Friday, 15 November 2024
Tuesday, 5 November 2024
ARC Review: "LOST AND LASSOED" by Lyla Sage
Hello readers!
The time has finally come and now I can say: Happy Publication Day to Lyla Sage for her Lost and Lassoed 💚
I'm so happy you can finally read this book, that I'm sure won't disappoint you.
In the meantime, I have to thank Penguin Random House International for the free copy. I'm so proud to be one of your International Partners.
So, first of all, the useful information:
Title: Lost and Lassoed (Rebel Blue Ranch, #3)
Author: Lyla Sage
Publishing Date: November 05, 2024
Publisher: The Dial Press
Pages: 336 (paperback)
Price: $17.99
From the author of Done and Dusted and Swift and Saddled, the highly anticipated next book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, a small town romance in which enemies turn to lovers when they're forced to work together during one hot summer.
Teddy Andersen doesn’t have a plan. She’s never needed one before. She’s always been more of a go with the flow type of girl, but for some reason, the flow doesn’t seem to be going her way this time.
Her favorite vintage suede jacket has a hole in it, her sewing machine is broken, and her best friend just got engaged. Suddenly, everything feels like it’s starting to change. Teddy’s used to being a leader, but now she feels like she’s getting left behind, wondering if life in the small town she loves is enough for her anymore.
Gus Ryder has a lot on his plate. He doesn’t know what’s taking care of his family’s 8,000 acre ranch, or parenting his spunky six-year-old daughter, who is staying with him for the summer. Gus has always been the dependable one, but when his workload starts to overwhelm him, he has to admit that he can’t manage everything on his own. He needs help.
His little sister’s best friend, the woman he can’t stand, is not who he had in mind. But when no one else can step in, Teddy's the only option he’s got. Teddy decides to use the summer to try and figure out what she wants out of life. Gus, on the other hand, starts to worry that he’ll never find what he needs.
Tempers flare, tension builds, and for the first time ever, Gus and Teddy start to see each other in a different light. As new feelings start to simmer below the surface, they must decide whether or not to act on them. Can they keep things cool? Or will both of them get burned?
Review:
Rate: 5 ⭐
My love for PRHinternational is endless, because they always grant me in advance to
read a good amount of my most expected books of the year (thank you Rafa! 💚).
The first thing I have to say is: there's one queen in my cowboy romance era, and that's Lyla Sage.
I
can't think about another author (in this subgenre) as skilled
welcoming readers in such a natural atmosphere, because Rebel Blue Ranch
feels like home, and you can easily imagine wind ruffling your hair, sun warming up your face while surrounded by nature. Anyone can immediately
understand Lyla's love for the environment she grew up with just reading her novels.
That
said, Lost and Lassoed is the story everyone wanted to read after ending Done
and Dusted, I'm sure you all agree with me, and I want to reassure you immediately, readers, you won't be disappointed. At the same time, I'm sorry Lyla experienced so much pressure for this reason, but she really gifted us with a precious story to treasure.
Thankfully, Lost and Lassoed has so much more to tell than that.
With this novel we come to know for real both Gus and Teddy, going under the fierce masks they use to present themselves to the world.
I honestly didn't imagine I'll appreciate them so much, especially Theodora, but the love they have for the people they care about conquered me in one second. Teddy's relationship with her father is amazing, I loved every single moment between them; not to mention how she entered in Riley's daily life without an effort, always respectful towards her parents. It was beautiful to see them interact in such a natural way, without having the impression Teddy will substitute Cam's role in Riley's life. At the same time, even if she was barely present, I liked how Cam appeared here and there, to not make us forget that she's Riley's mother and she cares about her daughter. It could appear a stupid note to add, but in a good amount of books this kind of details is often left forgotten, but I think it gives the story a more realistic nuance.
I also enjoyed every conversation and discussion Emmy and Teddy had, because for me they're the true friendship endgame: not perfect, but a bond formed by people who care about each other and are willing to learn from their mistakes. But this is a Ryder trait I suppose, every Amos' child is not afraid to have a confrontation and resolve things. I'm also a fan of Gus and Luke as well, and I'm still hoping to have a chance to see more of it in the future.
Furthermore, I loved (and cried a lot for that) how Lyla talked about the fear to loose someone we deeply love knowing we're not eternal nor immortal, and the way she linked it with the idea to preserve in our heart the heartwarming moments we share with them. This father-daughter bond is expressed in different shades during the entire story with a delicateness I really admired, but I can't forget also Amos role in all those books: he's the constant presence in his children's lives, always caring and discreet, but also stern when they still need him to be.
So, to wrap up, this book will be a roller coaster with some heart attacks along the way, but have faith in Lyla and be prepared for a moving but passionate novel that will make you fall in love even harder with the Rebel Blue Ranch's characters.
Thanks for reading me until the end, let me know what you'll think about it💚
To the next review!
Chiara
Monday, 4 November 2024
WRAP-UP OTTOBRE 2024
CAMILLA
- A FATE INKEND IN BLOOD di Danielle L. Jensen - 3 stelle!
Ero molto entusiasta di leggere la nuova storia della Jensen e se all'inizio mi stava prendendo, sfortunatamente andando avanti ho smesso di essere interessata. È più un problema mio che altro, perché la narrazione evolve verso la ricerca di qualcosa e questa tipologia di storie mi annoiano. Per questo ho continuato ad andare avanti quasi per inerzia. La storia d'amore ha un inizio interessante, ma arrivata alla fine di tutto devo dire che niente mi ha colpito particolarmente per andare avanti con la serie.
In questa seconda lettura mi è piaciuta molto di più la storia. Rileggendo la mia recensione pretendete non capisco come ho fatto a non apprezzare Aurora, che questa volta ho trovato esilarante. Magari è l'aver riletto il libro in inglese... bho. Adoro la Zapata e lo slow burn delle sue storie. Ti dà il tempo di conoscere veramente i personaggi e farti capire cosa provano l'uno nei confronti dell'altro. L'angst che si percepisce è sublime, mi ha tenuta incollata alle pagine con la speranza che facessero quel passo in più e allo stesso tempo sperando di soffrire con loro ancora un pochino, solo per avere altre scene che mi facessero venire voglia di gridare in un cuscino. Oltre a essere bellissimo il rapporto tra i due protagonisti, è meraviglioso anche il rapporto che lei instaura con il figlio di lui. Mi è piaciuto veramente tanto e questa volta ho capito come mai è uno dei romanzi più apprezzati della scrittrice.
Sempre molto divertente, ma un po' meno appassionante del primo. Trovate la mia recensione completa qui.
- THE GOD & THE GUMIHO di Sophie Kim - 3.5 stelle!
Questo libro sarebbe da leggere solo per il finale, che ho trovato letteralmente PERFETTO. Descriverei la storia come Stalking Jack the Ripper incontra Lore Olympus, ma con la mitologia coreana. È stato interessante soprattutto conoscere quest'ultima e vedere gli elementi di similitudine che i loro dei hanno con quelli greci. La parte mystery all'inizio non mi stava convincendo perché la stavo trovando troppo facile, ma verso la fine la scrittrice ha ribaltato le carte in tavola da vera maestra. La relazione tra i due è molto bella, soprattutto con il progredire dei loro sentimenti, ma l'avrei voluta approfondita un minimo di più. Il romanzo non è riuscito per buona parte a coinvolgermi del tutto, però il finale mi ha completamente conquistato. Una conclusione perfetta e proprio per questo non so se leggerò mai il sequel.
Questo mese ho recuperato i tre volumi che mi mancavano della Devil's Night e devo dire che dopo averli divorati capisco perfettamente perché la gente ne sia ossessionata. È una storia che si basa sul principio di Annalise Keating del "non deve aver senso, deve solo sembrare un casino" e i personaggi l'hanno presa alla lettera. Drammi, litigate, amore... un mix di sentimenti da cui fai veramente fatica a staccarti. Verso il finale per me è diventato tutto un pochino too much, soprattutto perché il fatto che questi quattro ragazzi che andavano in giro con una maschera a fare scherzi la notte prima di Halloween adesso abbiano creato una specie di mini mafia locale mi fa ridere. Vi giuro, io ci provo, ma non riesco a prenderli sul serio. Altra pecca della serie è che avrei preferito un approfondimento psicologico maggiore sui protagonisti, soprattutto in Nightfall. Certi cambiamenti emotivi avvengono troppo velocemente e il perdono è qualcosa che sembra arrivare anche se non si è strisciato abbastanza per ottenerlo. Il mio personaggio preferito è Banks, fin dalla sua introduzione l'ho amata. Non me l'aspettavo minimamente così, ma mi ha conquistata. Emory, al contrario, è stato il personaggio con cui ho fatto più fatica a creare un legame, forse proprio per il suo carattere difficile che mi aspettavo quasi più da Banks che da lei. Il miglior cattivo? Damon in Hideaway, senza pensarci due volte. Le storie d'amore mi hanno appassionato, come la storia in generale. Sicuramente un fervido trip mentale, ma ho fatto veramente fatica a staccarmi dalle pagine.
- BILLION DOLLAR ENEMY di Olivia Hayle - 3.5 stelle!
Questo è un libro veramente carino. Mi ha ricordato un po' il film 'C'è posta per te'. Lei gestisce una piccola libreria che un grande magnate vuole distruggere per costruire il suo prossimo hotel di lusso. Al primo incontro con quest'uomo lei però scopre che lui è la persona con cui ha passato una notte bollente un mese prima. Quindi gli propone un patto: se riuscirà a dimostrare che la libreria può guadagnare lui non la distruggerà. La storia è molto carina, lui mi è piaciuto tantissimo e a un certo punto i pensieri di lei sul suo futuro e come si senta di aver sprecato parte della sua vita sono andati un pochino too close to home. Insieme i due sono molto dolci. Diciamo che non è il romance della vita, che non mi ha stregato totalmente, ma se volete una storia dolce e romantica che vi risollevi il morale allora questo è il libro perfetto per voi!
Trope: small town, hate to love, friends to lovers, found family, pugile/pasticcera Se amate i libri small town romance Laura Pavlov è una scrittrice che dovete assolutamente aggiungere alla vostra TBR. Mi piace molto il suo stile di scrittura e le sue storie sono dolci, romantiche, divertenti e anche un po' drammatiche (cosa che non fa mai male). Ho adorato i protagonisti, insieme sono davvero carini e mi è piaciuta anche la found family presente nel romanzo. La storia perfetta per staccare un attimo la spina e rilassarsi.
Trope: small town, single parent, dottoressa del figlio, found family Sono ufficialmente una grandissima fan della Pavolov, che ancora una volta ha scritto una storia dolce, divertente, ma che fa anche riflettere. Uno dei migliori single parent che abbia mai letto, dove la stella della storia è proprio il figlio di lui. L'ho adorato e qualche volta mi ha fatto anche scendere una lacrimuccia. Mi è piaciuta tantissimo la storia d'amore tra i due protagonisti, ma le interazioni migliori sono sicuramente quelle tra lei e il figlio di lui. Se siete fan degli small town con found family NON DOVETE FARVI SCAPPARE QUESTA SERIE!
Su questo libro uscirà sicuramente una recensione un po' più approfondita nelle prossime settimane.
- A TEMPEST OF TEA di Hafsah Faizal - 3 stelle!
Le vibes da Sei di corvi ci sono tutte. I rapporti tra i vari personaggi sono molto interessanti. Ma per me avviene un po' tutto troppo velocemente. Serviva più tempo per coltivare le relazioni tra i protagonisti e anche per l'evoluzione della trama.
CHIARA
One on One è una storia che apparentemente potrebbe sembrare un colleagues to enemies to lovers piuttosto semplice, ma invece contiene più substrati che si svelano man mano, mentre i due protagonisti recuperano quella confidenza e chimica che già c'era prima. Lungo tutta la narrazione, che mantiene un tono piuttosto gioviale e positivo, permane però anche la tematica delle molestie subite, che vengono spiegate gradualmente, seguendo di fatto l'aprirsi di Annie verso Ben. L'ansia e il disagio della protagonista nel subire certe azioni mi ha contagiata, tanto da sentire l'esigenza di spezzare quella catena che sembrava stringerlesi sempre di più addosso.
E voi cosa avete letto a ottobre? Qualche nuovo preferito?
- Team Spill the Book
Friday, 1 November 2024
NUOVE USCITE NOVEMBRE 2024
Ciao lettor*!
Siete pronti a un mese pieno zeppo di uscite? Portarvele tutte sarebbe impossibile, ma abbiamo cercato di portarvene comunque una buona dose. Siete pronti a nascondere i vostri portafogli? Noi ne avremo bisogno.
USCITE IN ITALIANO
*Come sempre ricordiamo che le uscite italiane sono soggette a variazioni dell'ultimo minuto difficili da prevedere, quindi tenete conto che le date possono variare.
USCITE IN INGLESE
Ed eccoci alla fine di questa lunga lista.
Avete trovato qualcosa di interessante? Io sì.
Qui di seguito trovate il quartetto tra cui scegliere la recensione del mese. Come sempre potete votare nelle storie di tutti e tre gli account @thecrazyreader , @booksalwaysinbag e @tigerlilybooks . Avete 24 ore di tempo!
- The Half King di Melissa Landers
- The Serpent and the Wolf di Rebecca Robinson
- La Falena Cremisi di Kristen Ciccarelli
- Happy Place - una vacanza particolare di Emily Henry
Tuesday, 29 October 2024
ARC Review: "FIND ME IN THE FIRE" (Nighthawks,#5) by Pru Schuyler & "MR. HEARTBREAKER (The Nest, #1)" by Piper Rayne
Hello readers!
How are you?💖
Be prepared because you'll have a good amount of reviews in the following days. Today we talk about sport romance, to be more precise, hockey romance. Do you like them? I do, a lot. I think they're one of my favorite sub-genre at the moment and I just can't get enough.
Here I present you two of new releases I read in the past weeks.
A warm thank you to the authors for the chance to read these books in advance.
FIND ME IN THE FIRE
Title: Find me in the Fire (Nighthawks,#5)
Author: Pru Schuyler
Publishing Date: September 21, 2024
Publisher: Independently published
Pages: 368 (paperback)
Price: $18,99
Plot: When the inferno begins, will they find each other amongst the flames or become lost in the smoke?
Piper Hartwell exudes confidence and sex appeal, having no problem speaking her mind or going after what she wants. As a highly successful wedding planner, she is detail-oriented and a bit of a control freak. But behind that hardened shell, sky-high walls, and painted-on smile lies a girl who has sworn off love, knowing firsthand the damage it can leave in its wake.
Brett Burns, a powerhouse forward for the New York Nighthawks, lives every second with his heart on his sleeve, loving nothing more than spending time with his family and his team. He is playful, kind, and a hopeless romantic to the core. When the two run into each other at a Nighthawk player’s wedding, they can’t deny their intense chemistry, happily giving in to their every desire. Piper quickly informs Brett of his skillful shortcomings in the bedroom despite his impressive tools.
Desperately wanting to see her again, he offers that they become exclusive friends with benefits. She gets her no-strings-attached relationship while he gets sexy lessons from the girl of his dreams. They are a perfect pairing, but their deal has to remain hidden because Piper is the daughter of one of Brett’s assistant coaches, and their relationship threatens Brett’s professional hockey career. Their plan should go perfectly. But the late nights, intimate moments, and secret hookups in the arena begin to lead to something more. Before they know it, they become intertwined in one another’s lives in ways they never see coming, including discovering a dark secret that lingers in the shadows.
Although their forbidden romance is fiery hot, there’s a problem when you start playing with fire...you can get burned. But sometimes, that blazing heat can forge things stronger than they ever were before.
Review:
Rate: 3.8 ⭐
First of all, thanks to the author for the chance to read this book in advance.
This is my first Prue Schuyler's book and I'm quite confident it won't be the last.
The starting point was totally cup of my tea, but I didn't expect how this story unfolded. It was a good surprise, a little different from the usual.
I didn't immediately connect with Piper, but just because I'm shyer than her and totally way more insecure; that said, I appreciated her growth during the entire story. I would have been interesting to explore more how the ending between her parents affected her, but what I've read was absolutely enough to create a solid ground to explain Piper's averse feelings towards love and relationships. The scenes between her and her father were so bittersweet they squeezed my heart in a tight grip! (Btw, it would have been amazing to read about Coach's love story too💞)
Brett was my baby since the very beginning. I loved his relationship with Piper. He was always respectful and gave her the time and space to process things, even his feelings, so it was good to see that, when he understood he loved her, he didn't make her consider him just a distraction anymore. It was such a good relationship to read about, I'm totally satisfied with it.
Then: the hockey.
I'm starting watching NHL for real and that has been useful in matches' chapters and scenes, because Pru Schuyler clearly knows what she's talking about and I loved it! I adore when a sport romance ACTUALLY talks about sport and takes the reader inside its dynamics. Plus, Brett's team was so fun to read I really enjoyed those moments.
So, a good starting point (for me) to discover this author who, I have this feeling, could do even better than this - and "this" is already very good.-
MR. HEARTBREAKER
Title: Mr. Heartbreaker (The Nest,#1)
Author: Piper Rayne
Publishing Date: October 13, 2024
Publisher: Piper Rayne Inc.
Pages: 308 (paperback)
Price: $14,61
Technically, Rowan Landry, the hot as hell center for the Chicago Falcons, is no longer my brother’s teammate. Or his best friend. Their college days are long behind them, and they barely talk now.
Also, I’m not dating him—we’re just sleeping together. There’s a difference.
Except there’s not a lot of sleeping going on, and neither one of us wants to stop what we’re doing. It’s all fun and games until my brother is traded to the Falcons, because Rowan doesn’t know I’m the new goalie’s little sister. Oops.
Review:
Rate: 3 ⭐
Again, thanks to the authors and @valentine_pr_ for the chance to read this book in advance.
This is the first installment of a series that is focused on "The Nest" inhabitants, an apartment building where some of the Falcons' players live.
The novel has a raw start: Kyleigh discovers her mother cheating on her dad and then, while attending a wedding party she helped her mum organizing, she meets Rowan and they end up in bed together. She don't tell him that she already knows him not only as an hockey fan herself, but also because he played with her brother in college - and the two of them were pretty close. It's clear she expects just a night of passion and nothing more, especially after her mother betrayal, that destroys her idea of love and relationships. Unfortunately fate has other in mind: they meet again almost immediately and the urge between them is so strong they decide to continue their only physical relationship until their chemistry will blow out; instead, they find themselves falling in love with each other. And then Connor arrives in the picture.
Generally, I enjoyed this story and I appreciated the comradeship between Rowan and his team, besides Rowan support toward Kyleigh, even if he didn't know what troubled her almost until the very end. After that, I really liked them as a couple, without the stereotypical moment where they doubt they're not good for the other. I also appreciated how Kyleigh and Connor's father dealt with his personal situation (even if his reaction and following actions were always a little bit too... detached? I didn't feel great emotions coming from him or his wife). Then, the romance. This book has
multiple sex scenes that are really well written. So, if you're a fan of
an open door story, I think Mr. Heartbreaker could be your cup of tea. If not, you would have to skip a good amount of pages, I'm afraid.
Furthermore, the secondary characters: they were all recognizable, and the authors added little pieces of details that it obvious will create the bases for the next books. I love this kind of things, and I hope that each novel will always have different dynamics to explore.
At the same time, I have to admit that, even if I'm not (at all) against a good amount of sex scenes, having them for the majority of the first 39% of the book has been a little bit too much. I would have loved if they had been more spaced out, leaving room for something else that concretely showed how gradually Rowan and Leigh started to bond and have feelings for each other. In my opinion, the passage between strangers with benefits to friends to lovers could be handled a little bit better, because it's almost nonexistent.
Another thing that didn't entirely convinced me was Connor's reaction. I understood it, but it felt juvenile, especially because no one seemed to find a way to make him come to his senses - and they're all adults. The thing is that every issue in this book misses some depth and empathy. I wasn't able to be totally involved in what I was reading, and that disappointed me because the potential was there to be explored in a better and mature way.
Anyway, with ups and down I still enjoyed the reading and I'm curious about the next book of the Nest series, hoping it will convince me more than the previous one.
Have you already read them?
What did you think about them?
See you to the next reviews!
Chiara
Saturday, 19 October 2024
Recensione: "APPRENDISTA CERCASI" di Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Autrice: Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Data d'uscita: 10 settembre 2024
Editore: Sperling & Kupfer
Pagine: 432
Prezzo: 17,90€
Audiolibro: Si, esclusiva Audible
Trama: Evie Sage non è mai stata più felice di essere l'assistente del Cattivo. Chi avrebbe mai pensato che lavorare per il signore supremo del male, scandalosamente bello, sarebbe stato così gratificante? Tuttavia, il compito di essere cattivo è impegnativo, le forze del bene sono fastidiosamente tenaci e il malvagio capo è in qualche modo... ehm, lontano dal ruolo di malvagio. Ma non è tutto: qualcosa di strano sta accadendo alla magia nel regno di Rennedawn. Le barriere attorno al castello si stanno indebolendo, lasciando tutti gli abitanti sempre più esposti ai nemici... compreso il loro numero uno, il re. Ora è il momento per Evie di affrontare la sfida più grande: proteggere il covo del suo capo, tutte le sue opere nefande e forse (a condizione che nessuno lo scopra) l'intero regno. È ora di uscire dalla sua zona di comfort e apprendere nuove abilità: tradire, usare il pugnale, cospirare con il nemico... E tutto è così... deliziosamente divertente. Ma cosa succede quando l'assistente del Cattivo è pronta a diventare il suo apprendista?
Serie: