Quick Reviews

 Lucy on the Wild Side by Kerry Rea (2022)

Primatologist Lucy desperately wants to be promoted to senior keeper, and when a famed reality show chooses her zoo to film at over the summer, she sees a chance to show her love for her animals, despite her crippling fear of cameras.  What she doesn't expect are the complicated feelings she develops for Kai, the show's host - this summer might be one that changes Lucy's life forever.  This is Rea's second book and if I was worried about the second-book slump, I had no reason to be.  I loved this book and I love the characters that Rea creates.  Lucy was so relatable - she hates public speaking, is a bit afraid of stepping outside her comfort zone, sweats constantly, and has a complicated relationship with her mother.  Kai was also a well-rounded character - a celebrity who has his own issues with his mother (who just happens to be Lucy's idol).  The way the relationship bloomed between them was beautiful - moving from a bad first impression to finally understanding each other.  There's a bit of humor, not too much drama, but definitely some sad scenes - bring your tissues!  But overall, you're going to fall in love with Lucy, Kai, and all the gorillas.  4.5 stars

Hard to Handle by K. Bromberg (2020)

Dekker is a sports agent sent to woo a hockey player from his current agent, but things are complicated because she and Hunter used to hook up, and lately Hunter has been a mess, on and off the ice.  Can Dekker help him before he self-destructs, without crossing any professional lines?  I struggled with this one a bit.  The pacing is absolutely glacial for at least the first half of the book.  It felt like nothing was happening, and Hunter just kept alluding to *something* that happened with his brother.  I was getting so annoyed, like, just come out with it already!  Once more things were revealed, I got into the story more.  Even though I didn't 100% feel their connection, especially given their history, I appreciated how Dekker was really able to get through to Hunter, and by the end of the story, he seemed like a completely different person, a likeable one!  His family dynamics were heartbreaking, and for that reason I was rooting for him.  If you enjoy angsty, dramatic, second-chance romances, or sports romances, this might be one for you to check out.  3 stars

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