Flipping the Script by Danice Mae P. Sison

So now what? Are we a thing? Do I want us to be a thing? Would it be so wrong if I say that I do? What do I do with these feelings, exactly?

Synopsis

Miri dela Merced’s film director grandfather and Pabs Paglinauan’s studio head grandmother had a huge falling out that ended Lolo Ikong’s career. At seventeen, Miri finds herself in the same summer film internship program as the down-to-earth film studio heir Pabs, whom she’s decided to automatically write off, just because of his lineage. As Miri gets a crash course in her expectations vs the reality of what it's like to work on a real movie, her true feelings for Pabs become harder and harder to ignore. In between attending outdoor screenings of classic Pinoy movies and battling monster production assistants together, can flipping the script on a decades-old grudge be only a few sequences away?

My Review

Title: Flipping the Script

Author: Danice Mae P. Sison

Genre: YA/Contemporary Romance

Release Date: February 2019

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Omg the cuteness! In Danice Mae P. Sison's debut YA contemporary romance Flipping the Script, we meet Miri, a film nerd who is just about to start a potentially life-changing film internship the summer before her final year at high school. Miri comes from a long line of filmmaking royalty; her mother was a beautiful actress in her prime, and her grandfather was a director who made fantastical adventures that, due to a falling out with the production company, have sadly been lost and Miri hasn't even been able to see the films. Still, she wants to follow in her Lolo's footsteps and learn everything she can from this internship to help her further her film career. She is shocked to find out that the host for the internship is none other than the company that she believes tanked her Lolo's career.

Over the summer, Miri bonds with her fellow interns, gets yelled at a lot by their intern supervisor, and, despite her resistance, starts to warm up to a fellow intern, Pabs. Pabs and Miri have a cringeworthy but so good meet-cute that I won't spoil here, but it nonetheless causes her a lot of anxiety having to work alongside him all summer. Add to this the fact that he happens to be the heir to the production company that has caused her family so much grief, and she decides it's better to play it cool with him and not get too close. In spite of all this, Pabs is still super sweet to her and understands why she low key hates his family, and the trials of the internship and their mutual love for film starts to bring them together.

I loved the shared interests between Pabs and Miri, and the respect they both have for each other and what they want to do with their future film careers. It was adorable to read about them nerd out over film restoration equipment, squee over classic films, and go to outdoor film screenings together. As a fellow movie nerd, I immediately connected with all of the movie magic throughout the book, and the whole time I was reading their story I just had a huge smile on my face. This is the perfect story to read when you're looking for a sweet, summer love story that is cool, funny, and charming all at the same time. It will definitely want to re-watch your favorite movies and maybe see them in a new light.

I also appreciated the growth of the main characters throughout the book. I love Miri, but she is definitely not perfect and has a lot of growing up to do before she's ready to really become a filmmaker. Pabs, meanwhile, needs to learn how to stand up for himself and be his own person apart from his family. I thought the journey they went on was realistic and I would love to read more about these characters. Their fellow interns were a great example of supportive friendship and forming bonds with people who are completely different from you but who share a passion for the same thing. Overall, I recommend Flipping the Script if you love contemporary stories with strong setting, funny, relatable characters, and nerding about movies. Plus, if these types of books are your jam (they're definitely mine), check out other #romanceclass books here.

Get your copy of Flipping the Script here (PH version), here (International Version), or here (Kindle version).

Happy reading!

About the Author

Danice Mae P. Sison realized she wanted to be Harriet the Spy when she was very young. Since then, she has been digging out from real life experiences, pop culture obsessions, and her growing TBR pile of young adult and romance books for inspiration. She works in pay television as a channel manager, and has previously contributed as an author on the anthology Start Here. Flipping the Script is her first book.

Note: I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and participation in the Flipping the Script Blog Tour.

Review: Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

Title: Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 2018
Rating: 4/5 Stars

This book was such a cute, fun way to start off my 2019 reading life! I really enjoyed Roomies by this author duo, and after finishing that one I knew I had to  give Josh and Hazel a try. Living in Portland, our leading lady is Hazel, an elementary teacher who is quirky and funny and unapologetic about her unique personality. She describes herself as "undateable", due to the fact that so many guys expect her to change who she is in order to be more palatable, but ever since she remembers her father calling her mother "embarrassing", she knows she'll never change who she is for a guy. This leads her to instead focus mostly on her friendships, all the while having an aversion to long-term relationships. 

Our hero, meanwhile, is Josh Im, who is practical and steady, but also very non-judgmental and is one of the few people who will go along with Hazel's bits or at least doesn't get embarrassed by them. They met in college, and college-Hazel dreamed of making Josh her best friend; when they reconnect later in life, they decide that they don't want to date each other (for some reason!!!), but instead set each other up on blind double dates (yes this is as hilarious as it sounds), until they figure out why they should be together instead.

I loved every minute of Hazel and her unique world-view (and collection of pets), and the banter between she and Josh felt so real. Watching their relationship grow and evolve was one of my favorite parts of the novel. Meanwhile, I also appreciate how this author duo always works diversity into their books, as they simply present the modern world as many people move through it, which means characters of different cultures, sexual orientations, and economic backgrounds. Friend groups are diverse and side characters feel fully three-dimensional, which to me just makes the couple seem more real and makes me want to root for them more. Christina Lauren books are becoming my go-to for upbeat contemporary romance with a good mix of humor and drama. 

If you like light romances that read quickly but feature unique characters, definitely check this one out!

Confession: I am low-key obsessed with Holiday Romance

I think because I live in L.A. and there are palm trees everywhere and we all don our winter coats as soon as the temperature dips below 65 degrees, I love reading holiday romances during December. My favorites are ones set in small towns where there is actual snow, so I can really live vicariously through these characters who have seasons. I'm not even a Christian person (raised Catholic, grew up to be more "spiritual" than religious), but Christmas is fun and holiday romances give me warm, fuzzy feelings. Sometimes this means skipping ahead in a series I've never read so I can get to the holiday novella, or branching out to authors I don't normally reach for, and it usually means reading a lot more contemporaries than usual, but that is just how I get into the wintery mood. Keep reading for a few of the holiday romances on my Currently Reading and To Be Read lists! 

The Dance Before Christmas by Victoria Alexander (Lady Traveler's Series)

I stan so hard for this series, it's honestly one of my favorites. These are books that are so rich with setting, historical detail, and unique characters that Alexander's books are insta-buys for me. I pre-ordered A Dance Before Christmas and was super stoked to see it magically appear on my Kindle. In this novella, heroine Anabel Snelling needs a fiancé by Christmas or else she'll have to marry the man her father has selected for her, and marrying him is the last thing she wants. Like any reasonable romance heroine, she hires an American actor, Wesley Grant, to play the role of her future husband. This has everything I love: first of all, it's a Victoria Alexander novel. Second of all, fake relationship. Third of all, Christmas. And it's only 113 pages long so it's a perfect quick read to finish in one sitting.


The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan 

Set in Scotland? Check. Three sisters with secrets and complicated lives? Check. Christmas magic and a sparkly cover? Check. Once again, I pre-ordered this one (hi, I have issues), but this time on Audible. This seems like a good read for listening to while cooking or baking (I do these things occasionally). The Christmas Sisters features a coming home story for sisters Hannah, a workaholic who hasn't been home in years, Beth, a stay at home mom who wants a new life, and Posy, who takes care of her parents but is also looking for a change, possibly with her hot neighbor. This strikes me as more a clean, wholesome read with elements of romance but a greater focus on family dynamics and I can't wait to get into it.

Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber

Believe it or not, I've never read a book by Debbie Macomber! She always seemed a bit too wholesome for me, but I saw the cover of this book (hello, Aurora Borealis realness) and read the description and I knew I had to give this prolific author a try. First of all, the heroine, Josie, is a chef (hot job) and the hero, Palmer, is a freaking swordcraftsman (also a hot job), so that is the first element that drew me to this book. Plus, it's set in Alaska at a romantic snowy lodge, and I'm hyped up on Alaska still after reading The Simple Wild last month. So wish me luck on my first foray into Ms. Macomber's works! Also, look at those cute dogs on the cover.



Holiday Temptation by Donna Hill, Farrah Rochon, and K.M. Jackson 

It's not a holiday romance round-up without a few short story collections! In Holiday Temptation, Donna Hill's story A Gift of Love features a drama professor (her) and a sexy barista (him); Farrah Rochon's Holiday Spice is all about holiday travel and features jetsetting photographer Miranda falling for Christmas-enthusiast Kyle; and, lastly, K.M. Jackson's From Here to Serenity, which is more of a New Year's tale that follows a successful CEO as he goes on a cruise to relax during the holidays, and where he meets a beautiful personal chef, Essie. I love the range of settings and characters in these contemporary romances, written by some of the best of the best of the genre. Plus, my library had a copy which is always a plus! Preparing to curl up with this one whenever I'm looking for a short, sweet story in between longer books.


How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, and Joanna Shupe

Now on to the historical anthology! This one just came out this year and features short stories by some of the powerhouse authors of the genre. Admittedly, Sarah MacLean books haven't really worked for me, but I love Tessa Dare (mostly) and I've liked all the Sophie Jordan books I've read. Joanna Shupe is another author that's always on my TBR but haven't gotten to yet, so now is my chance! All of the stories in this collection feature Duke heroes (duh), but each author takes a different approach to this common trope. The story by Sophie Jordan appeals to me the most, as it features a hermit duke (love a broody dude), and she writes a bit steamier that most of the authors on this list so it will be a good change of pace for all of the wholesome holiday-ness. 



Dance All Night by Alexis Daria (Dance Off series)

Love the addition of New Year's holiday romances! In this novella, ballroom champion Jess and Broadway star Nik have a past history of New Year's kisses that went nowhere, despite their mutual attraction. Jess hates the holidays, but Nik can't stop thinking about the one that got a way, so when the holidays roll around again, he plans to finally make her his. Daria's series is full of humor and diverse characters who share a common love of dance and artistry. If you haven't checked out the series yet, definitely pick it up and then dive into this short holiday story.

A Wedding One Christmas by Theresa Beharrie

Once again, my favorite trope: a fake romance, and during the holidays no less! A comedy of errors leads Angie to be in a wedding in South Africa while she's on her way home to Capetown; a handsome stranger agrees to play her date, and he hates weddings as much as she does (same). But their feelings may go beyond fake, and this hero might be the one to help Angie heal after the death of her father as she deals with spending her first holiday without him. I love everything about this! And contemporaries set somewhere else than the typical fake small town in the U.S. are always a refreshing change of pace.


That's all for this year's holiday round-up! We'll see if I make it to all these books on my list before the holidays are officially over and I have to start planning for my 2019 reading goals. For now, I look forward to sipping cocoa, enjoying some holiday romances, and pretending it's not glaringly sunny outside.

Happy reading!

Review: Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale

Title: Small Town Hearts

Author: Lillie Vale

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Young Adult

Release Date: May 2019

Rating: 4/5 Stars













Sometimes, you just need a solid small-town romance to cleanse the palate after reading a pile of literary fiction titles and for me, Small Town Hearts was the perfect sweet treat. Small Town Hearts is a bittersweet, beautifully written book that perfectly captures the in between of growing up and childhood, of moving forward or staying in place. The story follows 19-year-old Babe, who works and lives in the small Maine town of Oar's Rest. Babe is happy to stay in town after graduation and pursue her love of baking and coffee, and plans on spending the summer with her best friends who also happen to be dating. Babe herself hasn't dated since her ex girlfriend left for college, and she certainly doesn't plan on pursuing the cute, mysterious "summer boy" Levi who is in town for a summer art program. But Babe's summer gets complicated real fast and nothing turns out quite as she plans.

Babe is the best, she bakes and makes coffee

What I loved: the setting! Oar's Rest is an idyllic small town set on the coast of Maine. Babe lives in a freaking lighthouse and is a baker and barista at a super cute coffee shop called the Busy Bean. There's an annual fish fry and sandcastle competition, and neighbors around Oar's Rest look out for each other. Yet even in this sweet small town, there's drama. Babe doesn't know her father, and her mother basically takes off most of the year to work on a cruise line. At nineteen, Babe is basically on her own and supporting herself, so her friends play an extra important role in her life as sort of her found family. So when her perfect summer plans come to a halt when her best friend, Penny, decides to break up with her other best friend, Chad, and asks Babe to do it for her, Babe knows that no matter how much she hates change, this will be a summer full of it. Babe finds some relief in Levi, an artist in town for the summer as a part of the town's Art Center's artist in residence program, but she has no desire to fall for a boy who will only be in town for a few months, so she tries her best to keep him at arm's length. Meanwhile, she finds out her ex, Elodie, also an artist, is back in town for the summer and she dreads seeing the girl who broke her heart. As you can see there are lots of juicy moments throughout the story, but overall the authenticity of the characters really shines through, even with all of their faults.

How I pictured Babe's front yard

Plus, It was nice to read a story with a bisexual heroine whose coming out isn't the focus of the story, but instead her sexuality is just already a fact about who she is. The writing is really evocative and the setting makes you wish this town was real. Although there are quite a few dramatic moments between friends and exes, I thought that was very authentic given the age of the characters. Everyone is right on the edge of being done with high school and forced to start growing up, but also reluctant to be a full-fledged adult. Babe's story really rang true for me, and I would definitely recommend this to readers who love small town settings, realistic angst, and complicated friendships and relationships. Also, it will make you really hungry so make sure you have coffee and a baked good while you're reading!

Admittedly, it was kind of odd to read this book during the holidays since it takes place in the summer, but it actually perfectly captured that warm-and-fuzzy first love feeling that is fun to read about this time of year. It's expected publication date is next May, so it will come out right in time to be a perfect summer read. A really solid YA contemporary, and I look forward to hearing more from this author!

Review: No One But You by Brenda Novak

Title: No One But You
Author: Brenda Novak
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 2017
RITA Category: Contemporary Romance - Long
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Okay, so you see that sweet-looking cover with the rain boots and the lavender and the cute font and the blurb from Debbie Macomber? Doesn't that make you think this will be a feel-good, small-town romance? Well. You're in for a bit of a surprise. I know I definitely was, because this book centers around spousal abuse, stalking, and a murder. I typically do not read summaries of books before I read them, so needless to say I was a little shocked when I started this one and the first chapter is describing the heroine going to an apparent murder house for a job interview so that she can support herself and finally escape her loveless marriage to a man who emotionally abuses her. No One But You is kind of like the most bananas Lifetime movie in book form but to be honest I enjoyed it and all of the out-of-control drama.

In No One But You, Sadie is doing everything she can to make a new life for her and her young son, Jayden, in an attempt to finally move on from a marriage to a man she no longer loves and whom she is growing to fear. The man in question is Sly (yes his name is really Sly), who is a local cop who abuses his power in order to keep Sadie under his thumb and convince the townspeople of Silver Springs that he's a stand-up guy. He does everything he can to assert his dominance over Sadie and shows almost no love to his son Jayden; in short, he's the literal worst. Meanwhile, Sadie is so desperate for her own money that she decides to apply for a job posted by the town Boo Radley, Dawson Reed, who like a year before was acquitted for the murder of his adoptive parents, who owned a farm in Silver Springs. Although innocent, the entire town thinks he's guilty anyway (fyi I hate all these townspeople) and everyone thinks Sadie is better off with her abusive ex (who they don't believe is abusive because enablers) than working for Dawson.

Warning: once you start reading you won't be able to stop if only to see how this bananas book ends

Except...Dawson is super hot! And he just wants to take care of his mentally disabled adoptive sister! And he actually likes Jayden! Unsure of who to believe, Sadie decides to have an open mind and get to know Dawson while helping him get his farm in working order and plans to help care for his sister once she can be released from the facility that cares for her. Novak does an excellent job getting the reader invested in these characters; all I wanted throughout this book was for Dawson and Sadie to get together, be happy, and for everyone else to just leave them alone. However, that wouldn't make for a very long novel, so there is quite a bit of intense drama, especially with the ex-husband. It was a pretty fun ride, but I did find some sections a little repetitive and had to stretch my suspension of disbelief for some parts of the plot, which is what prevented this read from being a solid four stars.

The preferred approach to reading this book.

Still, I really like Novak's writing and I like that the theme of this series seems to be recovering from past traumas and still being able to find a happy ending. So despite my jaw dropping for the majority of this book and the totally misleading cover, I will definitely be reading every single other book in the Silver Springs series ASAP. Recommended if you like complicated romances featuring imperfect leads and, let's face it, a bit of juicy melodrama.

Review: Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai

Title: Hate to Want You
Author: Alisha Rai
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 2017
Rating: 5/5 Glowing Stars

Why oh why did it take me so long to finally pick up this book?!?! I added it to my TBR when it came out, then I picked up a copy at The Ripped Bodice bookshop when Alisha Rai happened to be there and was kind enough to sign it for me and then I put it on my shelf reverently and haven't cracked it open since. But, I decided it was time and I'm so glad I did. After reading a few lack luster and overly tropey romances lately (reviews to come), Hate to Want You was like a breath of fresh air. 

So the premise is a juicy second chance situation between Olivia, or Livvy, Kane, who had a youthful romance with Nicholas Chandler that ended abruptly and resulted in meeting each other once a year, for the past nine years, for a one-night tryst on her birthday. Except this year, the tenth year, Nicholas, who lives for Livvy's annual text messages, doesn't hear from her. He also doesn't hear from her when she shows up back in the town where they both grew up and where he still lives, helping his family run their massively successful business-- a business which Livvy's family also used to run, until Nicholas' father cut her mother out of the partnership following a tragedy that killed Livvy's father and Nicholas' mother. There has been bad blood between the two families since, but Nicholas can't stop himself from showing back up in Livvy's life and the two become entangled once again.

The plot alone was enough to keep me reading, but beyond that, I love the characters that Rai has created. Every character has a past that impacts their present behavior, and everyone is recovering from something, some more successfully than others. Livvy and Nicholas both have histories that make communication almost impossible, and Rai touches upon both mental illness and the emotional work that women are expected to put into relationships in sensitive and intelligent ways. Both Livvy and Nicholas have a lot of growing up to do, including working on themselves before they are ready to bring each other into it. I found this incredibly realistic of actual relationships, so while Hate to Want You may feature a dramatic-sounding plot, the characters are so well-drawn that it was easy for me to become invested in their growth and their story.

Oh, and the love scenes are rated wided eyed blushing emoji for steaminess.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes complex characters in their contemporaries, plus teenage romances given a second chance. I already have book two in the series and book two was just released last month, so I know what I'll be reading for the next few weekends. I can't recommend this series enough!

Review: Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Title: Let's Talk About Love

Author: Claire Kann

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Young Adult

Release Date: January 2018

Rating: 4/5 stars

This book has been getting quite a bit of buzz on book Twitter as the lead is black, female, and biromantic asexual, which is not typical of the leads of most romance books. I thought the premise itself sounded interesting (I always love a good contemporary romance), and once I saw the cover, I was sold. Let's Talk About Love follows Alice, who is nineteen and a sophomore in college, right after her girlfriend breaks up with her because of the lack of sex in their relationship. Alice hasn't exactly come out as asexual to the world (only her two best friends, who are also dating, know), and she fears that she'll never find the romance that she craves because of who she is. Shortly afterwards, she meets Takumi, who is beautiful and kind and understanding, and she begins to question what she wants out of a relationship and if Takumi might be the one for her.

At its' core, this book is a romance but it's also a whole lot more. Alice is not only dealing with relationship stuff, but she's also struggling with her identity in other ways; she worries that her friendships won't survive adulthood, she struggles with the career path that her parents want her to follow versus discovering what she's truly passionate about, and she's still trying to figure out how to adult and be a good person. Meanwhile, Alice remains funny and endearing (despite her faults) and goes through some real growth throughout the story. The characters are bit older than most in YA romances (her love interest has just finished getting his teaching credential, and her best friends are planning to get married), but I think many teens enjoy reading about characters who are a few years older than them but who still haven't figured out who they are and who they want to be. Let's Talk About Love is a really good balance of squee-worthy romance and some coming-of-age character development. Definitely recommended, especially for readers who enjoyed Maurene Goo's I Believe in a Thing Called Love or who are looking for some diverse rep in their contemporary romances.

Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Review: Songs of Our Breakup by Jay E. Tria

Title: Songs of Our Breakup
Author: Jay E. Tria
Genre: Contemporary Romance/New Adult
Release Date: August 2015
Rating: 4/5 Stars

The first book in the Playlist series, Jay E. Tria's Songs of Our Breakup follows Jill, a musician and songwriter, as she recovers from her breakup with bandmate Kim, and begins to navigate her feelings for an old friend, Shinta. I went into this book expecting a cute, light contemporary romance read and was pleasantly surprised that the story is a lot deeper than that, addressing how we grow apart from people that we love as we age, the rough emotional period in your early twenties when you're torn between what you want for the future and reluctance to grow up, and depicts a healthy breakup before jumping in to a new relationship.

Taking place in Manila, Jill and her band, Trainman, are making it on the indie music circuit, playing festivals and releasing EPs of original material. Jill is the only girl in the band, and had previously dated the band's leader, Kim, for seven years. When we meet Jill, she and Kim have only been broken up for a few months and, according to her best friend and bandmate, Miki, she is living in the three month recovery period after a breakup. Jill thinks he means that's how long it should take to get back together, but in truth it is the time she needs to decide to move on. The story flashes back to period of Jill and Kim's relationship, both the good and the bad, and to the present, as she tries to figure out how to stay in a band with an ex, and also recognizes that she may have feelings for Shinta, a friend of their group who is a successful, handsome actor in Japan.

Literally me while reading this book

What this book does really well is realistically depict a long term relationship and what it takes to recover from that kind of breakup. The vignettes of Jill and Kim's relationship are nostalgic and relatable, and it makes it easy to see why Jill would have trouble moving on even if she has a handsome friend who has long had a crush on her. I also enjoyed that Jill and Shinta have a backstory and have always gotten along, instead of a meet-cute or a enemies-to-lovers situation that can be so common in these types of stories. The factor keeping them apart is that neither Jill nor Shinta want to rush into a relationship before they are ready, and instead acknowledge the work they need to do before they could be ready to be together. I also loved that Jill is a songwriter, and the lyrics to he band's songs are featured throughout the book. This is the kind of story that is perfect for a beach read, or to read during a road trip. Jay E. Tria's writing is heartfelt but funny, nostalgic but sarcastic, and is so much fun to read. You really feel like you are hanging out with this group of friends when you're reading. The only aspect it lacks, in my opinion, is I wish Jill had female friends as I feel that is an important part of breakup recovery, although Jill is still growing so maybe that'll be part of her future!

Please give me all the books with hot Asian leads

Book 2 in the series focuses on another band member, and book 3 returns to Shinta and Jill's relationship. I'm a little nervous to read it because I only want the best for them! At the same time, I enjoy Tria's writing so much that I feel I need to read all of her other books ASAP. Basically, if you like romances that go beyond a present-day pairing and instead allow you to get to know the lead's past and watch them grow, or if you like musician-themed romances, or if you have yet to pick up a book by one of the many amazing Filipina romance authors, definitely check out this series! I'll be compiling a list of my favorite contemporary romances from the Philippines that are perfect summer reads and you best believe this series will be on it.

Until then, happy reading!

Review: Haven by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Title: Haven
Author: Rebekah Weatherspoon
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Erotica
Release Date: April 2017
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

This book, y'all. This. Book. Okay, to start, for some reason this is my first Rebekah Weatherspoon, and after reading it I realize I need to get caught up and read her backlist. I read it really quickly, I was super invested, and I'm really hoping for another book in this series which, awesomely, is named Beards & Bondage. Let me back up and give a quick summary of what Haven is about before I fangirl too much. At the same time, I don't want to give too much away because the first few chapters really draw the reader in and if you know too much going in, it might spoil that feeling for you. So basically, there is a hot, bearded, introverted nature photographer named Shep who lives in a cabin in the woods in Northern California. Shep is into BDSM, and hasn't been able to find a partner in his tiny town who shares his interests, so he has to travel to a BDSM club for an annual sex vacation. Then, we have Claudia, who is a successful New Yorker by way of the Caribbean working in the fashion industry. They meet during a traumatic event and, both finding it difficult to recover, turn to each other for comfort.

Accurate depiction of how you'll feel reading this book

Now, what I liked about the book: first of all, Shep. He is one of my favorite heroes I've read in a long time. I like that he is introverted and thoughtful, but still really strong. He's just an overall good person, and exactly the kind of partner you would want if you had something major happen in your life that you were trying to navigate. I also really liked Claudia; she's funny and she has a backbone without being the tropey version of an independent woman. Their relationship feels very real, as a lot of their day that isn't filled with steamy sex is just like them watching Netflix and stuff.

Side note: this book is really funny. One of my favorite scenes is when a box of sex toys and floggers and stuff arrives in the mail and Claudia is like, "Should we do a haul video?" and Shep just says, "What?"; I died. Other stuff I liked about the book: um. This book is like off the charts in the steaminess department. Definitely not a book I would recommend reading at work or on a train or something.

But, unlike some erotica books I've read, the writing is really solid and the plot and the characters are so well done that it isn't just like smuttiness surrounded by a few pages of story. It's actually a really lovely story about recovery and finding the right person after you've already done some work on yourself, and the timeline for their relationship is appropriate so you don't have to read about people saying I love you within the first few chapters. Instead, I felt really invested in the characters and really enjoyed watching them grow and evolve throughout the book.

It's just so good, you guys. So if you are looking for a steamy contemporary romance that is funny and well-written and a little kinkier than your average read, definitely read Haven. It will have you daydreaming of meeting a sensitive mountain man of your own, for sure. Now, excuse me while I go find all of Rebekah Weatherspoon's other books and read them all.

Review: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

Title: Bet Me

Author: Jennifer Crusie

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 2004

Rating: 4/5 Stars

 

Yes, I realize that this book is older than most book bloggers, and that everyone my age read this ages ago. Nonetheless, I finally just read Bet Me and, you guys, I get it. I get why so many women cite this as the book that got them into romance, and I get why it’s often referenced when it comes to book recs. It’s even aged pretty well, considering it came out before social media really took off (sorry, Friendster). So, in case you are like me and incredibly late to this party, Bet Me centers on the lives of Minerva, or Min, Dobbs, an actuary who doesn’t want to find the one but may be forced into discovering him anyway, and Cal Morrissey, a super handsome, successful so-called womanizer with a penchant for making ten dollar bets with his friends. They are both fresh from break ups when their paths cross, and their lives and the lives of their friends and families become instantly intertwined. Min thinks she overhears Cal accepting a bet that he can get her into bed for ten dollars, and she decides to mess with him and accept his offer to dinner, and hopefully at least scoring an instant wedding date out of the arrangement. Hilarity ensues and romance abounds. There’s Italian food, there’s a stray cat, and lots of descriptions of shoes that would have been considered very fashionable in the early 2000’s.

Shout out to my fellow olds who know where this is from!

Since this is a pretty well-known book, I won’t delve too deep into the minutiae of the story line, but will mention what appealed to me most. This book struck a balance between being funny, and being emotionally poignant, but not in a cheesy way. Even though some out-there things happen (it is a romance novel, after all), I still found the characters to be believable and their actions made sense throughout the course of the story. When they messed up, they realized it and figured out how to make it better. Even the ‘bad guys’ of the story: the exes, both Min’s ex David and Cal’s ex Cynthie are not portrayed as evil and the other characters don’t hate them, even though they plot and do terrible things to keep Min and Cal apart. They aren’t completely villainous, which is so easy to do in romance-landia. At times when Cynthie and David are plotting I may have yelled “Give it a rest!” out loud at my Kindle, but it’s a good sign when you talk to your books, right?

How I felt whenever Cynthie would insist she was about to win Cal back

 The only thing that I don’t think aged very well is how Min’s weight is treated. It kind of reminded me of Love Actually, a film I despise btw, wherein an average-sized woman is constantly referred to as "the fat one" and Hugh Grant's character falls in love with her anyway. Now, Min isn't treated quite that abysmally and overall she learns how to feel comfortable in her body, but the focus on her weight was kind of hard for me to read. It honestly sounded like she was maybe a size 10 and that was considered some kind of travesty. However, this was mostly coming from flawed characters, like her mother, who is basically a terrible person throughout the book. On the positive side, it was nice to read about her going shopping and picking out clothes that made her happy instead of trying to look thinner. Still, major eye roll that a man inspires this change in her. I do realize that this book was written during peak Atkins obsession, so the whole no carb-obsession that Min has makes some sense. Even so, I think if this book was written today, the way that Min's weight is described and discussed would be more sensitive (I hope).

It was also a little strange that Min was so adamant about not taking Cal seriously. Most of the conflict stems from her not believing someone who looks like him could like someone who looks like her, and she doesn't want to get emotionally invested (and hurt). She calls him the devil so many times, I lost count. Luckily the fates were on their side, otherwise who knows whether she'd get her HEA. She really needed therapy, or maybe a yoga class or something, because emotionally she was all over the place. Actually, Cal was also emotionally damaged because surprise surprise he also has awful parents, so pretty much both of these people needed to do some work on themselves before participating in a fully functional relationship. But I digress.

Despite its' flaws, this book still makes me feel like cheering

Overall, this book is kind of like contemporary romance junk food. It’s got the impossibly handsome hero falling for the notably average heroine, lots of inane conflict that could have been resolved if people communicated better, awesome female friendships, and choosing to be with someone who deserves you and treats you right instead of whoever is there. Even the frustrating aspects of the story don’t take away from it being a fun, feel-good read. If you like rom-coms like 27 Dresses and that one movie where Deborah Messing hires a prostitute as a wedding date, this book will feel very familiar and comforting. I would say this is an awesome sick day read.

Review: Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Title: Slammed
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: Contemporary/New Adult
Release Date: January 2012
Rating: 2/5 Stars

New Adult is a category of books that I’m still warming up to; last year, I read Confess by Colleen Hoover, and was almost surprised that I really enjoyed it. Although that book had a few issues, it still made me want to venture into her back list for my Contemporary Romance challenge, and I ended up reading Slammed, which centers around 18-year-old Layken (this name makes me cringe, tbh) aka Lake (much better), and her 21-year-old neighbor Will. Lake’s dad just passed away and she moved with her mother and younger brother to Michigan, allegedly for her mother’s work but Lake has her own suspicions of why they moved. Meanwhile, she meets Will as soon as she moves in, and he is super hot and super into her so she’s like “Maybe Michigan’s not so bad” and decides to give the move a chance. For some reason, Will is super into slam poetry even though it’s no longer 1996, and he takes Lake to a slam poetry night at a Detroit club. This bothered me a little bit because Will and Lake live in Ypsilanti, which is a lot closer to Ann Arbor than Detroit and I kind of feel like that is where they would go to hear some really bad college student slam poetry, but I digress. Back to the plot summary. Also, spoiler alert because I’m not sure how to explain my issues with this book without spoiling a little bit. Keep reading if you have read this already or are okay with being spoilered.