ARC Review: "ONE ON ONE" by Jamie Harrow

Hello readers! How are you?

Any sports romance's fan here? If the answer is "yes", let me present you an amazing novel you should immediately add to your collection! Are you ready to enter in the high competitive basketball world?🔥

 

Title: One on One
Author: Jamie Harrow
Publishing Date: September 24, 2024
Publisher:  Quercus Publishing
Pages: 402 (paperback)
Price: $14.95 (*price seen on Amazon.it)

Plot:They call it March Madness for a reason: Anything can happen on the way to a national championship.
Eight years after graduation, Annie Radford is not happy to be back at her alma mater in her old job with the Ardwyn Tigers’ basketball team. Worse, her coworker from back in college, Ben Callahan, is still on the Tigers staff, and he’s annoyingly wholesome, hot, and clinging to a grudge against Annie for abandoning him and the team their senior year.
But as Ardwyn becomes the season’s Cinderella Story, things start heating up between Annie and Ben, too. And while neither of them can deny this could be something special, Annie’s afraid to tell Ben the truth about why she left basketball—the thing she loves most—in the first place. She’ll have to learn to trust him if they have a shot at being together.
In addition to being funny, romantic, and sexy, One on One examines the pressure put on college athletes, challenges the sexism in the world of sports, and exposes the dangers in whole communities idolizing the big men on campus.
For readers of The Hating Game and The Ex Talk, a workplace, enemies-to-lovers debut for anyone yearning for a courtside romance, perfect for anyone who can’t get enough sports rom-coms.

Review:

Rate: 4.5 stars!⭐

I deeply thank Quercus Fiction for sending me a free copy of this book, and also to Jamie Harrow for creating an amazing story I didn't want to end.

I've never read a sport romance about basketball before and I'm not a fan of this sport, but I was totally hooked anyway, probably hyped by Annie's love for this sport and her amazing videos. I obviously couldn't see them concretely, but believe me when I say that I could easily imagine them and get involved in the Ardwyn Tigers' team as the real viewers. It was so vivid in my head it was like I could listen to the music playing on the background, or imagine pictures or videos continue on the screen encouraging the players and foster the love and attention of the fans. It was like I was again in Madison Square Garden, waiting for the match to start!

Anyway, the first thing I have to warn you is that in this novel the game itself isn't the focus, because neither of the main characters is a basketball player, but it was interesting to see different jobs related to it, that could affect its results (videos, interviews, analytics, etc.). At the same time I loved the fact that basketball was the way Annie and her dad interacted and bonded, and how his presence in the team and in Annie's thoughts was vivid during the entire story even if he passed away years ago. It was a very delicate and respectful way to represent grief, together with the message that it's ok if a person we loved wasn't perfect and made mistakes toward us. We can remember not only the good things, but bad ones too, because this doesn't mean we love or miss someone less.

And then there's Ben. What I think I appreciate the most is the fact that for multiple aspects Ben isn't a stereotyped MC. He's kind and an adorable cinnamon roll, that's for sure, but at the same time he didn't worship her or did whatever she wants without prior thinking about what he thinks about it. Moreover, he wasn't afraid to express his feelings and his thoughts, and even when, at the beginning, he was disappointed by Annie abrupt leaving them years ago and wasn't happy to see her again, he showed it with politeness (nope, no drama reaction or snarky comments). Plus, he was always ready to express his ideas and believes in a simple but steady way, because he wasn't afraid to do it - and he could be, due to his family background, another interesting aspect I would have wanted to explore even more.
Anyway, I liked also how he and Annie bonded again, without rush. I think their is the perfect example of an healthy relationship I would personally love to have and live too. And the chemistry? The tension...? Jaime Harrow has absolutely raised the expectation bar, and that's a real problem.
Last but not least: the work/school harassment theme. I appreciated (and hated, for Annie to have experienced it) how this was handled, in a sort of indirect way where you gradually unveil what happened in the past. And even if it wasn't an "on page event", I could feel Annie's emotions clear as water and I empathized with her immediately. When this happens it only means one thing: the writing was really good.

So, can we ask Jamie to write another novel with this character? Because I'm sure you're gonna love it.
Maybe with Ben's sister as MC...?

 

 

Read More

ARC Review: "THE EX VOWS" by Jessica Joyce

Hello readers!
Today we're talking about an upcoming release for this summer which, thanks to Random House UK, I've read in advance: The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce. Please, be aware there will be spoilers because I can't talk about the themes discussed in the story without revealing some aspects of the book.

Title: The Ex Vows
Author: Jessica Joyce
Publishing Date: July 16, 2024
Publisher:  Berkley/Penguin Random House UK
Pages: 484
Price: $19.00 (paperback)

Plot: Estranged exes must stick close together to save their best friend’s wedding after a string of disasters in this swoony and steamy second-chance romance from the USA Today bestselling author of You, with a View .
Georgia Woodward lives by her lists, none more so than the one about her ex, Eli Mora. It’s full of the ironclad dos and don’ts they’ve been following since she returned to the Bay Area after their cataclysmic breakup five years ago.
With the wedding of their mutual best friend, Adam, looming, and them about to step into their roles as best woman and man, Georgia’s never needed it more. She refuses to threaten their tight-knit friend group with her messy—and still very present—feelings. The rules on that list will keep her cool, calm, and compartmentalized. 
What’s not on her list? Eli arriving from New York with a new rule-breaking attitude or the all-inclusive venue burning to the ground, leaving the bride and groom in dire straits. Nor does she anticipate Adam asking her and Eli to help him make a miracle happen. Together.
As Georgia and Eli rush up to Napa Valley to pull off the perfect wedding, their old chemistry comes back in technicolor. Somewhere between cake tastings gone wrong, disastrous DJ auditions, and Eli’s heated attention, Georgia starts recognizing the man she fell in love with before. And if she lets herself break her rules, she might find what they’re building isn’t the something old that ruined them—it’s a chance at something new.

Review:

Rate: 5 stars!⭐

**ATTENTION** SPOILERS

First of all, again, I huge thank you to the publisher for the free book. 

Secondary, together with Funny Story and From Lukov with Love, THIS goes absolutely at the first place of my book of the year chart.

I've discovered Jessica Joyce last year, when I spotted You, with a view between the summer new releases, and I fell in love with it. It wasn't just an enemies to lovers summer trip novel, but a story of multiple love relationships, some lost, others ready to bloom, in a perfect picture of life: not always happy, with painful moments, but real. I really enjoyed the depth Jessica put in her book, that's why I asked for The Ex Vows arc, and she didn't disappoint me at all.

Even if I appreciated YWAV and this author's writing style, I wasn't prepared to love this book SO much. Because it's so GOOD, readers, believe me. So good I can't stop myself being emotional thinking about it.

I honestly thought I would have read a more light-hearted story; instead, I found something that I'll cherish in my heart forever. I was already in love at the end of the prologue, really. As I've already told Jessica, maybe it was just the right time to read it, but this romance resonated so much with myself I couldn't not be affected by Eli and Georgia's journey.

We start at a point we readers know so well: the upcoming wedding of their best friend - and the phantomatic curse that seems determined to ruin everything - forces the exes Eli and Georgia to work together to save the event from an easy disaster. The main reason of their breakup is explained in the early chapters of the book, but it hides so much more, and we unravel it during the whole story.

From an external point of view, it's clear as day they love each other, and while it was so frustrating seeing Georgia pull Eli toward her and then push him away, Jessica was a master to make us taking time to understand why the path that will lead them back to each other isn't so easy as it seems. Because some inner wounds don’t totally heal, even after years, and the fear to be left heartbroken again isn't easy to ignore. And again, that’s not all. While Eli has already started a journey to be better for himself and the people he loves, Georgia has yet to face her faults in the ending of their relationship and her inner fears, before making another try.

I really appreciated that, after her comprehensible anger and hurt toward Eli, Georgia gradually acknowledges she could have reacted differently and that could have made a difference, both for her boyfriend and herself. But they were both spiraling in different kinds of anxiety and uncertainty and didn’t know how to get out those conditions, stop being miserable and see the person they love the most suffering. Their walls came up and, nonetheless they were a couple, they became lonely even before their breakup. That until Georgia decided to choose herself over a life of unhappiness. And my heart broke, not only because she felt she wasn’t worth Eli’s time and attention and not enough to push his resolution to stop an unhealthy working situation that was ruining his life, but also (and above all) for Eli's understanding her decision to escape that "dark whole" that their relationship became, at the point he didn't stop her precisely because he was choosing her happiness too, and it was with him.

How couldn’t I not love this guy?

Finally a male character who isn’t afraid of his feeling and is so good to communicate them (underlining the importance of therapy, of course), but at the same time always respects Georgia, waiting for her to be ready for a real confrontation. And that’s not all, because we’re talking about Eli Mora. He always gives Georgia space and time to express what she wants and, most of all, he searches her consent in every physical approach. He’s so patient with her and kind, as much as sexy in closed-doors situation I can’t complain AT ALL – thanks, Jessica.

The surprise for me was the more I read, the more I appreciated Georgia too. Her fierce love for her friends, her tenaciousness to do everything she can to save Adam and Grace’s wedding, the way she wanted to protect her group of people because she doesn’t want to make them suffer for her (or Eli’s) choices. Someone could have just been selfish and jump into this second chance without looking back, but it’s clear that a part of her puts the happiness of her loved ones even before hers. And if this isn’t already enough, her people pleaser attitude and the constant idea of not being enough for the people she loves wrecked me, reminding to much about myself. I could see and feel her fears to be left alone and put aside clear as mine, and I adored how, thanks to Eli, she arrives to show this part of herself to her friends, plus their reactions. This book has clearly one of the best healthy friendship relationships I’ve ever read about – not to mention Adam and Eli. Their little gestures toward the other were so sweet and true they made my heart clench. 

And then, there’s Georgia’s terror toward her feelings for Eli. I think that what terrifies her the most was to feel hope about her and Eli together again, just to face a reality where he would still put work before her, back to spiraling in its anxiety, shutting her out, and she would feel small and too emotionally dependent on him. I totally understand it and I loved the fact that Jessica underlined the fact that someone have to be happy with themselves first to be ok, because if there’s something wrong (work related or not), if not faced and resolved, it could affect other aspects of their life, relationships included. Plus, several times during the story Jessica draw the attention to the importance of communication between partners. Georgia wasn’t able to express her unhappiness with Eli, because she felt she would become another burden on him so he’ll eventually leave her for someone better as her mother did in the past. At the same time, Eli didn’t face their problems with Georgia, focusing on keeping his job with the idea that the situation would become more bearable in the future. They didn’t talk, really, and so the only choice left was to break up.

Fortunately, Eli’s love for Georgia was stronger than what they both thought.

So, it’s obvious that to overcome all those elements, these two needed time (and tons of Eli’s patience). I won’t tell you how the novel ends, but I can say that for once an author gave her main characters the proper time and pages to arrive to an appropriate closure without rush.

At last, I also appreciated the idea of work presented: having a job is essential to live, we’re aware of that, but it couldn’t and mustn't become our entire life. Doing something we love is also a great bonus, and we should try new opportunities if they feel right to us, even if they imply some changes. Who knows what they could bring us.

Aaand that’s it. Thanks again to the publisher for this free book and Jessica Joyce for this heartwarming story. I needed it. And then thanks to you, dear readers, if you gave me some of your time to read this long review.

 

To the next one!

Chiara

 

Read More

Recensione: "THE SEVEN YEAR SLIP" di Ashley Poston

Ciao lettor*!
Come state? 

Intanto ancora Buon Natale! Spero abbiate passato delle buone giornate di festa insieme ai vostri cari.
Potevamo però lasciarvi senza almeno qualche ultima recensione prima della fine dell'anno? Direi di no.

Eccomi quindi a parlarvi di uno dei libri che più ho amato in questo 2023 (per gli altri, l'appuntamento è con i prossimi articoli del blog di fine anno!).

 

Titolo: The Seven Year Slip
Autrice: Ashley Poston
Data d'uscita: 27 giugno 2023
Editore: Berkley
Prezzo: 11,18 €

Trama: Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.

So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: stay busy, work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.

And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again.

Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.

Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed.

After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.

An overworked book publicist with a perfectly planned future hits a snag when she falls in love with her temporary roommate…only to discover he lives seven years in the past, in this witty and wise new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics.

Recensione:

Voto: 5 stelle!⭐

Credo che al mondo ci siano tanti libri di cui ci si può innamorare. Alcuni sono come delle meteore, che ci catturano nell'immediato ma che sfumano abbastanza in fretta, altri invece sono alberi, che in maniera più o meno improvvisa o consapevole ci colpiscono nel profondo e penetrano nel nostro animo fino a radicarvicisi dentro.

The Seven Year Slip appartiene sicuramente a questa categoria. Avevo già conosciuto e apprezzato Ashley Poston con The Dead Romantics, che rientra sicuramente nella lista dei miei contemporary romance preferiti, quindi ero già certa di voler leggere anche questo suo nuovo romanzo, ma non avrei mai immaginato di poterlo amare così tanto. 

The Seven Year Slip è un romanzo complesso nella sua semplicità. Clementine riceve in eredità da sua zia (defunta sei mesi prima) un appartamento che inspiegabilmente la riporta indietro nel tempo di sette anni, cosa di cui la zia le aveva raccontato ma che la protagonista aveva catalogato come una delle tante storie della parente, nella sua affascinante eccentricità. Questi viaggi temporali non possono essere programmati e, soprattutto, non coinvolgono nulla al di fuori dell'appartamento in questione, ma soprattutto portano sempre Clementine in presenza di Iwan, un giovane che sogna di diventare cuoco anche in nome del nonno, che ha sempre amato cucinare ma non ha mai trasformato la sua passione in lavoro. Ed è proprio incontrando Iwan che Clementine ha modo di ritrovare la se stessa di una volta, schiacciata dalla donna di successo che è oggi ma che forse ha perso qualcosa di importante. 

In questo incrocio di passato e futuro, stabilità, organizzazione e carriera si scontrano con sogni e libertà di vivere ma anche di permettersi di essere felici e di occupare le nostre giornate con qualcosa che amiamo davvero fare.
Quello che però mi è piaciuto di più è la riflessione sul fatto che non sempre una cosa debba per forza essere l'antitesi dell'altra. E' vero che servono certezze, e che la "normalità", la "stabilità" non devono essere per forza un elemento negativo, ma al contempo è anche vero che la vita, nel bene e nel male ci cambia, ci fa maturare, e forse ci fa perdere un po' di quella disillusione che si ha quando si è giovani, rendendoci più concret*. Questo non comporta che sia sbagliato sognare, desiderare un obiettivo diverso da quello che si è ricercato finora, cambiare idea o magari tentare qualcosa di nuovo, di sconosciuto. Cambiare non è per forza sinonimo di errare.
Benché diversi dai noi stessi di qualche anno fa, siamo sempre e solo noi, con le nostre lacrime, le delusioni, le cicatrici emotive o fisiche che ci portiamo dietro. Possiamo inciampare, perderci, ma andare avanti modificando il proprio tragitto non è sbagliato a prescindere. Sono le scelte che facciamo che fanno la differenza e ci aprono strade magari anche diverse rispetto a quelle a cui avevamo pensato, che forse però potranno risultare più soddisfacenti. D'altronde, la vita non è proprio fatta di piccole (o grandi, perchè no) imprevedibilità che vanno a colorare la nostra normalità? L'importante è non perdere la scintilla, quel qualcosa che ci fa stare bene e sentire vivi veramente. 

Tutto questo pensiero è condito da una prosa che ho amato dall'inizio alla fine, capace di incantare, quasi stesse raccontando una fiaba, di far riflettere e soprattutto di essere leggera nei momenti divertenti quanto seria e profonda in quelli più delicati e intimi, soprattutto nel momento in cui si viene a toccare il lutto e la perdita di una persona amata (tematica già splendidamente affrontata in The Dead Romantics).
La Poston riesce a strappare più di un sorriso, senza cadere nel ridicolo, e i suoi personaggi, nella loro "normalità" condita di pregi e difetti, riescono a farti sentire a casa. Proprio per questo per me è stato impossibile non prendermi a cuore ognuno di loro: Clementine con la sua testardaggine, Iwan con la sua dolcezza, concretezza nei gesti e la capacità di leggere Clementine come nessun altro, zia Analea e il suo amore per la vita, Fiona e Drew, Miguel e Lisa... Sono tutte figure talmente umane che per forza finiscono per rubarti un pezzetto di cuore.

Dopodichè, il romance. Stavolta credo di avere un po' di difficoltà ad affrontare l'argomento, non tanto perchè non mi sia piaciuto, ma perchè vorrei poteste gustarvi questa storia fino in fondo, senza grandi spoiler che possano in qualche modo anticipare cosa succederà.
Quello che posso raccontarvi è che Iwan e Clementine sono la palese dimostrazione di una chimica scattata probabilmente da quasi subito, ma che viene gestita senza la fretta raffazzonata che spesso risulta più un deterrente che un motivo di interesse per continuare a leggere. Ho adorato i loro scambi non tanto nel flirtare, ma nel parlare di sé e discutere con l'altro in maniera semplice ma vera, che al contempo permette loro di guardarsi dentro e riflettere su se stessi.
Detto questo, a romanzo concluso, credo che farei di tutto per avere il punto di vista di Iwan - a cui sicuramente va il premio "Uomo più paziente dell'anno" - e per vedere alcune scene che vengono citate ma non mostrate del tutto a noi lettori (chissà che la Poston non pensi a qualche bonus chapter...? Sperare non fa mai male).

Infine, ho lasciato per ultimo l'argomento più spinoso: il lutto.
Come dicevo in precedenza, questa autrice non è nuova a questa tematica, che qui ha forse una sfumatura ancora più delicata che in The Dead Romantics. Di nuovo però non solo la Poston mantiene quel tatto che la contraddistingue, ma riesce a coinvolgere il lettore in maniera talmente emotiva da rendere la perdita "nostra". Personalmente credo non ci sia cosa più bella che riuscire a sentire ciò che provano i protagonisti di un libro, e in questo caso ne seguiamo le varie fasi del lutto: il dolore, la graduale accettazione di ciò che è successo e il riuscire ad andare avanti, non chiudendo una ferita che inevitabilmente continuerà a essere aperta, ma piuttosto concentrandosi su ciò che di bello chi non c'è più ci ha lasciato, celebrandolo e non dimenticando l'affetto che c'è stato.

 

Di sicuro questo è stato uno dei migliori libri letti nel 2023 e non vedo l'ora di avere un altro romanzo della Poston tra le mani anche solo per (spero) ritrovarmi un cameo di questi personaggi, come è successo per Benji e Florence.

Spero intanto di avervi incuriosit* e che avrete voglia di leggerlo sia in lingua che, eventualmente, in italiano se verrà pubblicato. Essendo però già arrivato The Dead Romantics in Italia, io ho grandissime speranze perchè presto compaia anche questo. Vi terrò aggiornat*!

Alla prossima recensione intanto e ancora Buone Feste!

Chiara

Read More

SADIE ON A PLATE by Amanda Elliot (International Blog-Tour)

Hi readers! How are you?💙

Today I'm joining the Sadie on a Plate Blog Tour. I'm really happy to talk about one of my most interesting reading of February, and for that I have to thank Berkley Publishing Group for the free copy and the invitation.

So, here some infos about this book:

Title: Sadie on a Plate
Author: Amanda Elliot
Publishing Date: March, 15th
Publisher:  Berkley Trade Paperback
Pages: 352
Price: 17,62 €
Plot: A chef’s journey to success leads to discovering the perfect recipe for love in this delicious romantic comedy.

Sadie is a rising star in the trendy Seattle restaurant scene. Her dream is to create unique, modern, and mouthwatering takes on traditional Jewish recipes. But after a public breakup with her boss, a famous chef, she is sure her career is over—until she lands a coveted spot on the next season of her favorite TV show, Chef Supreme. 

On the plane to New York, Sadie has sizzling chemistry with her seatmate, Luke, but tells him that she won't be able to contact him for the next six weeks. They prolong their time together with a spontaneous, magical dinner before parting ways. Or so she thinks. When she turns up to set the next day, she makes a shocking discovery about who Luke is....

If Sadie wants to save her career by winning Chef Supreme, she’s going to have to ignore the simmering heat between Luke and her. But how long can she do that before the pot boils over?

 

The Author:

Amanda Elliot is the author of several young adult and middle grade books as Amanda Panitch. Sadie on a Plate is her first adult novel. She lives in New York City, where she owns way too many cookbooks for her tiny kitchen. Learn more online at amandapanitch.com

 

 

 

 author photo by Cassie Gonzales 2021

Review:

Rate:  4.5 stars ⭐

First of all: 

Happy release day, Amanda!

I was so curious when Berkley contacted me to join this Blog Tour, because I never heard about this book before. So, convincted by the plot, I decided to read it asap and.. it was love. Since the first lines the writing style of Amanda Elliot captured me. It's entertaining, fresh and so vivid that you can't love it and feel the urge to keep going.

The story itself is quite simple, but I've ADORED it. As a fan of cooking tv shows like Masterchef or Bake Off, it was really interesting to see this kind of competitions described in a book. It's a treaky element to use in a novel, because you can fail being too boring for presenting too many details, or being excessively superficial, just mentioning some aspects without being able to create the right atmosphere for the reader. That is extremely important, because if there's a competition who reads needs to feel it and being involved (in this case) in the creation of the plates, in the rush to finish all on time and in the anticipation to see who will win and who will go home. Amanda Elliot has been very good in this. The scenes are not extremely long, but at the same time I was completely absorbed. I rooted for Sadie (and other partecipants) since the very beginning and it was fun but also interesting to see her growth through her plates.

Talking about the main character, I've appreciated Sadie with her strengths and weaknesses. She's a spontaneous and an easygoing person, but at the same time she struggles with the idea of not being liked or not sparkle enough, missing the fact that her gentleness and presence are something that can't be ignored by other people. Plus, she often forget she has a strong personality, that make her fight not only for what she wants, but also for what she thinks it's right. That's why, even person she doesn't like or with whom she's not particularly friendly, appreciate her. And talking about that, one of the things I've loved the most about her it's the fact she's not perfect. She misunderstands situations, she misreads people and she makes mistakes, but that allows her to mature and become a better person.
I have also to mention what has happened to her in the recent past, an event that is so disgusting just thinking about it but that unfortunately is something that in real life happens. Taking advantage of someone and their insecurities and then discrediting them in front of everyone is disgusting, and Amanda Elliot has portraited well, without speculating in drama (something I hate to see in a book).

Another figure I have to mention is Luke. I fell hard for him, really. He's an amazing character and every interaction with Sadie kept me hooked on the book. Easygoing, kind and very concrete, I enjoyed his presence in the story like a sort of "solid and safe haven" for Sadie, even when things between them were cold. I really liked his background too, and the only thing I missed was more time (and so pages) to see him to mature his own decisions - and yes, more romantic moments. I craved them!

All the other characters create a sort of colorful pattern that gives more authenticity to this story, and I've found myself affectionated to some of them too. I've also really appreciated the choice to give to all of the contestants different kinds of cuisine that are influenced by their personal tastes, their origins and backgrounds. Sadie, for example, presents her personal reinterpretation of Jewish cuisine and it was really interesting to imagine all those beautiful plates (I envied the judges A LOT) that could be different from a "tipical" starred cooking style. 

What can I say more?
Since, as I said, I missed some more scenes with Luke, and I would have loved to have him as main character too, I'm really hoping Amanda will gift us with another book (or short novellas?). In the meantime I absolutely suggest you to read this beautiful romantic comedy, amazingly written, that will entertain you and keep you company with laughs and more thoughtful moments.

Read More