Scan barcode
romancedispatch's reviews
284 reviews
Isn't It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
His bottom lip wobbled again, and it was like seeing her old friend after a long absence. Her gentle giant. Her hug in human form. The man she had never deserved and never would.
THE STORY:
Vlad joined the Bromance Book Club to learn how to make his wife love him, but all he's learned is that he deserves more. But the Bros are unwilling to let Vlad forgo true love, and this time they join forces with Vlad's senior citizen neighbors. And just when things finally look promising, the danger from Elena's past life intrudes. Now the book club face their first-ever life-or-death grand gesture as they race to a HEA.
WHAT I LOVED:
Everything! I’ve been a Vlad stan since book one, and was waiting for this installment with bathed breath. This story was everything I hoped for.
Elena and Vlad as main characters are so real and complex, it’s impossible not to love them. I’ll admit I wasn’t sold on Elena at the beginning, but I quickly changed my mind when I realized that she’s a tortured soul with a lot of love to give. Elena being a journalist also added a personal touch to the story, since the author herself used to be a journalist, too.
All in all, I was completely transported by the story. Miss Adams’ books have been called “a masterclass on novel construction”, and I agree. One minute I was laughing, then biting my nails, then sobbing, then crying tears of joy. I don’t get emotional often while reading, but Lyssa Kay Adams just gets me every time.
IN A NUTSHELL:
ISN’T IT BROMANTIC? is simply unputdownable. Sweet, heartfelt, emotional, tender; like a hug. There’s also pets, a dubious, clandestine cheese market (aka SPEAK CHEESY), and a Russian main character with a magnificent arse. What more do you want?
Would I Lie To You? by Aliya Ali-Afzal
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Faiza has strived to fit in all her adult life. It took a few years, but all those Wimbledon mothers who used to mistake her for the nanny finally treat her as one of their own. But then her husband Tom loses his job in finance, and Faiza starts to unravel – because she secretly spent all the money Tom had put aside for emergencies, and in less than two months, they’ll be bankrupt. What’s left but to lie, and try and get the money back?
WHAT I LOVED:
The pacing! The story is told in „how many weeks before the money’s gone“ time. Basically, a countdown to ruin. We follow Faiza not only as she worries about her husband and her children, but also in all her attempts to pull money from *somewhere* so she doesn’t have to tell Tom the shameful truth. And I swear my pulse skyrocketed each time one of Faiza‘s safety nets disappeared. My heart ached for Faiza: it was awful to see how one lie can spiral out of control and shake a family to its core, and even sadder to see how Faiza is trapped in her own lies and incapable of seeing the truth.
We also get to experience all the unconscious bias and very blatant racism that Faiza encounters during her attempts at saving her family, and also that her own children encounter, being biracial - and I loved to see south asian culture and relationship written in a believable and interesting way. It reminded my of „Such a fun age“.
IN A NUTSHELL:
This was a page-turner of a book: it had tension, it had DRAMA, it had compelling dialogues and characters (although I found myself frustrated with Faiza’s naivety towards the end) and some twists and turns that will keep you glued to the page.
It’s heartfelt, compelling, and funny and I definitely recommend adding „Would I lie to you“ to your summer reads.
The Engagement Arrangement by Jaci Burton
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Brenna Bellini's chosen to be a bridesmaid in her friend's wedding. When she realizes that she’s going to have to spend four days in the company of not only her ex-husband, but also his new wife (her high school nemesis), she enlists Finn Nolan to act as her fake fiancé. Finn's had it bad for Brenna ever since he came over from Ireland to work at the Bellini family vineyard. After falling for her from afar for years, he’s determined to show Brenna that he is her Mr. Right.
Unfortunately, this book was not for me.
Despite how much I wanted to like Brenna, I couldn’t warm up to her. You’d think someone who’s dated and has been married would have a bit maturity and experience at life and relationships, but she behaved like a crazy, dramatic teen all the time, acting moody and childish around everyone, especially her love interest.
Finn, on the other hand, was way too mellow and never really even argued with Brenna, so I didn’t really feel the chemistry between them. The sex scenes are great, but the lead up to them makes little sense. Also, that’s the second time I see the heroine leaving the hero in the middle of a date to go about a business deal. Is this normal? Is that what people do today? Leave right in the middle of a date? If a guy did that to me, I sure wouldn’t want to see him again.
One more thing that put me off: Finn doesn’t sound Irish at all, despite having lived in Ireland for 18 years before moving to the US. And Brenna’s father also doesn’t sound as Italian as he should. Why write foreign characters if you don’t know your foreign languages?
All in all, this was a light, easy read, and I really enjoyed the parts of the book that dealt with the vineyard, the wedding business and the process of wine and whisky making, but that’s as far as it goes for me.
Thank you NetGalley for gifting me an eARC, in exchange for my honest opinions.
PS / SPOILER:
I don’t know if I’m going to stick around for book three in this series. This book kind of solidified my fear that book three will be about the third Bellini sister, Honor, and Owen - Erin Bellini’s Owen, the guy who left Erin at the altar in book one. Yeah, not a big fan of the „sister’s ex fiancé“ trope. I’m not here for it.