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CHECK AND MATE BY ALI HAZELWOOD // spoiler-free book review: this book has me in a chokehold and we don’t talk about this NA rivals to lovers chess rom-com enough!!!
I just can’t stay quiet any longer. I must stand up and speak my truth: you are all wrong if you disliked this book and yes I have an argument to back myself up. What can’t of an amateur do you think I am? Anyways, let’s just get right into it!!! Title: Check & MateAuthor: Ali HazelwoodPage count: 325Date published: 7 November 2023Genre: New adult contemporary ♟️ Synopsis: Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess. Nolan’s loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What’s even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory’s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can’t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist…. As she…
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BEGIN AGAIN BY EMMA LORD // spoiler-free book review: you 1000% need this friends-to-lovers NA contemporary romance that’ll also make you cry in your life!!!
IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING BUT, IT’S YOU AND ME, THAT’S MY WHOLE WORLD. Had to start this one off with a Taylor Swift reference, I just couldn’t pass it off hehe Let’s dive right in! Title: Begin AgainAuthor: Emma LordPage count: 352Date published: 24 January 2023Genre: New adult contemporary 🌳 Synopsis: As usual, Andie Rose has a plan: Transfer from community college to the hyper competitive Blue Ridge State, major in psychology, and maintain her lifelong goal of becoming an iconic self-help figure despite the nerves that have recently thrown her for a loop. All it will take is ruthless organization, hard work, and her trademark unrelenting enthusiasm to pull it all together. But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack…
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ALEX, APPROXIMATELY BY JENN BENNETT // spoiler-free book review: my new fave ya contemporary ft. all the summery beach vibes & stunning enemies to lovers romance
Eeep I’m finally caught up on old reviews so now I can yell about books I’ve read fairly recently. Are you proud of me? Because I am. This book means a whole lot to me and I’m very mad at myself for taking so long to read it. But it was absolutely everything and I need to shove it down all of your throats. Yup, you have no choice. Let’s get into the squealing <3<3<3 Title: Alex, ApproximatelyAuthor: Jenn BennettPage count: 392Date published: 4 April 2017Genre: Young Adult contemporary romance ☀️ Synopsis: Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online by “Alex.” Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush. Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new arch-nemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers…
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INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR LYNN PAINTER // chatting all things rom-com with the lovely author of BTTM and MWN ft. the love wager cover reveal (!!)
Today is an exciting day my friends because I’m here to spoil you rotten with all the rom-com content!!!! Not only am I interviewing the lovely author of Better Than The Movies and Mr. Wrong Number aka Lynn Painter, but I’m also revealing the cover of her upcoming adult romance The Love Wager. Scream with me!!! We’ll start with the lovely author interview and then you’ll just have to keep reading for that cover. I’m sneaky right? Lynn Painter writes romantic comedies for both teens and adults. She is the author of Better Than The Movies and Mr. Wrong Number, as well as a regular contributor to the Omaha World-Herald. She lives in Nebraska with her husband and pack of wild children, and when she isn’t reading or writing, odds are good she’s guzzling energy drinks and watching rom-coms. 💌 Instagram // Twitter // Website // Facebook INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR LYNN PAINTER Hi hello Lynn, before we get into the questions, I wanted to give a big thank you for being here today and a congratulations on your success with Better Than The Movies and Mr Wrong Number. I’m so excited for what’s more to come! Let’s get into…
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FROM LUKOV WITH LOVE BY MARIANA ZAPATA // book talk: somebody needs to cure my obsession ft. figure skating & enemies-to-lovers gloriousness
I know I joke about it frequently but this time I’m being very serious as I ACTUALLY DO NEED HELP! I need to be stopped. When I say that I have been rereading this book over and over since I finished, I do not exaggerate. Some would call it unhealthy, I call it being obsessed and needing ~serotonin~ in my life. Mariana Zapata is just a godsend and I LITERALLY ADORE HER SO MUCH. Now let’s dive into my sanity breakdown. Title: From Lukov with Love Series: [unofficial] Santos Sisters #2 Author: Mariana Zapata Page count: 542 Date published: 1 February 2018 Genre: Adult contemporary romance ❄ Synopsis: If someone were to ask Jasmine Santos to describe the last few years of her life with a single word, it would definitely be a four-letter one. After seventeen years—and countless broken bones and broken promises—she knows her window to compete in figure skating is coming to a close. But when the offer of a lifetime comes in from an arrogant idiot she’s spent the last decade dreaming about pushing in the way of a moving bus, Jasmine might have to reconsider everything. Including Ivan Lukov. ❄ ADD TO GOODREADS ❄ STAR…
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VALENTINE’S DAY ROMANCE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS // 10 romantic reads to make you smile, yearn, laugh and cry (in no particular order)
I refuse to take notice of the fact that I’m listening to driver’s license amongst other songs that are considered “sad” this weekend, so do with that what you will. Yes, I was being dramatic but also I am kinda only in the mood for sad music. Truly no idea why. Who else has been streaming driver’s license and acts indifferent but is also very invested in that drama? Okay, I’ll stop now because we are here for happy books and smiles. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone. I mean, it’s technically tomorrow (in my time zone) but I’m trying to be slightly on time. Before we start, wanted to let ya know I was going to make this part of the Distracting Yourself series however idk if it fits, but I would like to say that social distancing is still a thing my friends. I hope you’re listening and adhering to guidelines. Now that that’s out of the way, I wanted to do something fun for a Valentine’s Day post, and whilst this isn’t unique or anything, you may have noticed that I’ve been reading quite a lot of romance lately. Idk did you pick up on that? So I may have…
