the struggles they are going through, it was simple and lovely.

General grade: 4/5 (As I said, it was simple, it is not a book that will be remembered by its plot or any major conflicts, which is not a bad thing, it is just a really good and easy book)

Feminist grade: 5/5 (I love how strong and independent Elizabeth is and my favorite part of this entire book is Nico, telling her about moving on, saying that he had moved on, that life goes on after you lose someone and you have to go find a new love: “Boy A lost touch with girl A and he thought for a while that she was going to be it. That he was never going to find anyone else and that he was just going to be with girls S through Z and he knew that they were just placeholders, stand-ins for girl A… But then, one day, he met someone else. We’ll call her girl B (…) Boy A met girl B and fell in love with her” “Maybe boy A realized that you have to find happiness when and where you can, that falling in love isn’t a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Because, if it was a once in a lifetime thing, then he was doomed to be miserable at seventeen”. These two quotes are already enough to make me love a book, to make me believe in a book. A lot of romance books tell you that if your partner leaves you, you’ll die, and that he was your soulmate and that you are nothing without the other person, you need them, they are the LOVE OF YOUR LIFE, and I just love books that say the opposite, we have to find happiness wherever we can and love is choice made by you, not the universe)

Final grade: 9/10 (Real, magic, cute, lovely, and easy)

 

Love Hacked

(Knitting in the City #3)

by Penny Reid

 

There are three things you need to know about Sandra Fielding: 1) She makes all her first dates cry, 2) She hasn’t been kissed in over two years, and 3) She knows how to knit.
Sandra has difficulty removing her psychotherapist hat. Of her last 30 dates, 29 have ended the same way: the man sobbing uncontrollably. After one such disaster, Sandra gives in to a seemingly harmless encounter with her hot waiter, Alex. Argumentative, secretive, and hostile Alex may be the opposite of everything Sandra knows is right for her. But now, the girl who has spent all her life helping others change for the better, must find a way to cope with falling for someone who refuses to change at all.

I really truly loved and enjoyed this book! If you haven’t noticed yet, I love books that talk about mental issues and therapy, so it was amazing to be in the POV of an actual psychotherapist, see how that affects her life and how she deals with her own emotions. Also, Alex is the cutest, just an amazing man, who is 7 years (if I’m not mistaken) younger than Sandra, which I absolutely love. The Romance genre is full of age gaps, but most of them are Older Male/Younger Female, which, let’s just say, it is not my favorite. But I LOVE Female Age Gaps, and this one was amazing!
Lovable characters, not only the hero and heroine but also the secondary characters on this series (and most of Penny Reid’s books) are just incredible.

General grade: 4/5 (Most of Penny’s books have some kind of external conflict built-in, but in my opinion that is not the most important part of the book, and I also feel like there is a talk to be had about the amount of information put into these books! She calls her book “Smart Romance” and I agree, these characters are geniuses, but I also got lost in all of the Bitcoin conversations, so maybe all those details were not so necessary. However I always walk away from her books with a lot of new knowledge, so I guess we can let that go)

Feminist grade: 5/5 (This is a very feminist book, not only because it features a more healthy relationship (her being a therapist and all of that) but it features a heroine who is older, more successful, and rich than the hero, and that to me is mind-blowing, it is reversing every single stereotype used in romance novels, so I just love and appreciate this book for it)

Final grade: 9/10 (Cute, serious, smart, and feminist! Love love love it)

3- The Deal
Author: Elle Kennedy
Series: Off-Campus #1
Blurb: She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy…
Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice… even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.
…and it’s going to be oh so good.
All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

I have to say I was disappointed in this book because there was not as much cool content in it as I expected. Of course, it is always amazing to see how the writing process works, but a deleted scene (that is completely different from the reality portrayed in the Penny Reid Universe) it’s sometimes tiring to read. I honestly got tired of seeing these scenes pretty quickly, but I’m sure that for a lot of people they are gold. What I loved about it was Penny talking about how she became a writer, how her process works, and all of that, I think that is a side of the books we don’t see or hear much, so for me, that was super cool.

General grade: 4/5 (Simple and sometimes tiring, it can make us confused about some facts of the story, but at the same time it is cool to see these scenes and processes.)

Feminist grade: 4/5 (Despite not being a book that has a story, some of these deleted scenes had some red flags for some characters that I really loved, so it’s not a perfect book in this category)

Final grade: 8/10 (This book is pretty much a gift for Penny’s fans and it serves that purpose, of giving you just a tiny bit more of that character that you loved, so it is pretty cool, and I admire Penny for doing things like this)

2- The Dugout
Author: Meghan Quinn
Blurb: Let me ask you a question:
If someone is vying for your spot on a team and just so happens to injure you during practice, would you believe it was on purpose?
Word around campus is . . . it was no accident.
That injury has cost me everything; my starting position, my junior year—and the draft. Now, I’m a senior fresh off recovery, struggling to find my groove, until the day I run into a nervous, fidgety, girl with freckles, in the dining hall.
They call Milly Potter The Baseball Whisperer, The Diamond Wizard, and The Epitome of All Knowledge. She believes in baseball. She breathes it. She’s the queen of an infamous dynasty, but no one actually knows who she really is, and she plans to keep it that way.
One mishap in the panini line, one miscommunication in the weight room, and many failed attempts at an apology equal up to one solid truth — Milly Potter never wants to speak to me again — no matter how good my forearms look.
Little do we both know, she’s about to become more than just my fairy ballmother.

This is, no doubt, one of my FAVORITE couples in the series. I love them separately and together. Fiona is just so strong and wise, and I (not to flatter myself) identify a lot with her personality, and I just loved to see their origin story. Greg is amazing, funny, and smart, and let’s admit, arrogant, in a very endearing way, they are the perfect couple!!!

General grade: 4/5 (Penny’s book are not exactly plot-driven, much more character-driven, and this happens much in this book, what directs the story is the changes in the characters opinions and minds, so in that way, this is a very simple, cute and loving story of a couple that we already knew was perfect)

Feminist grade: 5/5 (Like most other Penny Reid’s books, this one has a LOT of smart conversation in it, and I love those topics and those conversations, that a lot of times involve patriarchy and capitalism and a lot of others that are very dear to me, so it could not have a different grade)

Final grade: 9/10 (Amazing, smart, cute, and simple)

3- The Deal
Author: Elle Kennedy
Series: Off-Campus #1
Blurb: She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy…
Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice… even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.
…and it’s going to be oh so good.
All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

This was AMAZING, I love marriage in trouble books, love love love love, because it is the story after de HEA (Happily Ever After), it is the story about a couple that is in love and is already committed to each other, but you know, love does not always fix everything, and relationships are hard work, and these kinds of books remind us of that.
So in Happily Ever Ninja, we get to know more about Fiona, a mom, and wife, and friend who is pretty much a superheroine, she does everything for everyone, never asking for help and she is always there for whoever needs her. Greg is most of the time working abroad, which means that he is mostly not there for Fiona and their children. Also, Greg has a lot of ideas, a lot of very specific ideas about how to raise their children, which is awesome, but sometimes also tiring for Fiona and the kids, I absolutely loved it.
Like most of Penny’s books, there is external conflict, but I’m not going to talk a lot about it, just that for me, this is the conflict that was indispensable for the story, unlike some of her other books. But focussing on their relationship, Fiona is a bit upset, because they had goals and ideas about their lives, and how it was going to be, but she was living them all alone. So for me, this is a book and a couple of goals.

General grade: 5/5 (A perfect mix of internal and external conflict, without both of them, there is no story. Great character development and great participation of secondary lovable characters)

Feminist grade: 5/5 (A lot of the ideals for child-raising and relationships are super feminist, and against patriarchy. This book has an incredibly strong heroine and a great example of couple and relationships)

Final grade: 10/10 (This is exactly the type of book I need more of)

2- The Dugout
Author: Meghan Quinn
Blurb: Let me ask you a question:
If someone is vying for your spot on a team and just so happens to injure you during practice, would you believe it was on purpose?
Word around campus is . . . it was no accident.
That injury has cost me everything; my starting position, my junior year—and the draft. Now, I’m a senior fresh off recovery, struggling to find my groove, until the day I run into a nervous, fidgety, girl with freckles, in the dining hall.
They call Milly Potter The Baseball Whisperer, The Diamond Wizard, and The Epitome of All Knowledge. She believes in baseball. She breathes it. She’s the queen of an infamous dynasty, but no one actually knows who she really is, and she plans to keep it that way.
One mishap in the panini line, one miscommunication in the weight room, and many failed attempts at an apology equal up to one solid truth — Milly Potter never wants to speak to me again — no matter how good my forearms look.
Little do we both know, she’s about to become more than just my fairy ballmother.

This book was so CUTE. I love how quirky it is, how nerdy it is, and also I love the amount of information I learned in this book. Every chapter has the definition of a different AI and I just loved that. (My boyfriend studies computer science, so this was also an incredibly interesting topic to talk about with him). But leaving all of that aside, I love how independent and driven Marie is, she just knows what she is doing and she gets what she wants. At the same time, I love geek and nerdy characters, and Matt is just perfect, shy and cute, but so lovable and we know there is a tiny bit of alpha in him. So it was just a cute, adorable, and simple story, with a LOT of interesting tidbits.

General grade: 4/5 (Like a lot of others, it is more character-driven, not a lot of structure in the plot, but a lot of character development and growth)

Feminist grade: 5/5 (Let’s face it, intelligent, independent heroine, who gives up men, to seek fulfillment in other ways, this is just gold, really)

Final grade: 9/10 (Quirky, super smart, and so cute!!!)

 

3- The Deal
Author: Elle Kennedy
Series: Off-Campus #1
Blurb: She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy…
Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice… even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.
…and it’s going to be oh so good.
All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

I was waiting for this for so long!!! And in this particular book, I have to say that I was disappointed. Their meet-cute is not amazing, it is fairly simple and their morning after of Vegas is also not all the hype I had in my mind. It is not bad, but I had a lot of expectations.

General grade: 4/5 (Simple, and short, it hurts to say that it has nothing truly special)

Feminist grade: 4/5 (The morning after in Vegas gives us some insight into Kat’s mind and that, for me, is the only great part of the book, the rest is okay)

Final grade: 8/10 (As a very short prequel, that, for me, could be a prologue, it is okay, as a separate book, that promises more, in my mind, it’s too simple)

2- The Dugout
Author: Meghan Quinn
Blurb: Let me ask you a question:
If someone is vying for your spot on a team and just so happens to injure you during practice, would you believe it was on purpose?
Word around campus is . . . it was no accident.
That injury has cost me everything; my starting position, my junior year—and the draft. Now, I’m a senior fresh off recovery, struggling to find my groove, until the day I run into a nervous, fidgety, girl with freckles, in the dining hall.
They call Milly Potter The Baseball Whisperer, The Diamond Wizard, and The Epitome of All Knowledge. She believes in baseball. She breathes it. She’s the queen of an infamous dynasty, but no one actually knows who she really is, and she plans to keep it that way.
One mishap in the panini line, one miscommunication in the weight room, and many failed attempts at an apology equal up to one solid truth — Milly Potter never wants to speak to me again — no matter how good my forearms look.
Little do we both know, she’s about to become more than just my fairy ballmother.

I love a good fake relationship book and this put together this awesome trope with mental and emotional troubles, a woman who is richer and more successful than her partner, a female CEO, and some amazing character development and analysis of the past.
Kat is just super strong, and she is driven, she is determined and just the perfect CEO heroine. She is filthy rich but compassionate and lovable, and she has attitudes that would get her to be called a bitch in the office, but she is just so lovable and adorable, that is impossible. She and Dan are just the cutest, and they have a good, honest relationship, I love how quick it is, for them to be open about their feelings and their intentions with one another.

General grade: 4/5 (This is another one, where the external conflict is important for the plot of the book since it is a fake engagement kind of trope, but it is still very much character-driven, with a lot of very interesting character development)

Feminist grade: 5/5 (This book deals with mental and emotional baggage in a really deep and interesting way, in both characters, while also bringing up a strong, powerful, successful woman, who is besides a man who admires her and brings up, not down)

Final grade: 9/10 (It’s impressive how Kat can be strong and soft at the same time and this is the feeling that I had when I read this book)

These were all the books I read in July! Because of vacation, I managed to read a lot of books, so I really enjoyed this month. Have you read any of them? Did you like them? Do you agree with me? If not you can tell me so too! 

Well, that is all for today, I hope you like this post, hope you enjoy these books if you decide to read them. Feel free to leave your opinion about it in the comments and I will see you next time! 

Bye sassy people! 

 

  • I know that some comments I make about decent guys on my posts are the bare minimum a guy should do, so no, they don’t deserve to be treated like gods for doing the minimum, but at the same time, I’ve read a lot of sexist books and I appreciate authors who make characters that can serve as role models and examples of how a decent guy acts and what a loving and respectful relationship looks like. I believe we should always encourage these authors and bring attention to the ones that still write sexist characters and stories. 
  • I make a lot of comments about sexism and healthy role models in books, but a lot of times these characteristics don’t make the book a bad book and definitely don’t make the author a bad author. Please never shame these authors and these books for these comments, I simply feel that we need to have awareness of the less than ideal situations some books bring us, and not use the romanticized problem as examples of what a relationship should be. Most of these authors are still amazing, and the content they write doesn’t reflect directly with their personal views and opinions. Always make sure to respect and be kind to everyone, even while criticizing their content. 

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Brazilian architecture student and book lover

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