 Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary hard copy. All opinions provided are my own.#FlatlayFriday Yellow titles inspired by Karelia Stetz-Waters’ Behind the Scenes Today it’s all about yellow titles & to my surprise I had several, especially from Forever Pub. Forever recently sent me a complimentary copy of Behind the Scenes by Karelia Stetz-Waters, a Sapphic romance featuring a stressed out, workaholic director who desperately wants to her vision to life in film again & the take charge, brilliant consultant who immediately wants to help. Said consultant also has a secret about her own creative endeavors, one that actually connects her even more deeply to the director if they only knew it. This story is filled with tenderness, it’s very hopeful, & there’s an uplifting arc for both characters as they work on some of the trauma that’s been dogging them for years. If you like two characters appreciating the heck out of each other, you might want to check this one out! 4⭐️. Out now!
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 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. When I pick up an Anita Kelly book I always know it’s going to be special. Happily, Something Wild & Wonderful lives up to that hype & it was one of my fave reads of February. Largely set along the Pacific Crest Trail, this book is about two people connecting to each other as the miles pass & learning more & appreciating more about themselves. That self-appreciation offers some of my favorite moments in this book—we can do hard things, right? With autism rep, epistolary elements, an adorable guitar performance, a consideration of what faith can mean to someone personally when members of that faith have exiled them, nature and therapy love, & strikingly beautiful final lines, this is a book to love. 5⭐️. Out now! CWs: Parents exile Alexei from family. A bad sexual experience with someone who was “not so gentle. Not so kind.” Homophobic language.
 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. If you are a member of the Thick Books Love Club you might want to check out Lucy Score’s romances. She has a keen eye for voice, her secondary characters are often endearingly eccentric (Mrs. Tweedy ), the steam is gooood, & there’s a nice bit of sweetness to magnify that lusty spice. With that being said, Lucy Score’s recent release--Things We Hide From the Light, out now—is uneven for me. Likes—all of the things I mentioned earlier. Plus a badass heroine named Lina who’s basically a bouncer hunter + treasure seeker + adrenaline enjoyer & a hero—Nash Morgan— who’s a well-respected police chief with a great butt. Dislikes, or maybe it’s more accurate to say discomforts—this book reveals Nash’s depression after surviving being shot & losing the memory of what happened & the inclusion of mental health challenges is always something I respect & love. But I find myself uncomfortable with how Nash pressures Lina into actions & situations by using his emotional/mental state (even if his intentions aren’t malicious, even if she is also drawn to him). Not that Lina can’t be that important to him & to his happiness…it’s more of a concern for me that he hasn’t tried to find & regularly actively pursue other resources in addition to his relationship with Lina. This book is angsty if angst is your jam, it’s got plenty of tension between leads, & then there’s a nice payoff at the end with a double epilogue (!). The more I think about this one the less I know what to rate it. 3.5 stars️? Either way, the bottom line is: there are some things I really liked about it, some things I didn’t like, & I’m looking forward to the next one (second chance with Sloane and Lucian, anyone?!) 3.5⭐️. Out now!CWs: Depression. Shot in previous book. Op she was in charge of resulted in injury. Previous heart issues. Panic attack. Flippant reference to assault. Racist cop incident with another cop. Discussion of child with cancer. Assault, attempted sexual assault. Addict father.
 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Secret admirer letters usually have me waving a banner that says YES, I LOVE, but while there are aspects of Tessa Bailey’s Secretly Yours that I really enjoy, the letters & the lead combo just don’t totally work for me. Landscape artist and business owner Hallie Welch has had feelings for Julian Vos for years & his reappearance on his family vineyard makes them forefront in her mind. Julian is bewildered by his immediate attraction to Hallie, to everything about her (especially her breasts), except for her total spontaneity. He’s a big fan of schedules & planning. I don’t know what to say about how opposites attract functions in this book except just to say that I didn’t buy them as a couple. But with that being said, the physical chemistry between Hallie and Julian is hot and I responded very well to the body positivity . The plot is a bit muddled to me as well—the letters feel superfluous to me. If you’re a Tessa Bailey fan &/or you’re looking for a quick-ish read with heat & some heart, you might really enjoy this one. But for me it was a somewhat superficial reading experience. 3⭐️. Out now!CWs: Grief over grandmother. Reference to mental breakdown of colleague. Anxiety rep.
 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Second chance romance can be ruff, friends ;). Especially when the former couple has an acrimonious relationship layered on top of attraction & feelings. So I knew Falon Ballard’s Just My Type wouldn’t be an easy experience for me. In the end, I felt like Ballard is an undeniably talented writer, & even though some of FMC Lana Parker’s past & present decisions didn’t always have me cheering, I do love how Ballard writes women making mistakes. That feels empowering to me. The female friendships are strong & this book is very pro-therapy, which is always a plus for me. By the book’s conclusion, Lana—who has been frequently accused of relationship dependency + settling when it comes to partners—has learned a lot about herself & what her patterns are. But ultimately this book doesn’t go hard enough for me in terms of Lana breaking free of her habits. Setting aside the messy nature of this couple’s second chance romance—which I’ve already said can be ruff for me emotionally—I wasn’t sure that Lana fully gave herself a chance to be on her own for a while. She grows a lot but also everything moves so fast & ultimately she’s moving into another serious relationship quickly yet again. So I personally didn’t doubt the strength of Lana’s relationship with Seth—but I did wonder if it was ultimately a good idea for her. If the timing could actually be right. Despite my somewhat wavering endorsement of this second chance tale, I’m really looking forward to seeing what Falon Ballard writes next. 4⭐️. Out now!CWs: Lana came onto the hero Seth when she was in a long-term relationship with someone else. Emotionally negligent mom.
 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.I was impressed by Mazey Eddings’s adult romance debut A Brush with Love but for me her voice shines even more in this adorable & also emotionally striking YA contemporary romance, Tilly in Technicolor. Mazey captures so well the feeling of not belonging / not feeling free to be oneself & how critical putting yourself into new experiences, putting yourself out there, being yourself, can be to your own happiness…& maybe it will allow you to find and appreciate happiness with someone else too. The neurodivergence rep, the story of recent high school graduates, Tilly and Oliver—the former trying to figure out her path forward—, the leads’ bad initial impression of each other, & some adventures in different European cities results in a book that really had me smiling on the inside & also feeling so happy by the end. There’s one moment in particular where Oliver realizes that unlike other people, Tilly is actually into his interests, like the color of a door, that is particularly lovely. Though I wanted more in regards to Tilly’s relationship with her overbearing, often toxic mom—the resolution is a bit hasty for me—everything else is basically pitch perfect. I’m really glad this book was written! 5⭐️. Out 08/15.CWs: Overbearing, overmanaging, dismissive mom; lack of understanding & even cruelty from others regarding neurodivergence.
 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC and the publisher for the complimentary hard copy. All opinions provided are my own.I just wondered what it would be like if someone like Kate Clayborn—who writes so gorgeously & so completely from the heart—hadn’t written books & they weren’t published… Especially when her books make me feel so full. So expansive (read the book to get this reference ;) ). Georgie, All Along is another exquisite portrayal of the best of people & of love. I think it’s also probably the funniest book of Kate Clayborn’s that I’ve read. Not only is Levi totally amazing—I want to hug him & go to his Bday party & drunkenly tell him how much I love him & also write embarrassing wishes regarding him up & down my arms in Sharpie —but Georgie—& her heart & her confusion & friendship—is also beloved to me. Have I ever been uncertain about what I want? About my future? Um yes. This is my favorite kind of romance in that not only is the central love story so wonderful & well-developed, the secondary characters & those relationships are too. Kate Clayborn is one of my fave writers of friendship & I absolutely love how she captures the one between Georgie & Bel, another opposites attract pairing that’s done so well. This book satisfies on every level & made me feel as if I were truly watching/observing/enjoying love in all forms. So if you haven’t read Kate Clayborn yet, please do. She is an author I recommend without reservation & her books are lovely & like Georgie says about Levi, “what I want, but better.” 5⭐️. Out now!CWs: Parental estrangement; parental neglect; parental “cruelty.” References to drug use & emotional abuse at alternative school.
 Thanks to the author for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. I’m often trying new authors because I feel like you never know when you’ll find a new one whose books make you fall in love. Rosanna Leo was gracious enough to send me an ARC of her upcoming PNR Darke Passion, out 03/21. Dual timelines + ghosts + kissing is definitely my jam & this book delivers on those fronts. The historical setting is Canada during the War of 1812 & it becomes pertinent to the present- day story when inn owner Simon Teal contacts our heroine Edwina Darke saying that people think his inn is haunted. Edwina Darke & her sisters—all of whom have unique jobs at their paranormal investigation agency—are on the case. While the story is atmospheric & creepy in a way I wanted, the ending is satisfying, & the moments of sweetness are engaging, I’m not a huge fan of insta feelings—which this felt like to me—& I didn’t always feel fully connected to the writing style. (Both of those things are “YMMV” kinds of things to me). But this is a fun story with some great thrills & a sweet & naughty romance too. 3⭐️. Out 03/21.CWs: murder, haunting, reference to rape.
 Thanks to the author for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Some books just leave you feeling & saying “wow” & that’s how I feel about Eliza McLane’s Perfect Match. From the beginning to the end, this novella is just delightful & feels perfectly considered—like everything is working so harmoniously (& maybe also horny-ly) toward a HEA that left me feeling very happy indeed. The novella opens with Rosie—who is smarting from how her business is currently doing & who is not interested in love at all thankyouverymuch—attending a speed dating/dating algorithm party out of support for her BFF. There she meets nice guy Tyler, who wears glasses and is an accountant (*cue all the butterflies bc I do love a hero like this!) & is smarting from a failed relationship. They are paired together & spend one magical & very H O T weekend together. Can they be something more?? You betcha & the Epilogue left me with such a feeling of satisfaction. The communication between leads in this book!! Not a full sentence but I think you get it . If you’re looking for a steamy, wonderfully written novella that gives you that full, complete HEA feeling, check out Eliza McLane’s Perfect Match. By the end of it all, I was in love with Tyler & Rosie, I was feeling the steam, & I was congratulating myself on requesting this ARC . 5⭐️. Out 02/06.[ID: Jess, a white woman, wears a black, white, purple, & blue flannel shirt & holds the ebook.] Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.I’m starting this review in a brutally honest way & saying that I thought book 1 in this series was really good, book 2 was a slog for me, & book 3–excluding a quibble or two I had at the end of this book—had me saying OH MY THIS IS FUN from the first time the MCs meet. Definitely by the end of their encounter, when they hook up for the first time. Eamon Sullivan is supposed to be accompanying Carla Black on a trip across Ireland for his brother & her BFF’s wedding. But sparks fly in a major way when they meet & after setting the sheets, the bed, the room, that entire side of Ireland on fire with their sexytimes, & after realizing how much pleasure they take in each other, they prolong their road trip in fun random adventures along the way. Off the Map portrays instant attraction & companionship in a beautiful & striking way—I totally believed that they were hot for each other, that they liked each other, & that it was love too. This book feels like it came to me at the right time & I embraced the heck out of this road trip romp. With that being said, there is a sadder story underpinning the book. Carla’s beloved dad has dementia & there is loss & grief on page—see my CW below for more on this. I didn’t totally love how it functions in the plot but the story of their relationship overall is touching & explains Carla’s love of travel. Off the Map was a bubble book for me in terms of reading Trish Doller. Will I be back for more now? You betcha. 4.5⭐️. Out 03/07.CWs: Dad has dementia & dies at the end of the book.
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