kimalah's reviews
1397 reviews

Unromance by Erin Connor

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emotional funny lighthearted 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? Yes

4.75

Unromance was a greatly welcomed surprise of a romance.  A debut romance, to boot. It was sexy and snarky and somehow both cynical yet endearingly loving. I enjoyed the premise a lot. Often I found myself smiling while reading. It is a gem of a book, and I look forward to more books by the author. 

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are solely my own.
Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

Well, this was wonderful. Just wonderful. Earl Crush is smart, funny, sexy, emotional, kind and unabashedly romantic, full of pining and needing. Lydia and Arthur are awkward yet strong and brave. I can easily state that this is one of my favorite books of the year. Loved it, loved it, loved it.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are solely my own.
Playing Flirty by Shameez Patel

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emotional lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

Playing Flirty is an endearing, kind and nerdy romance involving gaming, both video and board, and Lord of the Rings. It also looks at learning how to build a life gaining the things missing in childhood without allowing those needs to negatively dictate adulthood. I was very impressed by how there were no bad guys. The FMC ends her relationship not because her ex is a cheating sleaze but because she needed more than he could provide. The book seemed to go on a little too long but it’s not a huge criticism. I enjoyed Playing Flirty and the group of friends depicted.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
No Ordinary Duchess by Elizabeth Hoyt

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

4.0

No Ordinary Duchess is the third book in the Greycourt series. I liked this book the best of the three so far.  It’s dramatic with assassination plots, an unequivocally evil bad guy, a secret organization, hidden books, and a submissive future duke. There is a lot going on in this story, most of which I enjoyed. I appreciated that the intimate scenes did not require inserting tab A into slot B. Overall, an enjoyable journey. I’m interested to see how the families’ stories continue.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
All's Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally

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

4.0

All’s Fair in Love and Treachery is an engaging and fun mystery with likable characters. There were a couple of times I felt like rolling my eyes at the FMC’s behavior, but I set that aside, just went with the story, and ended up having an enjoyable time. I really like the female friend group in this series. 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Duchess Material by Emily Sullivan

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

4.0

Duchess Material is an enjoyable historical with an idealistic schoolteacher and a Duke whose inherited title weighs heavy on his shoulders. There is quite a bit of sneaking around investigating disappearances and deaths while two people obviously drawn to each other learn what they want not only in love but in their lives.

I had fun with this story but did find it dragged at a few points. I’m looking forward to Alex’s book. She sparked my interest.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Double Apex by Josie Juniper

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

3.0

I needed a couple of days to digest the book before writing my review of Double Apex. I really struggled through the first 60% of this book. Really struggled. The MMC showed his affection for the FMC by harassing her. The FMC gave off big Not Like Other Girls energy and was just mean. I can read unlikable characters but these two were a step beyond. After the 60%, the story seemed to coalesce, the characters were a bit more bearable, and they got back to racing. For an F1 romance, it was lacking on the racing.

There were good parts to the book. I found the MMC’s sister very interesting. I’ve not read a romance featuring a Romanian main character before.  But I don’t plan to continue this series.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein

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adventurous emotional funny 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? Yes

4.0

How to Help a Hungry Werewolf is a paranormal romance with a plus-size FMC,  a frenetic friends to enemies to lovers story with a slow burn into a dirty-talking inferno. To be honest, I don’t think I am the target audience for this book. I read it because I like Charlotte Stein and because I am trying to read romances with plus-size characters. 

While I was reading , I was reminded of Stein’s book “Never Sweeter” more than once. This was not a bad thing. “Never Sweeter” was one of the only bully romances I enjoyed (probably because it was more of a post-bully redemption story.) There is fat phobia and fat shaming on-page and historical. 

While this will never be a favorite of Stein’s books for me personally, I feel people who are shifter aficionados will enjoy it quite a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for an advance review copy. All opinions are solely my own.
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How to Fall for a Scoundrel by Kate Bateman

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

4.75

How to Fall for a Scoundrel is a bright, fun, effervescent Regency romance with elements of “Charlie’s Angels” and “Remington Steele”. Kate Bateman is very good at writing romances that have heart, heat and fun but also touch on subjects such as misogyny and loss. Every time I read a Bateman book, I enjoy myself greatly, and How to Fall for a Scoundrel is no different. Looking forward to continuing the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
What She's Having by Laura Moher

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emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

4.25

What She’s Having is a second chance romance involving high school sweethearts who were involuntarily separated. Twenty years later, they find out that the other did not abandon them and a relationship slowly begins to develop between them. This is a serious delve into grief, childhood abuse, domestic violence, mental health, eating disorders, loss and self-worth. 

I thought this was a very affecting, emotional and ultimately kind book, but with a sometimes heavy tone and subject matter. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.