Cover Reveal: Friends With Benedicts by Staci Hart

Look at this cute cover! Friends With Benedicts is a brand new rom-com from Staci Hart! I cannot WAIT to read this one! Pre-order your copy today.

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Timing is everything.

Presley Hale and Sebastian Vargas are no strangers to goodbye. Their high school summers were spent wrapped up in each other until she would inevitably go home to California. One season after college, Sebastian finally escaped the little Texas town to travel the world, and they said goodbye for what they thought might be the last time.

Sebastian went one way. Presley went the other.

For the first time in five years, they’re both in town, but the timing is no better than ever. So the only thing to do is what they do best. Keep it casual.

Friends with benefits.

They’ve done it before—doing it again will be easy.

But their hearts don’t get the memo.

When the lines of their arrangement blur, Presley and Sebastian are faced with decisions they’ve avoided for years. And that’s not even their biggest problem.

A small town in danger of failing.

A secret that could tear them apart.

And two hearts that can’t hide anymore.

They’ve shared so many summers, but none compare to what they’ll face.

Timing is everything.

And their time is almost up.

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. When she's not writing, she's reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

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Mini-Reviews: Family Dramas

The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson (2020)

When their grandmother Helen passes away, three estranged siblings and their mother find a priceless heirloom among her possessions, the Florentine Diamond, a 137-carat yellow diamond missing since 1918 in Austria.  The family must prove they are the rightful owners, leading them down a path to learn more about their own family history, while confronting personal issues and long-held grudges.

This story is based on the true story of the real-life still-missing Florentine Diamond, which I had never heard of, so that was an interesting aspect of the story.  I really enjoyed the parts of the story where Helen's family begins their search into her mysterious past.  The way things were revealed was interesting, from Helen's mother's connection to the Austrian royal family to how Helen herself arrived in America.  I liked watching the siblings' interactions, especially because they hadn't been together in so many years and now have differing views on what to do with their possible inheritance.  What I didn't really care for was all the time spent on their current personal issues - Jake is having a baby with his girlfriend, Ashley's husband is having serious work issues, and Beck recently got out of a relationship.  The book wasn't super long, but it could have easily been shorter; I wished the book focused less on the characters' individual issues and spent more time on Helen.  3.5 stars

The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney (2016)

 

The Plumb siblings have been looking forward to receiving their portions of the family inheritance, dubbed "The Nest," for years, but some terrible mistakes made by oldest brother Leo have drained nearly the entire amount.  The siblings now must deal with the ramifications and learn how to move forward, with or without the money.

I wanted to like this one more than I actually did.  The premise is really interesting, these siblings having to figure out how to deal with each other when they're all going through their own issues.  The problem was, they were all so unlikable.  They're selfish and pretentious and shallow.  They've relied too much on the assumption that they will each inherit a substantial amount of money and this will solve all their problems, instead of making better choices and avoiding the problems in the first place.  Beyond the siblings, there are a ton of other characters to keep track of, each with their own little storyline that either doesn't go anywhere or doesn't add much to the book.  I thought the writing was good, but the characters just really ruined it for me.  Disappointing for me, unfortunately!  2.5 stars

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Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Soulmate Equation

 Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

 

The Soulmate Equation

Christina Lauren

Expected publication date: May 18, 2021

Single mom Jess Davis is a data and statistics wizard, but no amount of number crunching can convince her to step back into the dating world. Raised by her grandparents—who now help raise her seven-year-old daughter, Juno—Jess has been left behind too often to feel comfortable letting anyone in. After all, her father’s never been around, her hard-partying mother disappeared when she was six, and her ex decided he wasn’t “father material” before Juno was even born. Jess holds her loved ones close, but working constantly to stay afloat is hard...and lonely.

But then Jess hears about GeneticAlly, a buzzy new DNA-based matchmaking company that’s predicted to change dating forever. Finding a soulmate through DNA? The reliability of numbers: this Jess understands.

At least she thought she did, until her test shows an unheard-of 98% compatibility with another subject in the database: GeneticAlly’s founder, Dr. River Pena. This is one number she can’t wrap her head around, because she already knows Dr. Pena. The stuck-up, stubborn man is without a doubt not her soulmate. But GeneticAlly has a proposition: Get to know him and we’ll pay you. Jess—who is barely making ends meet—is in no position to turn it down, despite her skepticism about the project and her dislike for River. As the pair are dragged from one event to the next as the “Diamond” pairing that could make GeneticAlly a mint in stock prices, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to the scientist—and the science behind a soulmate—than she thought.

Funny, warm, and full of heart, The Soulmate Equation proves that the delicate balance between fate and choice can never be calculated. - from Goodreads

Christina Lauren has become an auto-read author for me, so of course I'm looking forward to this one!

Down The TBR Hole #21

Down the TBR Hole is a feature created by Lost in a Story (although the blog seems to be down).  I've seen it on a few other blogs and thought I would try it out myself!  It seems like a really good way to cull your TBR of those books you're no longer interested in.  So, how does it work?

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

Here are the books I'm looking at this time:

 

The Other People by C.J. Tudor

 

After his daughter disappears, a man never gives up hope finding her, leading him to a group called The Other People.  I'm just not super into this - pass!

The Poison Garden by Alex Marwood

 

A young woman raised in a cult finally escapes, but now she's alone, expecting a baby, and doesn't know who to trust.  This one isn't grabbing me, either - pass!

The Camera Never Lies by David Rawlings

 

Daniel is a successful marriage counselor and author, but behind the scenes, his own marriage is falling apart and his daughter is drifting away.  He inherits a camera, but the pictures come out strange, and he finds himself having to choose between keeping his secrets or saving his family.  This sounds kind of intriguing, but the reviews seem mixed - pass!

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten

 

After the death of Peter the Great of Russia, his wife Catherine assumes power.  This historical fiction novels tells the story of her life from her humble beginnings to her rise to power.  Love the sound of this - keep!

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

 

The host of a true crime podcast investigates in a small-town rape trial, and the mystery of what really happened to her sister 25 years ago re-emerges.  This sounds really good - keep!

The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye

 

It's 1921 and after fleeing Harlem, Alice finds refuge in the Paragon Hotel in Portland.  However, racial tensions are taking over the city.  I'm just not really interested in this one anymore - pass!

The Last Day by Andrew Hunter Murray

In a dystopian near-future, the Earth has stopped rotating, leaving half the world in cold darkness and the other in blinding sunlight.  Nations fight for survival while a lone scientist comes across a secret that threatens all of humanity.  I can't resist an "end of the world" type novel - keep!

Have you read any of these?

 

Romance Quick Reviews

Royal Icing by Aven Ellis (2020)

While attempting to land the biggest job of her career (providing the cookies for the upcoming royal wedding), baker Poppy crosses paths with the Prince of Wales, Alexander, but their burgeoning relationship won't be easy.  I had some issues with this one, unfortunately.  The compressed timeline felt like the relationship was moving at warp speed, and Poppy and Alexander were worrying about issues they didn't need to yet.  The writing wasn't as good as I wanted it to be; cringey dialogue, too much telling, and not enough showing.  The characters are all one-dimensional; everyone is perfect except for the "villain," who is OTT nasty.  But, I can never resist the trope of royalty falling in love with regular people, and there were a lot of good discussions about what that meant for Poppy and Alexander's relationship.  The book kicks off with an adorable meet-cute, and I loved the way Alexander opened up to Poppy like he never had with anyone before - such a swoon-worthy prince!  3 stars

Street Smart by Aly Stiles (2021)

 

Office romance between an intern and his boss as they work together to investigate corporate espionage.  It's still early in the year, but I know for sure this is going to end up on my "best of 2021" list, this book was that good!  It has everything - it's smart and sexy and funny, with an intriguing plot and well-rounded characters.  I loved Marcos - he hasn't had the easiest life, but he's worked hard and has landed an amazing internship at a huge company while he works toward his MBA.  On his first day, he comes across some suspicious documents involving the owner's son and his new company.  He then finds himself working with his boss, Eva, to uncover what's going on.  I loved watching these two work together - not only do they have amazing chemistry, but they're both super smart.  Their brains are just as attractive to each other as their physical qualities.  Between the snappy writing, the romance, and the fun side characters, I couldn't stop reading this book!  5 stars

Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese (2020)

 

Rising college soccer star Willa Sutter is a force on the field, but off it she avoids confrontation and hates being vulnerable.  Ryder Bergman, her new class partner, might be just the person to change that.  This book is exactly the type of romance I've been enjoying - it's funny but still has depth.  Both Willa and Ryder are facing tough things in their lives - Willa's mom is seriously ill with cancer, and Ryder lost most of his hearing a couple years earlier.  I really enjoyed the college setting (especially their roommates), and the forced proximity between the two, having to work on projects and study together, really worked.  The tension and attraction between the two was obvious from the start, but their romance is definitely a bit of a slow burn.  I wanted them to just get over the whole "frenemy" issue!  Ryder's patience with and attention to Willa is unparalleled, though, and I'm looking forward to getting to know the rest of the Bergman clan in the next books in the series.  4 stars

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Can't-Wait Wednesday: Malibu Rising

 Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

 

Malibu Rising

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Expected publication date: June 1, 2021

Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever.

Malibu: August 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over--especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud--because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he's been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can't stop thinking about promised she'll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own--including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind. - from Goodreads

I preordered this book back in September, that's how excited I am for it!

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is our spring TBR!  I managed to read all 10 books on my winter TBR, so yay me!  I'm still on a romance kick, but I'm trying to incorporate other genres, too, so here are the picks for my spring TBR!

 

Where should I start first?