jenngrandreads's reviews
504 reviews

The Romance Line by Lauren Blakely

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Lauren Blakely is quickly becoming one of my very favorite romance authors!! I can always expect her characters to be real- flawed, heavy backstory, but relatable, lovable, and amazing. She is the QUEEN of banter, and that's a big one for me. 

The first book I read by Lauren was Love and Hockey series with The Boyfriend Goal, and The Romance Line was no different. I completely fell in love with her characters- Max and Everly were perfect contenders for hate-to-love, they both had difficult histories that played into the plot, but I seriously wanted to dive into the pages of the book and become they're best friend. 

I listened to the audiobook version, and let me tell you- you cannot get better than having Teddy Hamilton as a narrator!!! I don't know many book narrators names, but I know his, because his voice is so smooth and dreamy, you can't help but swoon over his words. Vanessa Edwin also did an excellent job voicing Everly! I love audiobooks, and the narrators can really kill a book for ya, so these are two winners!!

Overall, I absolutely adored this story!! I can't recommend it highly enough. The sport, the spice, the banter, the secret dates, it's just all perfect.

And now I'm back to waiting for the next book in the series!! Ugh!

That Last Secret: A Brothers Best Friend Romance by Jenn McMahon

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

That Last Secret is the book that every Jenn McMahon fan has been patiently waiting for, which puts a lot of pressure on her as an author to make sure it lives up to readers’ expectations. Well, SHE. DIDN’T. DISAPPOINT. 

Sunday Morning by Jewel E. Ann

emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was SUCH a fun book!! It’s promoted as Footloose meets A Star is Born, and I couldn’t agree more!! I mean good girl falls for bad boy, who’s also good girl’s boyfriend’s brother?! Add some twists and turns I did NOT see coming, and this book took me on a ride I wasn’t expecting but loved oh so very much!! I definitely recommend this one!!!!

Read if you like: 
- Twists and turns
- Small town
- Forbidden love
- Boyfriend's older brother
- Age gap
- Good girl x bad boy
- Playful/not so innocent banter
- Guitar lessons

End Game by Monica Murphy

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

End Game is the first book in the new Kings of Campus series, and it was my first Monica Murphy book! (But I’m currently listening to my second!) I absolutely adored this book. 

Nico is a reformed playboy who falls for his roommate. But “Ever” doesn’t give in easily. She’s a girl who doesn’t want to mess things up with the rest of their roommates, and tries her hardest to not give into her feelings for Nico. 

This was just such a fun story, I can’t wait to read more Kings of Campus books!!!

Read if you like:
- Sports romance
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Bad boy x good girl
- Roommates to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Open door spice
- Reformed playboy

It's SOOOOOOO good!!!! Excuse me while I go listen/read every single other book Monica Murphy has ever written...

Star Maker by Jessa Nevins

dark emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book was SO fun!! For someone who absolutely adored Daisy Jones and the Six, it was fun to enter back into the music scene. 

Set in the 80's, Kit, an entertainment attorney is enraptured by Sully's raw talent and charming personality. But Kit is still hesitant due to her divorced parents. Together they go through a lot! The highest of highs of love and life in the music business, to the heartbreaking lows of the choices made in the entertainment industry. This book is a whirlwind of emotions, personal battles, ups and downs, love and heartbreak. It's an excellent story and I hope everyone gets their hands on a copy!!

All Too Well by Corinne Michaels

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was an excellent start to a new series and I can't wait to get to know the rest of Ember Falls. Small town romances are my fave, and add in a single dad firefighter??? I’m so in.

Their mutual pining, it’s-always-been-you love is so sweet!! They have a messy history, and really fight their feelings, but ultimately love wins all. And you can’t go wrong with that! I loved it!!

Undeniable Love by Samantha Chase

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved this book! There was so much depth to it. Jax and Lucy have a messy past, but life throws them together again when Jax opens a sports camp for disabled kids and Lucy is a pediatric PT. 

Their chemistry is magic, even though they fight it. And despite their history, they’re both so supportive of each other, and their community. 

There were also some SUPER fun side characters which I love!!

Before Us: A Contemporary Romance Trilogy by Shae Green

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

This book was much deeper than I thought it'd be when I started. It's about Antonio, who believes his accounts are being compromised, and Alex, a hacker, who's brought in to help him figure out what's going on. But it's not as simple as that!

This is not your happy, rose-colored-glasses type of romcom, the characters have deep trauma and hurt from growing up, there's mystery, suspense, a stalker(!!), but also friendship, healing, growth, slow burn, and some truly amazing banter!! There wasn't a whole lot of spice, but there was still a lot of sizzle!!

This was a great book from the start, and one I'd definitely recommend for someone looking to read a romance with much more depth to it than just the love story!

Tiny Fractures by J. V. Reese

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Tiny Fractures is in no part a tiny book...in size or depth! Yes it's a "coming of age" romance, but it is also so much more! It's an epic love story about two high school sweethearts who have truly difficult lives. Their love story at times is beautiful, but at other times, it's intense, emotional, and traumatic. 

This book is written in dual POVs, and I loved getting to experience the story from more than one point of view! (I'm a sucker for dual POVs) Cat and Ran's story made me feel sad, angry, heartbroken, but I also felt love, hope, and happiness for the two MCs. And this is just book one in a series so it's not done yet! (Thankfully, since the book leaves us on a major cliffhanger!!)

I highly recommend this book, but I also recommend you read the trigger warnings before reading it. There are some deep, tough things in here too. But I seriously can't WAIT for book 2!!

Blooms of Darkness by Helen Domico, Anna Applegate

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I absolutely LOVED Blooms of Darkness!!! I read a LOT of fantasy, and this book stood among some of the best!! I mean, the story, the banter, the friendships, the banter, the slow burn, the suspense, did I mention the banter?!

Kade Blackthorn is also a top tier shadow daddy MMC. He is morally grey, mysterious, but with a big heart when it counts. And his tension and chemistry with our FMC, Lana, is just AMAZING. 

There are also marriage trials giving major Bachelorette vibes, where men are competing for the hand of a princess, and not every suitor has her best interest at heart. Not to mention that she has an enormous secret that she hasn't told anyone. She doesn't actually have any magical powers. Uh oh!

Some of of my favorite tropes were in this book as well...enemies to lovers, slow burn, "who did this to you?" plus there's some really awesome friendships in here! 

I just cannot recommend this book enough!!