This was soooo cute. Once I started reading I really couldn’t put it down. While the “small town mom falls for a movie star” feels pretty classic, I loved the characters, the quick writing style, and there were a few moments that suprised me. I will say the miscommunication trope is a little heavy-handed, and its impact lasted longer than I thought was really reasonable. But still recommended for anyone looking for a fast-paced romance with deep themes that just flows.

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Really enjoyed this one!

What I liked:
– The characters
– The themes of accepting yourself and braving failure
– Lots of well-executed romance tropes

What I didn’t like:
– Self-awareness of tropes (I’ve seen this a lot recently and it always takes me out of the story)
– A little cheesiness in the dialogue between the couple and… that final scene between them was a little cringe for me.

Recommended for anyone looking for a solid romance!

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I have big mixed feelings on this one. Regency romance isn’t really my thing generally, but I found a “most popular series” list and I’d tried nearly all of them, so my completionist self is now exploring the last few I missed.

I really liked the comedic sense of the gossip papers and the light-hearted writing style. But honestly there’s two big plot points (see spoilers below) that were (and I don’t use this word lightly) problematic and definitely not romantic.

Highlight to See Spoiler

I mean the brothers forcing Simon to marry Daphne at gunpoint, and Daphne herself manipulating him just felt so… ugh. And then… Daphne makes it her mission to *change* Simon even after he’s very explicit with her about what he does and does not want. When he doesn’t bend, she forces herself on him while he’s drunk and asleep. O_O

If not for those things, I think I could’ve enjoyed this or might read the sequels one day, but those two big elements just left my skin crawling. So… yeah. Not for me. But if you’re a regency romance fan or a fan of the Netflix seris, it could be for you!

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I’m a sucker for a time loop, and I liked Solomon’s Today, Tonight, Tomorrow, so I picked this one up. Overall, I think it was a satisfying new adult romance with slowburn type of romance, but I also thought it was on the slow side and kind of predictable. The audiobook was well-narrated, so if you’re looking for a college time loop story very similar to Palm Springs with sweet but awkward protagonists, give this one a try.

⭐⭐⭐½

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What I liked:

• The narration
• Ryder was very sweet and overcomes a lot

What I didn’t like:

• Willa. The mental gymnastics she does to convince herself that Ryder has wronged her and not to really communicate is super frustrating. Especially when she’s relatively aware she’s the problem, but continues to be the problem.
• The “frenemies” thing here didn’t quite work for me, since I thought it was pretty clear they were friends/into each other from the start.

In general, there were lot of good elements here that just didn’t quite gel for me. If you’re looking for a new adult college romance with some spice though, you might want to give it a try.

⭐⭐⭐

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Okay, this one is really tough for me to review, because this was one of those rare instances where the audiobook narration really bothered me. And in some cases, it was nearly impossible for me to tell whether it was the writing that was throwing me off or the weird cadence of the narrator.

What I liked:

• The premise. Combining high fantasy with a workplace comedy a la The Office. YES.

What I didn’t like:

• The characters didn’t connect for me, and I felt like we covered not a lot of ground for the length of this book, and the, (in what is a huge pet-peeve of mine) we got an abrupt cliffhanger in an ending that didn’t give much satisfaction.

So, I won’t be reading the sequel, but lots of people loved this book, so it could just be me! If the premise intrigues you, definitely check it out, but as much as I love audiobooks, I recommend you go print for this one.

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Another super popular book, that just wasn’t quite for me. Actually, I think I felt very similar to how I felt about Dead Romantics, so if you like that, you’ll probably like this one.

What I liked:

• The premise. A time-traveling apartment that takes you back 7 years. Awesome!

What I didn’t like:

• Eh, I just didn’t feel like I really connected to the characters, and the tension wasn’t really there for me.

So although I liked it (and would totally watch the movie), I didn’t love it. Audiobook narration was great though, and if you’re looking for a solid romance with a thought-provoking premise, check this one out!

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