Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover

Once again a great book by Colleen Hoover!

Colleen Hoover is an automatic one-click author to me. Actually her books are what started my love to go in blind. I think I have been doing that more or less since 2015 when November 9 came out. It's a best way to start reading. I think that I have something around 20 books by her in my actual book shelf, some of them are even signed 💜 I can safely say that she's the reason why I love romance novels. 

Whether you like Colleen's online persona or the things she shares online, you have to admit that she knows how to write. She has really unique style to write. I like how her writing seems "depressing", I don't know if this is a correct word to describe her writing, but I don't know how else to say it. She is very skilled author and she writes books with heavy subjects, such as depression, domestic abuse, cancer, loss of love, family and so on. Those are hard subjects to write about and maybe that's the thing what makes her style heavy. It's like you can feel the heaviness of the words. Like you're carrying the same weight on your shoulders as protagonist does. 

Heart Bones is contemporary romance. I would say it's a NA book. Beyah's world crumples around her so she decides that change of scenery is great before she starts a college at the end of the summer. She leaves her home and heads to Texas to stay with her father, whom she hasn't seen in years. She's determined to keep her head down and just try to survive until the college starts. 

Things rarely goes as planned. Beyah meets the cute next door neighbor, Samson, and even if they have some really big differences as background and wealthiness they both seem to be sad. That sadness is the thing that draws them towards each other. They make plans to spend time together during summer. They are firm about the fact that they keep their summer fling "in shallow end", but as we know you can drown in shallow water, too.

I loved how the title is explained in book. It all makes sense. I loved how content Beyah and Samson were together. I loved the amount of sunrises and sunset in this book. I loved how it took time from Beyah (and Samson) to learn new things about themselves. 

This might not be my favorite book by Colleen Hoover, but this still was a really amazing book. One of the best books I've read this year. I am going to keep reading CoHo books in future, too. When you pick up a book by Colleen Hoover you know that you get a quality book. You get a book with story that goes forward, you get a book that's written really wonderfully and thoroughly edited. You get to meet exciting  characters and sometimes you even get new songs to listen.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover

Independently Published

2020

The Duplicate Bride by Ginny Braid

Thank you for NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for giving me an ARC to review!

The Duplicate Bride is a contemporary romance novel written by Ginny Braid. It's written in third POV, which always takes some time from me to get used to. The view switches between Brent and Hope, the main characters and I enjoyed that fact. 

Hope and Jackie are twin sisters. Jackie is getting married, but she has problems at work so she asks Hope to swap places with her and go play Jackie on her pre-wedding festivities. It was supposed to be only for a day, but one day turns to another and then another one.

As soon as Hope arrives to meet Brent and his family, she realizes that everything isn't okay between Brent and Jackie. Brent also sees there's something not right with his fiancee. She used to love jogging and had a strict diet, now she doesn't want to get up early to run and loves to eat everything she doesn't usually eat. Brent struggles with his personal life and it seems that being with Hope helps him to understand himself more. 

All these small changes he notices on his fiancee makes him want to win her over. He really wants to try to make this relationship work. He wants to love her and wants her to love him. They spend a lot of time together and somewhere along the way Hope realizes that she's developing too warm feelings towards his sister's soon-to-be husband.

I especially liked Brent's family. There were multiple fun characters. I wouldn't mind being a part of family like that. The writing is beautiful! I liked that this was a clean romance. The connection between Brent and Hope felt real.

The things I struggled with this book were Jackie (didn't like her at all) and how long the things went on before the secret of twins swapping places comes out. 

⭐⭐⭐½

The Duplicate Bride by Ginny Braid

Entangled Publishing

2020

The Reality of Everything by Rebecca Yarros

Thank for Entangled Publishing, Candi Kane PR and Rebecca Yarros for giving me an ARC to read and review. 

The Reality of Everything is the fifth (and final) book in Flight & Glory -series. I read the first book Full Measures few years ago. It's Ember and Josh's book. Their story continues on book nr. 4, Hallowed Ground, so naturally I read that book soon after finishing the first book of the series. Then there are books nr. 2, Eyes Turned Skyward and nr. 3, Beyond What's Given. Those two books I read last week. I started reading The Reality of Everything right after finishing book nr. 3. I realized that I had forgotten what happened in Hallowed Ground so I did a quick reread and got back to this fifth book. 

It's not necessarily to read the earlier books, but I would strongly recommend it. We get to meet again the couples from other books, they have a role in this book, too. And I can honestly say that it was a good that I had just read all the twists and turns that happened in before this story takes place. It gives you so much more, when you know the background. Sure, you pick something along the way, but if you have time, please read the other parts first. 

In The Reality of Everything we get to meet Morgan again. She has been a side character in earlier books. She seemed this fun character, who always knew what to say and wasn't afraid saying what she thinks. In the beginning of this book we learn that Morgan isn't what she used to be and it's totally fine, since she has been through a lot. She moved to a new town, bought a house on her own and is trying her absolute best to keep up with life. She tries to keep her anxiety attacks at bay, she tries to repair her broken heart. 

Jackson is the next door neighbor. He is gorgeous, single and a awesome daddy to his 5 years-old daughter. There's something in his past, too. He works as coast guard pilot. And he is afraid to reveal this to Morgan.

These two meet and there's this pull. They gravitate towards each other. Sometimes it just happens, you have no power over your own feelings. Heart wants what it wants. It isn't always easy to fall in love. Your heart might already be in there, but your head tries it best to make you think things through.

There are so many beautiful and meaningful moments in this book. I think that this was the perfect ending for the series. This book wraps everything up so beautifully. And once again Rebecca Yarros writes military romances really well, she knows what's she is writing about. This book is all about family, love and friends. This book tells you to trust your friends even when it's hard. They can't help you if you don't tell them what's wrong. Family, whether it's made from friends or relatives, is everything.

I think that my favorite quote from the book was "I'll rip the world apart to keep her safe". I thought it was very well said. I can certainly say that I feel like that towards certain people in my life. Once again Rebecca Yarros' words made me think about my own life. 

You can count on Rebecca Yarros writing a book that will rip your heart out of your chest. Her books will absolutely destroy your heart. But, you can also count on her fixing your heart. She has this amazing talent to put the pieces of your heart back on, she glues the parts together with her writing. And even after you feel that nothing is going to be okay ever again; she has managed to make everything right again. She makes your pieced-together-heart beat again with the rhythm on love. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Reality of Everything by Rebecca Yarros

Entangled Publishing

2020

Beach Read by Emily Henry

This is one of my new paperbacks, which arrived few weeks ago. 

I can't remember who recommended Beach Read for me, but she said something like, the book is perfect for summer reading, easy and funny. The cover of the book implies that, too. But for me this was so much more.

Beach Read is so much more than a funny love story. Sure, it's a love story and maybe it's a traditional love story in some way, but it's so much more. I can recommend this book to almost anyone I know. 

January has it all until his father passed away. She had her career as an romance author. She had her perfect boyfriend and perfect parents. At her father's funeral the secret comes out and she feels that all she has known has been a lie. How she can write about true love and happily-ever-afters, when she doesn't believe those anymore? She's desperate to write a new book, but it's hard, harder than it has ever been. She comes to stay at her dads beach house, well it kind of is hers now. 

Augustus Everett owns the house next to hers. They are of with a bad start. As the time goes on they learn that they know each other already. They used to be in the same college and had the same writing classes. Augustus is also having a problems to write his next book. 

Augustus and January make a deal. Augustus will write a romance novel and January will write "a next Great American Novel". They'll spend Fridays and Saturdays together taking turns to teach other about perks of their genres. No one is going to fall in love. As in the time goes on and summer is about to end it's not easy to not to fall in love. 

The chemistry between main characters is awesome. I really like how they keep each other on their toes. I like the bickering, I like the sweet moments. I like they are able to see the good in each other. They trust each other, that's what everyone wants for their relationship, right?

This is a book about love, obviously. But this is also a book about friends, family, forgiveness, loyalty, lust, adventures and determination. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Berkley

2020

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

I bought few paperbacks for my summer vacation and this was one of them. Read it really fast.

When I started to put this book as "read" in my Goodreads account I found out that I had already added this in my "want to read" shelf back in August 2019. I had no memory of it. That's how unorganized my tbr pile is. 🤣

Love is a mysterious thing. You never know what's going to happen when you let yourself fall in love. Most of the time you don't have a choice. You just fall in love with someone. My best friend just told me that loss is the price of the love. It sounds kind of sad, but I believe it's true. You can't have everything, you lost something and then you find something. 

Naomi hasn't many months before she's marrying the love of her life, expect that it doesn't feel like it. It doesn't feel that Nicholas is the love of her life. It feels like she's pretending. She's pretending to be perfect. She counts her love towards Nicholas on percentages. She believes that Nicholas is perfectly happy with the way things are in their relationship. It isn't until one day they're having a fight that she learns that Nicholas isn't happy either.

This book made me laugh out loud so many times. But then I got frustrated with characters too. Why they just don't talk with each other? Like I stated my previous post; it's important to learn to speak with your partner. Maybe this book is realistic in a way, because it sure isn't easy to start talking about hard topics. The book is told by Naomi's POV so we don't get to see inside of Nicholas' head. I think it would have made this book different. Now we only see things from Naomi's POV and that's kind of the whole point in this book. This book is all about troubles in relationship. We only know our POV in real life too, unless the other tells their POV to us. Now we get to see all Naomi's insecurities, hardships and all those good things. I could see a lot of myself in Naomi. 

What it's to like fall in love again with the person you're going to marry? How hard will it be? How does it feel to let other one see you as in whole? You're deciding to show all of you, not just good parts. How should you act towards your partner when you're feeling down? How you show them you're happy?

This book was a really good read. I enjoyed the funny moments, I felt anxious and happy. This is great summer read, but it sure got me thinking about my own relationship. I believe in true love. I think that there can be more than one true love. I believe in working to make your relationship better. My favorite line from the book was "Being in love is frantic. Fluttery. Falling. It's nervous sweats and pounding heartbeats and a feeling of tremendous rightness.". Because love is that and so many other things. What a great debut novel from Sarah Hogle!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

G.P. Putnam's Sons

2020

Repeat by Kylie Scott

Wow. I am speechless.

I found this book, because Natasha from Natasha Is a Book Junkie made a Instagram post about one day flash sale of this book. I one-clicked so fast, because hello, have you seen how gorgeous the cover is?! Swoon.

I didn't read the blurb, but it didn't matter. The book is so vividly written. It made my head spin with the best way possible. Just wow. I think this book messed with my head. I am totally in love with Ed. Tattooed guy, who's protective over his girl. What's there not to love?

It feels like I can't form any comprehensible thoughts, let alone type them in here. I am gonna try, though.

Clementine has no memory, because she was brutally attacked. She's trying to learn about her post, who she was, what she liked and all that. She has a tattoo and she's trying to find out who did it to her. She confronts Ed, the tattoo artist, and finds out that he have done more to her than the tattoo. They used to be in love. Ed isn't happy to see Clementine again. But many things have changed. Slowly they start to build their relationship again. Will they find a way to love each other again or will their relationship stay platonic?

The idea of this book is interesting. How much our wants, needs, likes, believes are absolute truths about us? Can we change, can our believes change? Can our favorite color change? How much all the changes we're going through in life are about us and how much they are because of those around us?

Clementine changed a lot after attack left her with permanent memory loss. How would you feel waking up with no memory? It's horrific. I have waken up without a memory. Luckily for me it wasn't permanent. I eventually remembered everything. This book manages to find some good things in memory loss. Like the fact that you get to see movies and read books again like it's your first time. I would love to read few books again for the first time.

Clementine and Ed talk lot about everything, some topics are harder, some easier. But like in every relationship, talking is essential. None of us can read minds, so speak up when you have something to say. That's the thing I'm trying to learn.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Repeat by Kylie Scott

2019

Hate Thy Neighbor by S.M. Soto

Thank you to S.M. Soto and Social Butterfly PR for giving me an ARC to review.

This was a first book by S.M. Soto that I've read. I am incredibly happy that I got a chance to read this book now. I fell in love with the cover when I saw it in Instagram.

Hate Thy Neighbor is an enemies-to-lovers romance. One of my favorite tropes! There's a bit of romcom in there, too. I wouldn't say it's angsty, bu there's some angst in mix. It was a fast read for me. 

I can't remember when was the last time I was so angry while reading. Both of the main characters made me so angry. I questioned the decisions they made almost as often as I swooned over Roman Banks. 

Olivia moves to a new house. It's a first time that she'll be living alone. It seems like she has all her ducks in a row. She is determined to fix all the small things that are wrong in the house by herself. She wants to be independent and at first I can not understand why she is so adamant of it. But as the story goes on and we learn more about her past it makes sense. Olivia makes a few really bad decisions, at least I think so. But don't we all? 

Roman is Olivia's new neighbor. She wants to be polite and have good relationship with him. He's an ass to her. One prank leads to another and soon they are on war. Roman works hard and is determined to reach his goals and this prank war isn't helping him to reach those goals. We all love these a**hole heroes, right?

Slowly and with many setbacks their relationship starts to evolve. What do you need in every relationship in your life? Loyalty, love, caring, kindness, determination, will to fight for each other. You can find those things in their relationship, too. 

I loved the writing. The book is very beautifully written. There were things in this book that I loved. I loved the passion and loyalty. I loved how protective Roman was over Olivia. I loved that S.M. Soto showed that it doesn't matter where you come from, you can always fight to be better; that your past don't define you. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hate Thy Neighbor by S.M. Soto

2020