Tag: Bromance Book Club series

REVIEW: A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

REVIEW: A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

A year ago, Colton and Gretchen slept together. And the next morning, Gretchen fled. She’s been avoiding Colton ever since. Sharing a friend group makes it tricky at times, but she makes it work. She loves her job as an immigration lawyer, and she lets her work fill her calendar. But her estranged family throws a wrench in her avoid-Colton plan by dangling the one thing she wants – a seat on the board of the family foundation – in front of her.  All she has to do is get Colton to agree to be the next ambassador for their whiskey company.

Colton’s in the middle of tense negotiations with his record label, but it’s not going to distract him from this opportunity to reconnect with Gretchen and make her see how amazing they could be together. But he has no idea how much he has to overcome.

Review

I have been a fan of this series from the start, and this was a fun holiday-ish addition to the series. Grumpy/Sunshine is not a trope I usually seek out, but I loved Colton, and Gretchen grew on me over time.

There were a few threads to this I thought were looser than in other books in the series. The guys don’t work through a romance book together in this one, but Colton and Gretchen share some conversations about a book. But the set up for this wasn’t as clear as I wanted, and then it sort of just disappeared when the book shifted focus to Gretchen’s family. I also would have liked a bigger, more definitive wrap up to those family things also. At the end of the book I was left feeling like I was holding something 85% finished. I enjoyed the whole, but I would have liked it to feel a little more solid to me.

Series fans will want to pick this up to see the progress through the larger friend group. I think newcomers might enjoy starting with an earlier book (Undercover Bromance is my favorite) in order to get a better sense of the Bromance Book Club than they might get if they start here. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

SABBATICAL - Must Read Series, Part I

SABBATICAL – Must Read Series, Part I

Posted on by Jaymie

I am on a “sabbatical” from my blog this month, so I am sharing some posts that compile information my readers might find useful. Today it’s a look at what I consider my “Must Read” series. These might be books I buy or books I get at the library, but either way, I am NOT missing a book in these series. (It’s highly likely that I have forgotten some series, but this is a great starting list.)

This week I am focusing on series that are ongoing. Next week I will post some completed series that were must-reads when they released.

Series Still Releasing New Books

Meg Langslow mysteries – This series kicks of with Murder with Peacocks. The most recent addition to the series, book 31, is Round Up the Usual Peacocks; a new Christmas book will release in October, Dashing through the Snowbirds. I love these because Meg feels so much like me in a lot of ways, and I have grown to love the chaotic, fascinating group of family and friends who populate each book.
Andy Carpenter mysteries – This series kicks off with Open and Shut (my least favorite book in the series – but it sets things up). The most recent addition to the series, book 25, is Holy Chow; a new Christmas book will release in October, Santa’s Little Yelpers. I love these because the mysteries are so good, and Andy is sarcastically delightful.
Gargoyle Queen series – This series kicks off with Capture the Crown and then Tear Down the Throne. The next book, Conquer the Kingdom, will release in the spring of 2023. I am thoroughly enjoying this series spun off from the Crown of Shards series (which will be in next week’s post). The world is fantastic, and I love the characters here. These books can’t release fast enough for me.
Scarred Earth Saga – This series kicks off with The Blacksmith Queen and The Princess Knight. The next book, The Heretic Royal, releases at the end of the year. The first book was an unexpected delight – violent but SO fun, with clever world-building and a fascinating family at the center of the story.
Kitty Katt-Martini/Touched by an Alien series – This series kicks off with Touched By an Alien. The last book released was Aliens Abroad in 2018 – book 16 in the series. The next book will be Aliens Like Us, but there’s no release date set for that yet. This series, which I picked up after the release of book 3, changed my reading life. I discovered a fun, sexy sci-fi series with a strong, bright, hilarious, sarcastic heroine I wanted to have as my best friend. These are my comfort reads, and I read at least a few of them, if not the whole series, every year.
Galactic Cold War series – Now considered book 0 or a prequel, this series kicks off with The Caledonian Gambit, while The Bayern Agenda is considered book 1, and The Aleph Extraction is considered book 2. Book “3”, The Nova Incident, just released this summer. It’s my favorite book in this scifi-spies series.
Bromance Book Club series – This series kicks off with The Bromance Book Club. The fifth book in the series, A Very Merry Bromance, will release later this fall. I love this series about a group of guys who help each other with their romantic relationships by reading romance novels together.
Countess of Harleigh mysteries – This series kicks off with A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder. Book 5, A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder, released this summer. You’ll notice there’s not a lot of historical fiction on my list, but there are a couple series where the characters and the mysteries are so good, they have worked past my mental block against historicals.
Rosalind Thorne mysteries – This series kicks off with A Useful Woman. Book 6, The Secret of the Lost Pearls, complete with a new cover design, will release later this year. This is the other historical fiction series that I love for the fantastic mysteries.
By the Book mysteries – This series kicked off this year with Buried in a Good Book. I fell in love with the characters in this, and the mystery was fantastic. Book 2, On Spine of Death, releases in November, and book 3, Murder Off the Books, will be out next spring.
Pies Before Guys series – I picked up the first book, Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies, at the library this summer, zoomed through it, but never had space to post a full review, although I have talked about it in other posts. The first book really connected with the small, angry part of me that sees how women have been harassed and dismissed for centuries and feels powerless to effect real change. Book 2, A Good Day to Pie, will release in 2023.
Inheritance Games series – This YA mystery series kicks off with The Inheritance Games followed by The Hawthorne Legacy. The third and final book. The Final Gambit, released a couple weeks ago.
Castles in Their Bones series – This fantasy/royalty series kicked off earlier this year with Castles in Their Bones. It was stunning. Exactly the right kind of book for me. Next year’s release will be Stardust in Their Veins. I cannot wait!!
Teen Titans Graphic Novel series – This DC graphic novel series kicked off with stand alone books for both Raven and Beast Boy. Then there was a book where they teamed up, Beast Boy Loves Raven. Book 4 will be Robin, and it releases in the spring of 2023.
HiLo series – There is no middle grade series I am as excited about as this one! This series started with a six-book arc, kicked off with HILO. They are now in a second arc starring Gina, which has released two books – Gina, the Girl Who Broke the World and Gina and the Big Secret– so far. Book 9, Gina and the Last City on Earth, will release in February. (I’ve already recommended it to my library!)

REVIEW: Isn't It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams

REVIEW: Isn’t It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Vlad has been part of the Bromance Book Club for years. The men in the group are his closest friends. But watching them with their wives and girlfriends is tearing him apart. He longs for that sort of love with his wife, Elena. But no one else knows theirs has always been a marriage of convenience. And now Elena wants to end it and go back to Russia. Alone.

But when Vlad is seriously injured in a hockey game, Elena is the only family close enough to help him with his recovery. But being in close quarters with him makes everything more difficult. Each of them is longing for something they think is out of reach. Thankfully, Vlad has the guys in his book club to help him fight for his marriage before it’s too late.

Review

I enjoy any book where these guys are together. I love the men of the Bromance Book Club – the ways they harass each other, the ways they call each other out, and the ways they drop everything to help one another.

The romance didn’t quite click for me in this one like some of the other books in the series. (The Bromance Book Club (♥♥♥♥♥) and Undercover Bromance are my favorites!) It’s a bit of the fake relationship trope, but it’s even more complicated. Vlad and Elena each want to be together. But they make bad assumptions and don’t communicate which causes a lot of trouble.

Vlad’s writing was a nice piece of the plot. I enjoyed the guys weighing in on his story and how Vlad’s book tied into his personal life. Elena’s work – the investigating, the danger – took me by surprise at the end. I would have liked it if this was more concretely explored throughout the book, given just a bit bigger presence so it felt earned when it came to the forefront towards the end of the story. That said, though, I always enjoy a Bromance story, and I hope there are many more to come in the future. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

 

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2020 Favorites

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2020 Favorites

Posted on by Jaymie

There were moments in 2020 when I despaired of ever finding my reading groove. There were others where reading was the perfect escape. What a unique year in so many ways! Here are some of my reading statistics for 2020. (If you’d like to see my past Year in Review/favorites posts, you can go here.)

2020 Stats

Through the course of 2020 I read 342 books.  There were 35 more that I started but did not finish. I started the year intending to take my time, maybe read FEWER books but really savor them – and maybe even remember them once the year was done. In reality, though, that  didn’t happen. I committed to reading a large number of books for publishers which kept me turning pages all year long.

Of those 342, the break down for target audience is

  • 47% adult
  • 19% teen/young adult (including both prose books and graphic novels)
  •   5% older middle grade for readers 10-14
  • 18% middle grade (standard middle grade prose books as well as kids graphic novels)
  •   8% picture books
  •   2% transitional chapter books and early readers

The main genre breakdown is

  • 24% Fantasy
  • 18% Realistic/Contemporary
  • 18% Romance
  • 21% Mystery
  •   6% Science Fiction
  • 11% Nonfiction in various categories (36 books – My goal was at least one per month, so I exceeded that.)

This year most of the books I read were review copies from publishers – 216 books. (63% of the total – more than double what I read from publishers each of the last two years, and 4x 2017.) I also read 44 books from my To Be Read shelves, including 15 brand new books (read within 2 weeks of acquiring them), as well as  60 books from the library. I also re-read 16 favorites this year – not nearly as many as I wanted to re-read.

In 2020, I had a goal of reading 1 nonfiction book each month, specifically from a stack of spiritual growth resources I set aside for the year. As I mentioned,  I met the numerical goal, but I didn’t get to every book in the stack. (And I added several books, too!) I used the Book Riot spreadsheet (which is customizable!) again, which was super helpful in tracking my books for the year as well as helping me with monthly stats. You can check out the 2021 version here. I already have mine customized and ready to go for my first read of the new year.

In 2021, I need to scale back my ARC reading. While I love discovering new books, new authors, and new series – as well as continuations of my favorite series – I found myself wrestling with what I needed to read vs. what I wanted to read all throughout 2020. I have committed to 80 ARCs already for 2021. That means weeks where I have two or three reviews to post per day in order to stay on track with release dates as much as I can. That becomes a reading obligation, which does not leave room to read whatever I feel like – or to take any time off for a break.

Speaking of breaks, I took 21 days off from reading in 2020. That’s more than double what I did in 2019 when I started keeping track. 2020 was intense at times, and it was hard to get lost in a book some weeks. I liked the freedom to do other things – and discovered I need some new hobbies since reading has become a job in a lot of ways – but it added to the pressure and feelings of obligation when I had fewer days to read the next week’s ARCs. So, in 2021 I am seeking better balance.

2020 Favorites!!

At the end of the year, I go back through my reading log and pull out the titles of the best of the best from the year.  (Not every 5 star review makes it onto the blog, depending on my publishing schedule, but you can find many of the reviews here.) Then I compare them to one another until a list of 10 or so rise to the top. This year there were 53 that made it onto the list. And the results are fascinating. There are two re-reads on the list – my top two books from 2019. And there are two books on the list that haven’t even released yet. So, here are my most favorite favorites from 2020:

12. What’s Your Enneatype? – This is my favorite Enneagram resource from this year. The book is small, and packed with great information and color-coded graphics. I am looking forward to digging into this one again in 2021. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

11. Microphones and Murder – I loved this first-in-a-new-series mystery. Book 2 in the Podcasting Sisters series, Up Next, Murder, is out now. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

10. Undercover Bromance – Book 2 in the Bromance Bookclub series was even better than the fantastic series starter. There are three books in the series so far, and book 4, Isn’t It Bromantic?, will release this summer. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

9. Talk Nerdy to Me – Book 4 in the fantastic Bookish Boyfriends series I have adored since the beginning. Book 4, Get a Clue, releases later this month. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

8. Cast in Firelight – This amazing YA fantasy story will release later this month. It was originally supposed to release in November, so I read it and prepared my review only to discover the release date had been pushed back. This is well worth the wait. Do NOT miss this one! My full review will post in a couple weeks.

 

 

7. Chasing Vines – The second nonfiction book of this year’s list is a fascinating exploration of vines and vineyards and vine growers, both from scripture and from the author’s experience in Italy. Don’t miss this one! You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

6. Gina, the Girl Who Broke the World – This is the second 2021 release on my 2020 favorites list. This one doesn’t release until February. But I adored the first six-book story arc so much, I read this one the second I was approved for the review copy. All of my favorite characters are back, adjusting to the fallout from the earlier books. But this launches everyone right into a new, harrowing adventure with a MAJOR cliffhanger. The only downside to reading this so soon is that I have to wait that much longer for the next book. Put this one on your February list and watch for my review.

 

5. Polaris Rising – It’s probably unfair to include old favorites in the list, but I re-read this one, and the sequel, Aurora Blazing, to get ready to read book three, Chaos Reigning. And it really stands up well to re-reading. I just love it. The perfect mix of science fiction and romance with tons of sass. When I have time, I want to re-read the whole series. This was my most favorite book of 2019. You can read my full review here.

 

 

4. Crush the King – This is the final book in the outstanding Crown of Shards series after Kill the Queen (my most favorite book of 2018) and Protect the Prince. This series was excellent. The spin off series, Gargoyle Queen, launches with Capture the Crown this summer. You can read my full review here.

 

 

3. The Princess Knight – This is book 2 in the Scarred Earth Saga after The Blacksmith Queen, the book that tied with Polaris Rising for my most favorite of 2019.  Both are fantastic (but violent). You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

2. The Blacksmith Queen – My second most-favorite book of 2019 (after a tie with Polaris Rising), and my most favorite re-read on the list. This series is often shelved with romance, but for me it is a straight-up fantasy series, far more violent than what I usually read, but truly fantastic in humor and in storytelling. I have never posted a full review of this one to the blog, but you can see my Goodreads review here.

 

 

1. Crownchasers – Even while I was in the process of reading this book, I knew it had the potential to be my most favorite book of 2020. This was the perfect fit for me as a reader, and I am eager to re-read it as I wait for the sequel. Out of the 340+ books I read this year, this one has consistently stuck in my memory, and in my heart, as exceptional. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

Honorable Mention

For honorable mention here are some other favorites by category:

Most Favorite Picture Books

Burt the Beetle Doesn’t Bite – This delight will not release until June 1, but you will want to put it on your list.
Madeline Finn and the Therapy Dog

 

Most Favorite Middle Grade (that have been released so you can enjoy them now!)

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor
Hilo: All the Pieces Fit – The final book in the original story arc.
Tune It Out – This is targeted to older middle grade readers between 10 and 14.
Primer

REVIEW: Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

REVIEW: Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Alexis’s coffee shop, ToeBeans Cat Café, has become something of a safe haven for other survivors of sexual harassment and assault. And that’s why she thinks the new arrival at her shop has shown up. But Candi is actually there because she believes Alexis is her biological sister. And she has an unbelievable request. Her biological father is going to die unless he gets a kidney transplant.

Noah desperately wants to protect Alexis from whatever this business is with Candi. Either it’s all a scam, or it’s a gross imposition on Alexis for a man who never bothered to acknowledge her before now, a man who left Alexis and her mother to scrape by on their own.

But this crisis is tweaking Noah’s and Alexis’s feelings for one another. Out loud, they both insist they are only friends.  Or that they can’t risk their friendship on something more. But maybe a chance at rich, true love is worth the risk.

Review

There’s a lovely emotional ebb and flow to this story. There are laugh-out-loud moments, especially when it comes to Lexa’s cat, Beefcake. There are also heart-tugging ones with the core romance as well as with the losses both characters have experienced. The ups and downs evolve naturally and made for a fun reading experience.

It was good to be with the Bromance Book Club crew again. The premise for this series – a group of men who read romance novels to help them in their romantic relationships – is outstanding. The men in the group are a hoot, and I enjoy the banter between them. Even more, I love their more touching, emotional moments with one another. The scenes with the Bromance guys were my favorites in the story.

While I was moved at times by Noah and Lexa’s story, I didn’t click with them like I have with other series characters. One of the issues for the couple is his seething resentment and anger and unresolved grief while she tends to gloss over her hard feelings in an attempt to take the high road and be “above” such things. It was perfect for the story being told, and the growth needed for the characters. But their situations should have made them furious, at least at some moments. But there wasn’t enough fury for me for the context. (Of course, this could just be my own 2020 rage looking for an outlet, too.)

I enjoyed this addition to this excellent series, and I cannot wait to get my hands on book 4, Isn’t It Bromantic, set for a summer 2021 release. If you are a fan of the series, you will want to pick this one up for yourself and check out Noah and Alexis’s story. (Language, sex, TW: grief/loss)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½=Good+

REVIEW: Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

REVIEW: Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Liv (sister of Thea in The Bromance Book Club – ♥♥♥♥♥) is a pastry chef at the high end Savoy. She’s responsible for many of their special treats including a $1000 gold-infused cupcake called the Sultan.

Braden Mack is at the Savoy for a date with the first woman he’s wanted to have stick around, maybe ever. But nothing at this date is going quite right. He’s hoping the Sultan will help.

When Mack recognizes Liv things start to go sideways. Her boss, Royce, is fuming because Liv is getting the attention he feels he should always have from customers. Then, when Mack insists on a selfie with Liv and the cupcake, the dessert ends up in his date’s lap. Liv knows Royce won’t let this go. Surely she’s going to be fired.

But when Liv shows up for the dressing down she’s expecting, Royce is in the office with the restaurant’s young hostess. And what Liv hears through the door is NOT right! She storms in, rescuing the girl and incurring even more of her boss’ wrath. She’s fired and blackballed. The hostess refuses to report their boss. And Liv is stunned that Royce is going to get away with this behavior. How many times has he done this before?

Mack becomes an unexpected partner in Liv’s plan to take Royce down. She has no interest in the cocky playboy except to give the Savoy hostess a job if Liv can convince her to leave. But the feelings between Liv and Mack might hold more warmth than either of them expect for such an antagonistic relationship.

Review

This was even better than the first book! I loved Mack and Liv together. And this story was SO funny! The banter between Mack and Liv alone was hilarious. But there were so many other terrific, funny moments. Between the humor and the romance, I was a happy reader. But add to that the we’re-not-going-to-take-it-anymore vibe, and I was in reading heaven.

One of my favorite things about this series is the men’s book group. It’s an unusual feature in contemporary romance, and I love it. Not only do they have a fascinating perspective on the romance novels they read, but the way they show up for each other is excellent. In this particular book, they show up for the plot – for the Royce take down plans – but they also show up for Mack emotionally. That scene is one of my favorites in the whole series. And the explanation of the title was brilliant. I loved all of it!

Fans of contemporary romance – Well Met (♥♥♥♥♥),  Love on Lexington Avenue, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill – should not miss this series! If you haven’t read the first book yet, run right out and get both of these and clear your reading schedule. And while you are at it, pre-order Crazy Stupid Bromance (releasing in October) because you aren’t going to want to miss a moment with these characters. (Language, sex, possible triggers for abuse and harassment)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥