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cheryldownes's review
3.0
Too easy to read this one, in a good way. A pretty easy-going romance with a few curves thrown in.
I won't recount the actual story, you can read the blurb for that, I'll let you know how I felt about it.
Initially, I thought it was fast. The pace was fast and that's good, but the relationship was fast and perhaps a bit underdeveloped. The plan took off before all the passengers (maybe the readers) were on board. Once I got over that, I was happy with the service. The characters and bumps were agreeable and I appreciated the balance taken for each character rather than one being more of everything.
I would certainly have liked more development around the characters but this probably wasn't designed to be a slow burn.
You'll enjoy it if you like Melissa Brayden generally and I'm sure you'll enjoy it overall.
3.5 stars
I won't recount the actual story, you can read the blurb for that, I'll let you know how I felt about it.
Initially, I thought it was fast. The pace was fast and that's good, but the relationship was fast and perhaps a bit underdeveloped. The plan took off before all the passengers (maybe the readers) were on board. Once I got over that, I was happy with the service. The characters and bumps were agreeable and I appreciated the balance taken for each character rather than one being more of everything.
I would certainly have liked more development around the characters but this probably wasn't designed to be a slow burn.
You'll enjoy it if you like Melissa Brayden generally and I'm sure you'll enjoy it overall.
3.5 stars
discotigers's review
4.0
one of the prompts on my hinge profile say “i’m a 10 but______” to which i filled in the blank with “i need constant reassurance or i’ll die” and that is almost entirely attributable to characters in the melissa brayden fictional universe. namely: jessica lennox (kiss the girl), taylor andrews (eyes like those) and now - caroline mcnamara (exclusive). these characters have set the bar SO high, i’m almost certain that no real life human being can ever compare.
this next bit is for caroline mcnamara. so if you’re not carrie you can exit this review.
hi caroline…are you free on saturday night for dinner? i would like to invite you out on saturday for dinner on saturday the day that i am free which is saturday for dinner when i’m free
this next bit is for caroline mcnamara. so if you’re not carrie you can exit this review.
hi caroline…are you free on saturday night for dinner? i would like to invite you out on saturday for dinner on saturday the day that i am free which is saturday for dinner when i’m free
aliu6's review
4.0
3.75 stars
I was so sure I was going to love this book based on the blurb, but it just didn't come together for me. I think the biggest issue was pacing. The MCs get together relatively soon in the book, *slight lull in action*, then the conflict kicks in, *action ramps up*, and then we get a very quick resolution. I still enjoyed most of the book because of the solid characters, but I didn't love it as much as I wish I did.
---The Breakdown---
Skyler Ruiz is doing fine. Sure, her career as a reporter isn't quite where she wants it to be, and her love life is a bit messy, but she's been raised on the belief that hard work pays off—and she knows hers will soon. Her big break comes as a chance to work at a top-30 TV station, alongside the anchorwoman she has idolized for years, Carolyn McNamara. Despite an icy start, Carrie begins to warm to Skyler. But once their relationship takes a romantic turn, both women are forced to make hard decisions about their careers and their hearts.
cw: death, serious injury, physical assault, cancer, trauma relating to an emotionally distant mother, sexism, ageism, fatphobia
The Characters: We get the story from Skyler's POV, and I really liked her character. She's very down-to-earth and warm. She has the ability to laugh at herself, but there are also some deeply rooted insecurities that make you want to wrap her in a hug. Carrie is a bit more mysterious, and while I liked her as a character, she felt more one-dimensional. The side characters were also excellent. I loved Skyler's friends and family who were always there to provide support and encouragement. Ty, the laidback cameraman Skyler is paired with, was also a standout character for me.
The Romance: There was good physical chemistry between Skyler and Carrie, and it was easy to root for Skyler getting the girl. Something that detracted from the romance for me was the number of "telling, not showing" moments in the book. For example, the line would say that there was witty banter between Skyler and Carrie, instead of filling in the witty banter. I think these gaps also meant that I wasn't totally convinced of the strong feelings Skyler and Carrie were developing for each other, which made the end of the book feel a little forced.
The Plot: The plot follows the rise of Skyler's career while focusing a lot on the romance. As I mentioned at the top, there were some pacing issues for me. For the most part, I was engaged in the story, but I did end up taking a break from the book halfway through.
The Writing: The writing was solid. I wish we got more dialogue between Skyler and Carrie, but there were a lot of great conversations between Skyler and various characters.
Other thoughts: I do appreciate that this book takes time to address the issue of ageism in television, especially when it comes to women. I also like that Skyler and Carrie were never jealous of each other's careers, as that might have been a natural place to go in this type of story. One thing I didn't like was the negative slant that was put on one of the characters making a career-over-love decision.
All in all: I appreciated the characters in this story more than I liked the storyline. It was still a solid read for me, though I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is bothered by speedy/sloppy conflict resolutions.
*I received an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I was so sure I was going to love this book based on the blurb, but it just didn't come together for me. I think the biggest issue was pacing. The MCs get together relatively soon in the book, *slight lull in action*, then the conflict kicks in, *action ramps up*, and then we get a very quick resolution. I still enjoyed most of the book because of the solid characters, but I didn't love it as much as I wish I did.
---The Breakdown---
Skyler Ruiz is doing fine. Sure, her career as a reporter isn't quite where she wants it to be, and her love life is a bit messy, but she's been raised on the belief that hard work pays off—and she knows hers will soon. Her big break comes as a chance to work at a top-30 TV station, alongside the anchorwoman she has idolized for years, Carolyn McNamara. Despite an icy start, Carrie begins to warm to Skyler. But once their relationship takes a romantic turn, both women are forced to make hard decisions about their careers and their hearts.
cw: death, serious injury, physical assault, cancer, trauma relating to an emotionally distant mother, sexism, ageism, fatphobia
The Characters: We get the story from Skyler's POV, and I really liked her character. She's very down-to-earth and warm. She has the ability to laugh at herself, but there are also some deeply rooted insecurities that make you want to wrap her in a hug. Carrie is a bit more mysterious, and while I liked her as a character, she felt more one-dimensional. The side characters were also excellent. I loved Skyler's friends and family who were always there to provide support and encouragement. Ty, the laidback cameraman Skyler is paired with, was also a standout character for me.
The Romance: There was good physical chemistry between Skyler and Carrie, and it was easy to root for Skyler getting the girl. Something that detracted from the romance for me was the number of "telling, not showing" moments in the book. For example, the line would say that there was witty banter between Skyler and Carrie, instead of filling in the witty banter. I think these gaps also meant that I wasn't totally convinced of the strong feelings Skyler and Carrie were developing for each other, which made the end of the book feel a little forced.
The Plot: The plot follows the rise of Skyler's career while focusing a lot on the romance. As I mentioned at the top, there were some pacing issues for me. For the most part, I was engaged in the story, but I did end up taking a break from the book halfway through.
The Writing: The writing was solid. I wish we got more dialogue between Skyler and Carrie, but there were a lot of great conversations between Skyler and various characters.
Other thoughts: I do appreciate that this book takes time to address the issue of ageism in television, especially when it comes to women. I also like that Skyler and Carrie were never jealous of each other's careers, as that might have been a natural place to go in this type of story. One thing I didn't like was the negative slant that was put on one of the characters making a career-over-love decision.
All in all: I appreciated the characters in this story more than I liked the storyline. It was still a solid read for me, though I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is bothered by speedy/sloppy conflict resolutions.
*I received an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
misthios_pat's review
4.0
Oh well, overall this was a fun, sweet reading and it got me gushing on many occasions, but just like some people fighting over lizards, I was blindsided by the punch it threw somewhere there. So I went from laughing-crying to crying silly. Which was totally out of left field to me (not in a bad way, okay?). I mean, when I picked this one I thought this was going to be sweet, cute, light-hearted romance with some conflict. Which it WAS, but that turn of events was a twist I didn't see coming.
The MC and LI have so much chemistry, and out of the bat! Which, if I'm being honest, gave me lots of anxiety because I kept thinking "this is too good to be true, disaster is coming soon" hahahah, welp, eventually it came, but it's over now. They're happy and I wouldn't mind AT ALL to revisit them in the future.
A must read IMHO
Also, somehow I didn't know about the other 2 titles about Sarah/Emory and Lucy/Kristin and I'm happy to dip my toes there soon.
Now, since I have zero people to discuss my readings with, I like to do it on my reviews, so if you don't want to risk spoilers better skip the rest I'm about to say because I'm no good filtering light from explicit spoiler and I'm about to spill some.
You know what? I don't think Carrie was at fault here, not as much as Skylar made her out to be. I mean, I know things happened in a whirlwind and Carrie could've tried harder to take a moment to discuss the first steps of their relationship with her going to Seattle. Like "hey, let's reassess things in a couple of weeks, sit and REALLY plan, okay? TOGETHER. I want you but I can't give this up without trying it first. I want it all, the job and the girl". Everything else that happened after didn't help either, but have they COMMUNICATED, 90% of the problem would've been gone in a few weeks maybe.
But even with things as they were, Skylar shouldn't have jumped the gun assuming stuff – yes, I know, abandonment issues and all that jazz.. still – and basically blaming on, shutting off and ghosting Carrie; what did she want? Carrie resenting her for not giving the opportunity a try? she lost her light, she was miserable for weeks, Sky saw it. But trauma is really a bitch innit?
If therapy is really this thing people make it out to be: healing, Skylar could gain a lot from trying it. Her mama really did a number on her. And in my opinion is the unintentional villain hahahah.
The MC and LI have so much chemistry, and out of the bat! Which, if I'm being honest, gave me lots of anxiety because I kept thinking "this is too good to be true, disaster is coming soon" hahahah, welp, eventually it came, but it's over now. They're happy and I wouldn't mind AT ALL to revisit them in the future.
A must read IMHO
Also, somehow I didn't know about the other 2 titles about Sarah/Emory and Lucy/Kristin and I'm happy to dip my toes there soon.
Now, since I have zero people to discuss my readings with, I like to do it on my reviews, so if you don't want to risk spoilers better skip the rest I'm about to say because I'm no good filtering light from explicit spoiler and I'm about to spill some.
Spoiler
You know what? I don't think Carrie was at fault here, not as much as Skylar made her out to be. I mean, I know things happened in a whirlwind and Carrie could've tried harder to take a moment to discuss the first steps of their relationship with her going to Seattle. Like "hey, let's reassess things in a couple of weeks, sit and REALLY plan, okay? TOGETHER. I want you but I can't give this up without trying it first. I want it all, the job and the girl". Everything else that happened after didn't help either, but have they COMMUNICATED, 90% of the problem would've been gone in a few weeks maybe.
But even with things as they were, Skylar shouldn't have jumped the gun assuming stuff – yes, I know, abandonment issues and all that jazz.. still – and basically blaming on, shutting off and ghosting Carrie; what did she want? Carrie resenting her for not giving the opportunity a try? she lost her light, she was miserable for weeks, Sky saw it. But trauma is really a bitch innit?
If therapy is really this thing people make it out to be: healing, Skylar could gain a lot from trying it. Her mama really did a number on her. And in my opinion is the unintentional villain hahahah.
hsinjulit's review
2.0
Perhaps it was because I went into Exclusive thinking it would be light-hearted that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I probably would otherwise.
Skyler Ruiz got a new job in San Diego and it is the first step of her becoming the TV reporter she wants to be. Working alongside her idol, Carolyn “Carrie” McNamara, isn’t helpful though. Carolyn seems to be initially dismissive of Skyler, but as the days go on, they start to fall for each other. When an unexpected change occurred in the news station, can Skyler and Carolyn work through their professional conflict?
I always appreciate a good romance with a good career development storyline. In Exclusive, the career elements were great other than the conflict, which I saw coming but thought that couldn’t be it. Maybe that is just how the real world works. I love the chemistry between Skyler and Carrie though and truly enjoyed the book in the beginning. It was also nice to see characters from Brayden’s other books (I have not read those yet) dealing with major life events after finding their happily-ever-afters.
There are a few things that didn’t work well for me, and the most important one was the “compromise” made between the characters, which is pretty much a one-sided sacrifice. Another thing is that, for a book of this length, it touches upon a lot of side plots that made me feel like the story was a little all over the place. There is one major death in the story that came out of nowhere, did not add much to the plot, and was not mentioned again after the incident, which overall left a bad taste in my mouth. Other nitpicks include Carrie’s manipulation, dub con (“Wait, it’s happening too fast.” “No, it’s not.”), Skyler’s motivations, and moose???
Unfortunately, as the story went on, I became less and less invested in the characters. Exclusive might be a book for you, but it is not for me. 2.5 stars rounded down.
content warnings: graphic sex, alcohol (recreational), dui (alcohol), cancer (side character), blood, death of side character, manipulation, dub con, use of ableist language
Buddy read with Gabriella! Check out her review here!
I received a digital review copy from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Skyler Ruiz got a new job in San Diego and it is the first step of her becoming the TV reporter she wants to be. Working alongside her idol, Carolyn “Carrie” McNamara, isn’t helpful though. Carolyn seems to be initially dismissive of Skyler, but as the days go on, they start to fall for each other. When an unexpected change occurred in the news station, can Skyler and Carolyn work through their professional conflict?
I always appreciate a good romance with a good career development storyline. In Exclusive, the career elements were great other than the conflict, which I saw coming but thought that couldn’t be it. Maybe that is just how the real world works. I love the chemistry between Skyler and Carrie though and truly enjoyed the book in the beginning. It was also nice to see characters from Brayden’s other books (I have not read those yet) dealing with major life events after finding their happily-ever-afters.
There are a few things that didn’t work well for me, and the most important one was the “compromise” made between the characters, which is pretty much a one-sided sacrifice. Another thing is that, for a book of this length, it touches upon a lot of side plots that made me feel like the story was a little all over the place. There is one major death in the story that came out of nowhere, did not add much to the plot, and was not mentioned again after the incident, which overall left a bad taste in my mouth. Other nitpicks include Carrie’s manipulation, dub con (“Wait, it’s happening too fast.” “No, it’s not.”), Skyler’s motivations, and moose???
Unfortunately, as the story went on, I became less and less invested in the characters. Exclusive might be a book for you, but it is not for me. 2.5 stars rounded down.
content warnings: graphic sex, alcohol (recreational), dui (alcohol), cancer (side character), blood, death of side character, manipulation, dub con, use of ableist language
Buddy read with Gabriella! Check out her review here!
I received a digital review copy from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
jennabeebs79's review
5.0
Kudos to Melissa Brayden for writing another winner! This time she takes the reader into a San Diego newsroom where a rookie reporter and seasoned anchor learn what truly is important in life. Skylar and Carrie’s romance started from the first moment they met, though neither one realized it. These two lovely, smart, motivated, and hard-working women came together with zero drama or angst. Neither doubted what they could be and certainly didn’t dance around one another for endless pages. They were both confident in their sexuality and didn’t let an age-gap deter them. Carrie’s support of Skylar’s career boost was admirable; not many women in her position would be capable of that. The last 1/4 of the book was brilliantly written. It was heart wrenching and showed how truly fragile life is. The epilogue was simply perfect. Revisiting Tanner Peak and some of our favorite mains from other Brayden books as well as Tangle Valley mentions made my heart soar. Bravo!
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
khylabevibin's review
4.0
Skyler Ruiz gets a new job which she finally sees as her big break… little does she know just how much is about to break. She ends up working with the lovable and iconic, Caroline McNamara, her tv crush who she finds out isn’t so unattainable as she thought.
Honestly I struggled to finish this book, but I’m glad I did.
The book starts out on a cute note, Skyler is an immediately likable character and so is literally everyone else in this book. There’s a bit of everything in this book, angst, humor, romance, drama, overall a good read.
I feel like Caroline definitely could’ve used a bit more character especially at the beginning. She seemed really superficial and just didn’t seem engaging.
As I said, I struggled to finish this book. My ARC’s were piling up and I had time so I decided to finish it in one sitting since it’s short and I didn’t regret it.
If it’s one thing Melissa Brayden never fails at, it’s those make it or break it moments. The way she piles up the drama and creates a setting where it’s not too overwhelming yet convincing and realistic is something that I’ll always admire. Especially the make it moments. The dialogue and everything that ties it together is enough for me to have enjoyed this book. She truly depicts what it means to have that epic love that the characters always denote their feelings as. A lot of authors struggle with creating a setting to back up their characters emotions but in my opinion, Brayden never does. In this book, specifically at that make it or break it moment I previously mentioned, you truly feel just how stuck and suffocated Skyler feels without depending on her just having to outright say it to feel it.
So yeah, I felt a bit stuck for a large part of the book. But for me, I enjoyed the ending. I would say it’s my favorite part of this book.
I do recommend, as I do every book by this author lol
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publishers in exchanged for a honest review.
Also something I remembered after writing this that I had a problem with was how there’s no resolution between Skyler and her mother. She spends the whole book praising her mother yet complaining about how they’re not close and even sometimes bordering on calling her mom self centered yet there’s no resolution- no her airing this out- not even her making peace with it- just complaining.
Honestly I struggled to finish this book, but I’m glad I did.
The book starts out on a cute note, Skyler is an immediately likable character and so is literally everyone else in this book. There’s a bit of everything in this book, angst, humor, romance, drama, overall a good read.
I feel like Caroline definitely could’ve used a bit more character especially at the beginning. She seemed really superficial and just didn’t seem engaging.
As I said, I struggled to finish this book. My ARC’s were piling up and I had time so I decided to finish it in one sitting since it’s short and I didn’t regret it.
If it’s one thing Melissa Brayden never fails at, it’s those make it or break it moments. The way she piles up the drama and creates a setting where it’s not too overwhelming yet convincing and realistic is something that I’ll always admire. Especially the make it moments. The dialogue and everything that ties it together is enough for me to have enjoyed this book. She truly depicts what it means to have that epic love that the characters always denote their feelings as. A lot of authors struggle with creating a setting to back up their characters emotions but in my opinion, Brayden never does. In this book, specifically at that make it or break it moment I previously mentioned, you truly feel just how stuck and suffocated Skyler feels without depending on her just having to outright say it to feel it.
So yeah, I felt a bit stuck for a large part of the book. But for me, I enjoyed the ending. I would say it’s my favorite part of this book.
I do recommend, as I do every book by this author lol
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publishers in exchanged for a honest review.
Also something I remembered after writing this that I had a problem with was how there’s no resolution between Skyler and her mother. She spends the whole book praising her mother yet complaining about how they’re not close and even sometimes bordering on calling her mom self centered yet there’s no resolution- no her airing this out- not even her making peace with it- just complaining.
kburns2004's review
4.0
If you know me, you know how much I adore Melissa and her books. I think she may be one of the only authors I have on auto read. I started in on this one a little burned out on romance in general, but about halfway through I couldn't put it down. LOVED all the nods to other books and series. As for the book itself, it follows Melissa's formula, so wasn't super surprised, although I assumed it would be just slightly different (don't want to spoil it). And the epilogue? Melissa I think you and I need to talk. I am dead.
kaylovestoread's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
angieinbooks's review
3.0
I had some trepidation heading into this novel after the disappointment of Marry Me, but I'm happy to report this is more in line with the Brayden I've come to know and love. And if you like the Brayden formula, then you're likely to really enjoy this novel. The characters have great chemistry, the tension makes sense (even with the predictable 80% marker when everything turns to sh!t), and the side characters are wonderful and, in some cases, familiar.
Skyler Ruiz lands a role as a TV reporter for a popular San Diego news show where the lead female anchor is her news reporter hero, Caroline McNamara, who Skyler also has a little celebrity-style crush on. Only Caroline isn't very nice to Skyler when she first starts at the TV station and Skyler can't figure out why.
Melissa Brayden is very good at writing sapphic romance, but this is her 20th(?) book and she hasn't really changed up her formula that much. And as someone who has read all of her books, I'm getting a little tired of that formula, and that's reflected in my rating. Did I enjoy the novel? Yes. Mostly. But I never got to that delicious moment where you just can't put the novel down. I was even able to take a long break with only one chapter and the epilogue to go and if that's not telling, I don't know what is.
One small but significant thing for me to note: Skyler is described as being Guatemalan. Brayden tells us that she was born in Guatemala and moved to San Diego when she was a kid. This is wonderful. I'm happy to see Brayden branching away (two novels in a row!) from an all white cast of characters, but this detail makes no sense within the Braydenverse. So as much as I love the Latine representation, I'm a little disappointed with this mistake. An editor should have caught this.
Skyler Ruiz lands a role as a TV reporter for a popular San Diego news show where the lead female anchor is her news reporter hero, Caroline McNamara, who Skyler also has a little celebrity-style crush on. Only Caroline isn't very nice to Skyler when she first starts at the TV station and Skyler can't figure out why.
Melissa Brayden is very good at writing sapphic romance, but this is her 20th(?) book and she hasn't really changed up her formula that much. And as someone who has read all of her books, I'm getting a little tired of that formula, and that's reflected in my rating. Did I enjoy the novel? Yes. Mostly. But I never got to that delicious moment where you just can't put the novel down. I was even able to take a long break with only one chapter and the epilogue to go and if that's not telling, I don't know what is.
One small but significant thing for me to note: Skyler is described as being Guatemalan. Brayden tells us that she was born in Guatemala and moved to San Diego when she was a kid. This is wonderful. I'm happy to see Brayden branching away (two novels in a row!) from an all white cast of characters, but this detail makes no sense within the Braydenverse