 Thanks to Harlequin books & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided my own.Ruby Barrett’s Hot Copy is spicy w/ several H O T scenes & feels modern & innovative in some big ways; it didn’t make me swoon as much as I hoped but it leaves me wanting more from the author. On his first day as a marketing intern Wesley Chambers hears a coworker refer to his female boss as a c**t & awkwardly laughs in response before telling the guy he shouldn’t “say that word.” His boss, a powerhouse named Corinne Blunt, overhears his laugh & this, coupled w/ previous negative experiences w/ men in the workplace, makes her give Wes annoying, time-sucking tasks to complete instead of the digital marketing jobs he hoped for. But after Wes helps Corinne face challenges when he doesn’t *have* to, she realizes she might have misunderstood what happened. This is both bad & good b/c Wesley is described as a hot nerd & now she can see what a big heart he has...but she’s also his boss. Hot Copy tries to tackle some big topics & it succeeds in some ways but falls a bit short in others. The exploration of grief is touching, as is the fact that it’s a way for them to connect. Beta hero Wesley is stunningly portrayed; I love his uncertainty, sensitivity, & desire to nurture. I’m less enthusiastic about the portrayal of Corinne. On one hand I love her complexity—she’s smart, hardworking, & keenly aware of the power imbalance between herself & Wesley in the workplace & how that affects their personal relationship. On the other, I grew frustrated w/ her prickliness bc it’s so pervasive. Corinne’s frequently rude to even her close friend & I was frustrated by how she responds to the crisis moment w/ Wes. She consistently comes across as inflexible & I would have loved to have seen her taking more emotional initiative w/ Wes throughout the book. I’m all here for an adorkable beta hero w/ a novelty sock collection & a kicking ass, taking names heroine who’s soft w/ people she trusts. But I did want more emotional nuance in regards to the latter in Hot Copy. 3.5 ⭐️. Hot Copy is out today!CW:
0 Comments
 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.This rule follower loves the thrill of a heist romance so I grabbed It Takes a Thief by Sloane Steele as soon as I read the description. While I have some quibbles with the execution of this one the steam is applause-worthy & I see potential in the series, particularly for fans of authors like Katie Reus. Jared Towers is a wealthy, sort-of fixer, and also the son of a Ponzi scheme runner who fled the country after stealing from people. Jared & his cousin Mia—whose father is also guilty—come up with a scheme to steal artwork that their fathers own before their fathers can liquidate them. So Jared hires “Data," a hacker he's worked with in the past, who turns out to be Audrey. Audrey knows nothing about Jared's real identity or his motivations behind the theft & she has her own reasons for wanting to be involved. Fast forward to sparks between them erupting into flames & Audrey finding out Jared’s secrets... The premise of this one is intriguing, the steam is delightful, & Jared is a devoted hero. On paper everything is there for me, but the romance loses a lot of power after the conflict, which seems to drag on for a considerable amount of the book & which I didn’t entirely understand (or maybe buy?) the reason for. Some aspects of their relationship also feel rushed to me, particularly at the beginning, when I would have enjoyed more build-up. Overall the romance could have been tighter but It Takes a Thief is a fun read. 3 ⭐️. Release date: 04/27 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.My feelings for Alexis Hall’s Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake are complicated: some really cool things are happening but it just doesn’t totally engage my heart. Single mom Rosaline Palmer feels like she hasn’t lived up to her parents’s goals & isn’t providing the life she wants for her daughter. But she loves baking & though she isn’t fully confident in her decision she signs up for a baking reality tv show a la GBBO. The blurb clues you in to this dynamic, but on the way to production she meets Alain, a witty landscape architect. Soon after she meets other contestants, including Harry, a ripped electrician who calls her “love” until she asks him to stop & whose grammar grates on her. This is a spoiler alert but for much of the book Rosaline is interested in & involved in a relationship of sorts—including sexually—w/ Alain, when he is not, of course, the one she will end up w/. Throughout RPTTC we get glimpses that Alain isn’t the nicest person, which helps me w/ the love triangle-ish aspect. We *also* see moments when Rosaline isn’t the *nicest* person; when she shows some of her least attractive & yet also some of her most relatable qualities: her strong desire to please & to judge. While I’m a proponent of an imperfect heroine Rosaline’s portrayal doesn’t totally work for me, mostly bc I don’t think there’s enough self-awareness & reflection. That includes her snobbery...her awareness of which feels kinda surface level to me even when she’s apologizing to Harry. Still, throughout RPTTC Rosaline grows in major ways & I cheered along. In addition to Rosaline’s journey, I really like RPTTC’s wit, its gentle moments, its consideration of how others respond to Rosaline’s bisexuality, the intimacy in the sex scene b/t Rosaline & Harry. The way he encourages her to say what she wants & she encourages him to share his feelings throughout is lovely—though I yearned for more of a romantic declaration at the end. I can’t wait to see what Hall writes next, obviously. But this one just doesn’t always work for me. 4 ⭐️. Release date: 5/18.CW:
|
About me.Give me that HEA, please.
Join my mailing list.Want to receive a weekly email with links to my latest blog posts? Sign up below!
Archives
March 2021
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
