Romance – Page 17 – Jill's Book Blog

Blog Tour Review: Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell

Title: Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell
Author: Taj McCoy
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: MIRA
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: March 22, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A delicious debut rom-com about a plus-size sweetheart who gets a full-life makeover after a brutal breakup.
Savvy Sheldon spends a lot of time tiptoeing around the cracks in her life: her high-stress and low-thanks job, her clueless boyfriend and the falling-apart kitchen she inherited from her beloved grandma—who taught her how to cook and how to love people by feeding them. But when Savvy’s world starts to crash down around her, she knows it’s time for some renovations.
Starting from the outside in, Savvy tackles her crumbling kitchen, her relationship with her body, her work–life balance (or lack thereof) and, last but not least, her love life. The only thing that doesn’t seem to require effort is her ride-or-die squad of friends. But as any home-reno-show junkie can tell you, something always falls apart during renovations. First, Savvy passes out during hot yoga. Then it turns out that the contractor she hires is the same sexy stranger she unintentionally offended by judging based on appearances. Worst of all, Savvy can’t seem to go anywhere without tripping over her ex and his latest “upgrade.” Savvy begins to realize that maybe she should’ve started her renovations the other way around: beginning with how she sees herself before building a love that lasts.

Review:

Savvy Sheldon is used to helping everyone in her life, but she doesn’t look after herself. Once her boyfriend breaks up for her because of her appearance, Savvy realizes it’s time for a change. She works hard at her job as an underwriter to get a promotion. She starts working out with her friends and goes to cooking classes which she loves. Savvy finally decides to give her house a much-needed renovation after meeting Spencer, a hot contractor. Savvy tries to excel at each of these new activities in her life, but then she starts to burn out. Her original motivation was to get revenge for her boyfriend breaking up with her, but then she realizes she has to make these positive changes to improve her lifestyle.

This was a fun story! Savvy was a strong woman but she didn’t always realize that. She started out wanting revenge for her boyfriend, but she quickly realized that she didn’t want him back so she wanted to improve herself for her own good. Savvy had a great support system behind her, with friends who stood by her side and family who wanted the best for her.

Though there was some romance, that wasn’t the main part of the story. This was almost a coming-of-age story for an adult because Savvy learned to improve her life throughout the story. She changed the way she ate, worked, had fun, and worked out, all things that improved her overall life. I liked that this was a revenge story that turned into Savvy improving her life for herself, not an awful ex-boyfriend.

Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell is an empowering rom com!

Thank you MIRA for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

About the author:

Oakland native and attorney Taj McCoy is committed to writing stories championing black and biracial women of color, plus-sized protagonists, and characters with a strong sense of sisterhood and familial bonds. When she’s not writing, she may be on Twitter boosting other marginalized writers, trying to zen out in yoga, sharing recipes on her website, or cooking private supper club meals for close friends.

Have you read Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell? What did you think of it?

Review: A Lady’s Formula for Love (The Secret Scientists of London #1)

Title: A Lady’s Formula for Love (The Secret Scientists of London #1)
Author: Elizabeth Everett
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 9, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

What is a Victorian lady’s formula for love? Mix one brilliant noblewoman and her enigmatic protection officer. Add in a measure of danger and attraction. Heat over the warmth of humor and friendship, and the result is more than simple chemistry—it’s elemental.
Lady Violet Hughes is keeping secrets. First, she founded a clandestine sanctuary for England’s most brilliant female scientists. Second, she is using her genius on a confidential mission for the Crown. But the biggest secret of all? Her feelings for protection officer Arthur Kneland.
Solitary and reserved, Arthur learned the hard way to put duty first. But the more time he spends in the company of Violet and the eccentric club members, the more his best intentions go up in flames. Literally.
When a shadowy threat infiltrates Violet’s laboratories, endangering her life and her work, scientist and bodyguard will find all their theories put to the test—and learn that the most important discoveries are those of the heart.

Review:

Lady Violet Hughes is a young widow who used her status to form a society for female scientists. It’s a secret society because the rest of the population wouldn’t approve of women being scientists. Violet is able to use her secret talents on a mission for the Queen. However, things start going wrong at the society. Fires are started, things blow up, and someone is trying to steal her work. Her stepson hires counter-assassin Arthur Kneland to protect Violet from these attacks. Arthur has his own secret history that has affected the way he looks at his job and his life. He wants to get through this last job of protecting Violet and then he can retire to the country. Neither of them were expecting to fall for each other, which throws off their plans for the future.

In this story, Violet organizes a secret society of female scientists. It’s difficult to imagine a world where women have to hide their intelligence. There were some female scientists during the Victorian era, but they weren’t common.

This book explored gender conformities and relationships. Since the women wanted to practice science, they had to do it in secret. They had strained relationships with the men in their lives because of their desire to do more in life. One woman was oppressed and abused by her father. Violet felt like she couldn’t be the true person she was when she was married to her much older husband. Luckily, they did have some men, like Arthur and Violet’s stepson, who encouraged the women to pursue their dreams.

A Lady’s Formula for Love is a great Victorian romance.

Thank you Berkley for providing a copy of this book.

Other books in the series:

The Perfect Equation

Have you read A Lady’s Formula for Love? What did you think of it?

Review: The Unhoneymooners

Title: The Unhoneymooners
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Gallery Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 14, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.
Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.
Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of… lucky.

Review:

Olive Torres has always had bad luck, but her twin sister Ami is the luckiest person in the world. Ami is getting married to her dream guy and is getting her wedding practically for free because of all the sweepstakes she won. However, Ami’s lucky streak runs out when everyone who ate the seafood buffet at her wedding gets sick with food poisoning. Olive and Ami’s new brother-in-law Ethan are the only two who didn’t eat the buffet and didn’t get sick. Since Olive and Ethan are the only ones who didn’t get sick, Ami insists that they use the Hawaiian honeymoon that she had won so that it doesn’t go to waste. The problem is that Olive and Ethan have hated each other since the moment they met. They plan to do their own things on the vacation, until they run into people they know and end up pretending that they just got married. Olive and Ethan pretend to be newly weds on the trip, and as they get closer and closer, Olive begins to wonder if her luck is finally changing for the better.

This was such a fun romance. I wish I had read it sooner. It had laugh out loud moments, and also some awkward moments. There was love and devastating heartbreak, but I really enjoyed it.

This story features some of my favourite romance tropes: fake dating/engagement/marriage and enemies to lovers. These two tropes give lots of space for tense moments and there was loads of tension throughout this story. The story was very well plotted and everything happened for a reason.

The Unhoneymooners is a fun romcom!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book.

Review: One True Loves (Happily Ever Afters #2)

Title: One True Loves (Happily Ever Afters #2)
Author: Elise Bryant
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 4, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lenore Bennett has always been a force. A star artist and style icon at her high school, she’s a master in the subtle art of not giving a . . . well, you know what. But now that graduation is here, she’s a little less sure.
She’s heading to NYU in the fall with a scarlet U (for “undeclared”) written across her chest. Her parents always remind her that Black kids don’t have the luxury of figuring it out as they go—they have to be 110 percent prepared. But it’s a lot of pressure to be her ancestors’ wildest dreams when Lenore’s not even sure what her dreams are yet.
When her family embarks on a post-graduation Mediterranean cruise, her friend Tessa is sure Lenore’s in for a whirlwind romance. But Lenore knows that doesn’t happen in real life. At least not to girls like her.
Then she meets Alex Lee. After their parents bond over the Cupid Shuffle, she ends up stuck with him for the remainder of the cruise. He’s a hopeless romantic and a golden boy with a ten-year plan. In short, he’s irritating as hell.
But as they get to know each other during the picturesque stops across Europe, he may be able to help her find something else she’s been looking for, even if she doesn’t want to admit it to herself: love.

Review:

Lenore Bennett was a star artist at her school, trying all different forms of art. She’s set to go to NYU to study art history in the fall, but now she’s questioning if that’s the right major for her. After having her heart broken at prom, Lenore has given up on love. But when her and her family go on a Mediterranean cruise, she meets Alex Lee. They get off to a rocky start but their parents become close friends so they spend a lot of time together. Lenore wonders if she could find her one true love in Alex, but she’s wary of getting her heart broken again.

This book is the sequel to Happily Ever Afters. Most of it takes place during Lenore’s family vacation. This was a clever way of telling another character’s story while she is away from her best friend Tessa, the main character of Happily Ever Afters.

I like that the romances in these stories aren’t always an ideal relationship. Both Tessa and Lenore dated boys who made questionable comments, but they brushed them off at the time. A boy that Lenore dated made a racist comment to her, but she pretended like it didn’t happen. It’s easy to brush off a comment that makes you uncomfortable, to avoid a confrontation, especially if you care for the person. However, it’s important to stand up for yourself and remove yourself from any toxic situation or relationship. This is a side of high school relationships that I don’t see portrayed often in books, so I appreciated that it was addressed in this series.

One True Loves is the perfect summer romance story!

Thank you HCC Frenzy for providing a copy of this book.

Other books in the series:

Happily Ever Afters

Have you read One True Loves? What did you think of it?

Review: Not the Kind of Earl You Marry (The Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair #1)

Title: Not the Kind of Earl You Marry (The Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair #1)
Author: Kate Pembrooke
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Forever
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 27, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton series will adore this stunning historical romance debut, where a wary wallflower enters a fake engagement with one of London’s most eligible bachelors.
The one woman in London who doesn’t want to marry him is now his fiancée.
William Atherton, Earl of Norwood, is as shocked as the rest of London to discover his betrothal via an announcement in the morning paper. Furious at what appears to be a shrewd marriage trap, William tracks down his alleged fiancée before her plans can affect his campaign for a coveted political post. But then William realizes an engagement, however fake, may benefit them both…
Miss Charlotte Hurst may be a wallflower, but she’s no shrinking violet. She would never attempt such an underhanded scheme, especially not with a man as haughty or sought-after as Norwood. Yet his suggestion to play along with the betrothal has its merits… and the longer they pretend, the more undeniably real their feelings become. But when the true culprit behind their engagement is revealed, can their newfound happiness survive the scandal?

Review:

When their engagement is announced one morning in the society pages, Charlotte Hurst and William Atherton, Earl of Norwood decide to continue with a fake engagement despite never having met before that morning. William is up for a position in government, and he thinks this fake engagement announcement is part of a plot to destroy his reputation. Charlotte never expected to be attached to an Earl, but she is able to use her new spot beside him to do some good in the community. However, when their feelings for each other become real, they have to figure out who put them in this position so they can finally have a real relationship.

This story was a fun regency romance. Fake dating/fake engagement is my favourite romance trope. It leaves a lot of room for misunderstandings and tension. This story was also a slow burn romance.

I didn’t find the mystery of who put the fake notice of their engagement in the paper too suspenseful. I was hoping there would be a sneaky reason it was placed there, but the reveal wasn’t a surprise. Despite the lack of surprise, it was still an intriguing premise.

Not the Kind of Earl You Marry is a fun regency romance!

Thank you Forever for providing a copy of this book.

Other books in the series:

Say You’ll Be My Lady

Have you read Not the Kind of Earl You Marry? What did you think of it?

Review: A Song of Secrets (Hana Trio #1)

Title: A Song of Secrets (Hana Trio #1)
Author: Jayci Lee
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Harlequin Desire
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 25, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Her secret tore them apart.
Will his secret reunite them?
World-renowned cellist Angie Han is desperate to save her trio’s chamber music society. So when she discovers that her ex Joshua Shin is the anonymous composer setting the classical music world on fire, she asks for his help. The sexy musician agrees to an uneasy truce to protect his secret success. But when their passion reignites, Angie’s own secrets may be exposed. Will Joshua ever trust her again? And will what’s keeping them apart ever lead them to happily-ever-after?

Review:

Angie Han is a world-renowned cellist who is trying to save her chamber music society after they were shut down for so long during the pandemic. While listening to classical music on the radio one night, she recognizes the piece by an anonymous new composer as her ex-boyfriend Joshua Shin. She approaches him to write a piece for their season premiere performance, and he asks her to perform her music for his ill grandfather in return. They start to question why they separated in the first place as they spend more time together. They must figure out if they will stay together once their performances are done.

This book is set in the (hopefully) near future, after the pandemic is over. I appreciated the way that this story showed how the pandemic affected arts industries. The music society that Angie belongs to is in danger of closing because they couldn’t perform during the pandemic. The arts industries have been affected, among other industries, since there weren’t performances, gallery showings, or other events during the pandemic. Hopefully the arts performances and events will be able to come back when the world opens up again.

This story was short and sweet. Angie and Joshua were so great together that I had to question why they broke up. The reason was supposed to be that Angie’s father made her choose between Joshua or her family, but it wasn’t clear why he made that ultimatum. She had to choose her family, but I didn’t think it was a believable or concrete ultimatum for her dad to make. Other than that one part, the plot and characters were well developed in this short romance.

A Song of Secrets is a cute romance!

Thank you Harlequin for providing a copy of this book.

Review: House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1)

Title: House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: March 3, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Bound by blood.
Tempted by desire.
Unleashed by destiny.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.

Review:

Bryce Quinlan was a carefree party girl until her best friends were brutally murdered by a demon. Two years later, the investigation of her friends’ murders is reopened when some similar attacks happen. Hunt Athalar is a fallen angel, who is sent to assassinate the enemies of his boss. He’s given a deal to earn his freedom if he helps Bryce find the murderer. Bryce and Hunt butt heads a lot at first, but then they work together to uncover the dark secrets hidden within Crescent City.

I usually read books quickly, but I had to take my time with this one. I loved the world building of Crescent City. It was an urban city, filled with different fantasy creatures and a complex political system.

I went into this book blind and I’m so glad I did. There were some fantastic twists that I didn’t see coming. I fell in love with the characters instantly. Bryce was sassy and determined while dealing with a lot of trauma. I hope we learn more of Hunt’s past in the next book because he seemed complex too.

House of Earth and Blood is definitely worth the hype!

Other books in the series:

House of Sky and Breath

Have you read House of Earth and Blood? What did you think of it?

Review: XOXO

Title: XOXO
Author: Axie Oh
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Library
Format: Audiobook
Release Date: July 13, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Cello prodigy Jenny has one goal: to get into a prestigious music conservatory. When she meets mysterious, handsome Jaewoo in her uncle’s Los Angeles karaoke bar, it’s clear he’s the kind of boy who would uproot her careful plans. But in a moment of spontaneity, she allows him to pull her out of her comfort zone for one unforgettable night of adventure…before he disappears without a word.
Three months later, when Jenny and her mother arrive in South Korea to take care of her ailing grandmother, she’s shocked to discover that Jaewoo is a student at the same elite arts academy where she’s enrolled for the semester. And he’s not just any student. He’s a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world—and he’s strictly forbidden from dating.
When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.

Review:

Jenny, a cello prodigy, has dreams to attend a prestigious music conservatory after high school. One night at her uncle’s karaoke bar in Los Angeles, she meets a boy named Jaewoo, who she allows to pull out of her comfort zone for the night. Then, he disappears without a trace. Three months later, Jenny and her mom have to travel to South Korea to stay with her sick grandmother. Jenny signs up to attend an arts academy that also trains K-pop artists. Jaewoo is a student there, and he’s a member of one of the biggest up-and-coming K-pop bands called XOXO. Jenny has finally achieved her dream of attending a music school that can propel her career, but she’s never liked someone as much as she likes Jaewoo. A relationship could derail his K-pop career too. They have to decide if they’re willing to risk everything for love.

I’m not a huge fan of K-pop music, but I love novels about K-pop singers. The K-pop industry is so rigid and strict that it makes a tense setting for a romance novel. There are many rules that the singers have to follow, both while training to be a singer and when they finally become stars. This one showed more of the fun side, though there were some serious moments. The students weren’t allowed to be in a romantic relationship with each other, because that would ruin their clean image. Some rules like that can be life changing, but the stakes weren’t quite that high in this novel.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and I loved it. I appreciated hearing the Korean names and words, rather than reading them. When I’ve read novels with words of other languages, I never know how to pronounce them. It was helpful to hear these words. I also appreciated that the narrator did different voices for the different characters so I could differentiate them. This was a very well done audiobook!

XOXO is a fun K-pop novel!

Review: Nick and Charlie (Solitaire #1.5)

Title: Nick and Charlie (Solitaire #1.5)
Author: Alice Oseman
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, LGBT, Novella
Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 16, 2015
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A short novella based on the beloved characters from the graphic novel Heartstopper and Alice Oseman’s debut novel Solitaire, which was praised as ‘The Catcher in the Rye for the digital age’ by The Times.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?
CHARLIE: “I have been going out with Nick Nelson for two years. He likes rugby, Formula 1, dogs, the Marvel universe, the sound felt-tips make on paper, rain and drawing on shoes. He also likes me.”
NICK: “Things me and Charlie Spring do together include: Watch films. Sit in the same room on different laptops. Text each other from different rooms. Make out. Make food. Make drinks. Get drunk. Talk. Argue. Laugh. Maybe we’re kind of boring. But that’s fine with us.”
Everyone knows that Nick and Charlie are the perfect couple – that they’re inseparable. But now Nick is leaving for university, and Charlie will be left behind at Sixth Form. Everyone’s asking if they’re staying together, which is a stupid question – they’re ‘Nick and Charlie’ for God’s sake!
But as the time to say goodbye gets inevitably closer, both Nick and Charlie question whether their love is strong enough to survive being apart. Or are they delaying the inevitable? Because everyone knows that first loves rarely last forever …

Review:

Nick and Charlie have been the perfect couple for two years. Now that the school year is ending, and Nick will be heading off to university in September, they can feel things changing. After another couple at their school breaks up because they don’t want to have a long distance relationship next year, Charlie thinks that’s what him and Nick should do too, even though neither of them want to break up. A misunderstanding separates them, leaving them questioning if they should be together.

These characters are so lovable. I can see why there have been many stories written about them. Nick and Charlie love each other so much, but they have a hard time communicating, like many people. This was one of those stories that made me want to shout at the characters to just talk it out. Luckily this is a short story so it doesn’t take long for their problems to be resolved.

Though this is a novella, it has a complete story arc. Sometimes, novellas or short stories within a series feel like they’re lacking the plot that the full length stories have. There was a clear problem (Nick and Charlie wondering if they should stay together when Nick goes off to university) and a solution at the end. This story made me love the characters even more.

Nick and Charlie is an adorable novella!

Other books in the series:

Solitaire
This Winter

Have you read Nick and Charlie? What did you think of it?

Review: Happily Ever Afters (Happily Ever Afters #1)

Title: Happily Ever Afters (Happily Ever Afters #1)
Author: Elise Bryant
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 5, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Jane the Virgin meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in this charming debut romantic comedy filled with Black Girl Magic. Perfect for fans of Mary H. K. Choi and Nicola Yoon, with crossover appeal for readers of Jasmine Guillory and Talia Hibbert romances.
Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson has never felt like the protagonist in her own life. She’s rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she’s a true leading lady is in her own writing—in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader.
When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she’s excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just…gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she’s ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa’s stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming.
But as Tessa checks off each item off Caroline’s list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about—including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She’s well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all?

Review:

Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson is a romance writer, but she’s never experienced a true romance herself or seen herself in the pages of published romance novels. When she moves to Long Beach and starts attending an arts high school, Tessa experiences one of the worst things a writer can have: writer’s block. Her friend from her old town has the perfect solution. She suggests that Tessa find her own romance to give her inspiration to write. Luckily, one of the students in her class looks like the dreamy main character in one of her stories. However, as Tessa spends more time with that guy, she starts to turn into a different person, lying to everyone around her. Her neighbour, Sam, is someone who she’s never afraid to be herself with, but he isn’t her type. Tessa has to figure out what her real love story is so she can get her writing groove back.

I loved this book so much. I could relate to Tessa. I also loved to write as a teen. I didn’t know much about writing back then so I wouldn’t have been able to do a program like Tessa did, though I would love it now!

Tessa experienced some realistic relationship problems in this story. There were a lot of red flags with one of the guys that Tessa liked. I recognized these red flags right away, but Tessa tried to brush them off. I would have and did try to ignore some of the problematic things that friends or boyfriends did, so that I could still be with them, but now I realize that was harmful to myself. I loved that this aspect of problematic and toxic relationships was explored in this book, because I wish I had learned that lesson sooner in life.

Happily Ever Afters is a great YA romance! I can’t wait to read the sequel!

Other books in the series:

One True Loves

Have you read Happily Ever Afters? What did you think of it?

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Review:

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