Source: NetGalley

Catch and Keep | Erin Hahn

Posted 06/06/2024 by Hilarye in ARC Review, Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Catch and Keep | Erin HahnCatch and Keep by Erin Hahn
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Spice Level: 4 Flames
All-Time Favorite
Published by St. Martin’s Griffin on 10/25/2024
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Romance
Format: DRC (320 pages)
Source: NetGalley
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At thirty-three, Maren Laughlin's just turned down her boyfriend’s proposal, walked away from her decade-long position as a park ranger, and returned to her childhood playground in Northern Wisconsin to accept her inheritance: a decrepit waterfront bait shop. After a lifetime of letting things happen to her, she’s ready to start making her own moves, even if everyone else thinks she’s making the wrong ones. Well, not everyone—at least the local heartstopper and resort owner is on her side.

Josiah Cole has made some missteps in his life, but he’s proud of what he has: two awesome kids and the keys to the kind of getaway spot that has families coming back every summer– their up north home away from home. After his marriage dissolved, leaving him a single dad, he feels he’s the last person to judge Maren for her recent transformation (even if his best friend, her brother, wants him to feel otherwise). Besides, he genuinely likes having her around. She’s a breath of fresh air, his kids adore her (not to mention her dog, Rogers), and it doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful.

Things between Maren and Joe are easy. So easy, they’re fully immersed in the middle before they even decide to begin. It’s not a question of should they, but rather can they make it last? Are things too easy, or is this just how real love works? In Erin Hahn’s heartwarmingly sexy Catch and Keep, Maren and Joe have to be brave enough to find out.



✨ Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and of course, Erin Hahn for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. ✨



Written review coming soon…


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Mistakes We Never Made | Hannah Brown

Posted 05/12/2024 by Hilarye in ARC Review, Book Reviews / 0 Comments
Mistakes We Never Made | Hannah Brown
Star Rating: 2.5 Stars
Spice Level: 3.5 Flames
Published by Forever on 05/07/2024
Format: DRC (329 pages)
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This review was tough to write. I didn’t hate Mistakes We Never Made, but I can’t say I enjoyed it either. It was just thoroughly…meh. On paper, this rom-com had all the ingredients of a story I would normally love. A forced proximity road trip, high school friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, and a second chance romance. There were flashes of brilliance here and there, but when all was said and done, the story fell flat. The worst part was the ending—more on that later. The story centers on Emma and Finn, high school friends and debate partners whose relationship slowly blossomed […]

Casket Case | Lauren Evans

Posted 05/05/2024 by Hilarye in ARC Review, Book Reviews / 0 Comments
Casket Case | Lauren Evans
Star Rating: 3 Stars
Spice Level: 3 Flames
Published by Dell on 09/10/2024
Format: DRC (400 pages)
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Casket Case is one part exploration of grief, two parts romantic comedy, a dash of self-discovery, and a heavy helping of magical realism. Its unique and intriguing premise captures your attention, but its execution falls short, preventing it from being a higher rated read. Despite its flaws, it has a certain charm that keeps you invested in the story and curious about what comes next. After her parents’ death, Nora reluctantly returns to her teeny tiny hometown of Rabbittown, Alabama, to run Rabbittown Casket Company, her family’s casket business. It’s not an easy or glamorous job, but somebody’s got […]

Starstruck | Ivy Dawes

Posted 05/02/2024 by Hilarye in ARC Review, Book Reviews / 0 Comments
Starstruck | Ivy Dawes
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Spice Level: 4 Flames
Series: Starlight Studios #1
Published by Flower & Bear Books on 05/21/2024
Format: DRC (328 pages)
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Overall, this was a fantastic little love story. Kat and James were adorable together, and although I typically dislike a third-act breakup, the writing of this one was superb. It’s not a breakup as much as a “we need to work on ourselves independently before this relationship can work” situation. It’s much better than miscommunication or, even worse, not communicating at all. Kat and James approached challenges maturely and made relationship choices that set a solid foundation for the future. It was a breath of fresh air to read a romance novel featuring a “healthy” couple, as opposed […]

The Love of My Afterlife | Kirsty Greenwood

Posted 04/14/2024 by Hilarye in ARC Review, Book Reviews / 0 Comments
The Love of My Afterlife | Kirsty Greenwood
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Spice Level: 3.5 Flames
Published by Berkley on 07/02/2024
Format: DRC (384 pages)
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Delphie Denise Bookham is dead. She never thought choking would lead to her demise, but here she is—done in by a cheap microwave hamburger. And to make matters worse? She’s dressed in her most atrocious pajamas—green fuzzy socks and a ratty t-shirt with a cartoon star saying, “Honey, it’s Time to Sparkle and Shine!” Things can’t get much worse, can they? Oh, they most certainly can. You see, Delphie is all alone (let’s be honest, she’s preferred it that way until this whole choking thing); she’s got The Tinder Swindler paused on her TV, and the lone browser tab she […]

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank | Megan Bannen

Posted 04/07/2024 by Hilarye in ARC Review, Book Reviews / 0 Comments
The Undermining of Twyla and Frank | Megan Bannen
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Spice Level: 3 Flames
All-Time Favorite
Series: Hart and Mercy #2
Published by Orbit on 07/02/2024
Format: DRC (464 pages)
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Did I drop everything to read this book the second I was approved for the ARC? Yes, yes, I did. Did I lose countless hours of sleep finishing it faster than I should? Also, yes. Did I enjoy every single second of this story? 100% YES!  The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was hands down my favorite read of 2023. Hart and Mercy destroyed my heart, put the shattered pieces back together better than before, and then lovingly wrapped me in the softest blanket while handing me a mug of hot cocoa. When I saw ‘The Undermining of […]

Lips Like Sugar | Jess K. Hardy

Posted 03/28/2024 by Hilarye in ARC Review, Book Reviews / 0 Comments
Lips Like Sugar | Jess K. Hardy
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Spice Level: 4 Flames
Series: Bluebird Basin #2
Published by Pinkity Publishing on 03/28/2024
Format: DRC (364 pages)
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Jess K. Hardy has done something miraculous. She made me love Cole Sanderson more than I already loved Matthew Madigan. I was sure it couldn’t be done, but alas, here we are. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I want to live in Red Falls. It has small-town energy, beautiful scenery, a delicious bakery, a fantastic bar named Jimmy O’Callaghan’s Irish Public House (with a jukebox), and insanely hot 50-some-odd-year-old rockstars. What’s not to love?  Cole Sanderson is the epitome of the ‘golden retriever’ MMC, and I’m pretty sure my heart grew three sizes while reading […]