Audiobook Review: Until April by Aurora Rose Reynolds

 

Title: Until April Series: Until Her/Him #10 - (can be read as standalone as I haven’t read the others) Genre: Contemporary Romance Trope(s): childhood friends, alpha hero Cliffhanger: no Narrators: Laura Jennings & Sebastian Grove Narration Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Length: 6h 53m Spice level: 🔥🔥 Rating: ⭐⭐ RELEASE DATE: October 26th, 2021

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook. I voluntarily listened and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Until April is book 10 in the Until Her/Him series, which is the spinoff series of Aurora Rose Reynolds’ Until series. The only one I read is Until November (from the Until series) and I didn't read any other books in both series. Still, I didn’t feel lost but the other characters do appear so you might want to read the other books but I was okay reading it as a standalone. 

This book is about April Mayson who worked hard to become a successful realtor and to live her best life. Until her first kiss and childhood friend, Maxim Kauwe, comes back into her life. She now has to deal with Maxim, her ex, and a potential serial killer on realtors on the loose. 

Similar to Until November, the hero in that one was a bit problematic because of his extreme caveman behaviours. Now that I read this one as well, it seems like the author’s MO.  Don’t get me wrong, I love alpha heroes and when they get obsessive and possessive with the heroine. However, the romance happened so randomly and right off the bat. Adding to Maxim’s alphaness/actions, it just rubbed me the wrong way and not to mention April is basically a doormat (she kept saying that she doesn’t like taking orders but then when the hero does, she kept using “following the flow” as excuses). The scene with Maxim and his brother is so childish and stupid (sorry not sorry).

The audiobook was good and the narrators did a good job! Have you already read or listened to Until April? If you did, let me know your thoughts!

Book Review: Thorn (Rosewood High #1) by Tracy Lorraine

Title: Thorn Series: Rosewood High #1 Genre: High school bully romance Trope(s): enemies-to-lovers, bully Cliffhanger: no for the couple but timeline continues Spice level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

This is exactly what I needed right now to avoid the reading slump that I was going into! Thorn is your typical trashy high school bully romance with a lot of angst. I flew through this one like nobody's business and couldn't put it down.

Thorn is an enemies-to-lovers high school romance between Amalie and Jake. After a tragic accident, Amalie Windsor-Marsh, a British rich girl, lost both her parents and moved from London to the States to stay with her grandmother. Jake (Jacob) Thorn, Captain of the football team and King of Rosewood High, decided that she doesn't belong after their first contact and made it his mission to make her life miserable so that she leaves at their school. 

The only reason this didn't get a 5 star was due to the ending. The last "conflict" got wrapped up pretty quickly to lead onto the next instalment. The timeline continues so I definitely need to read this in order even though it follows different couples.

Have you already read Thorn? If you did, let me know your thoughts and if it's worth continuing this series!

Book Review: A Scoundrel of Her Own by Stacy Reid

Title: A Scoundrel of Her Own
Series: Sinful Wallflowers #3 - (can be read as standalone)
Genre: Historical romance
Trope(s): childhood sweethearts, friends-to-lovers, class difference, forbidden love, self-made hero
Cliffhanger: no
Spice level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
RELEASE DATE: December 28th, 2021

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

UGH~ I loved Ophelia and Devlin so much! I love them individually and when they come together, I just can’t take the cuteness (I literally squealed out loud a few times which has been a while). They are THAT book couple that everyone is routing for a HEA. I like how they openly speak about their feelings/intentions about each other without any miscommunication and their love for each other was so strong and steady throughout the story.

A Scoundrel of Her Own is the conclusion to Stacy Reid’s bestselling Sinful Wallflowers series. It starts with how Lady Ophelia Darby met our hero Devlin when they were kids and Devlin saved her. This is a friends-to-lovers romance with so much angst and longing from both characters. I normally don’t really like reading friends-to-lovers because usually the reason why they aren’t together already is stupid but this one has a good legit reason and realistic (for the set period of time). Ophelia is the daughter of a powerful marquess meanwhile Devlin is commoner and they can never be together due to society norms. Fast forward fifteen years later, Ophelia’s father thought he was on his deathbed and revealed a secret that changed her life and can’t be ignored which led her to re-encounter with the boy who saved her when she was young.

It’s been a while since I have swooned so hard for a hero but also, the couple. Devlin Niall Byrne has his heart set on Lady Ophelia since he was twelve. He has been working so hard and became a self-made man just to be worthy of his Fifi. After finding her, he still persevered and never gave up on pursuing her despite their class difference.

Devlin: “Then never apologize to me. I’ll always help you put back the pieces.” 

(queue the ugly cry and swooning)

I haven’t read My Darling Duke nor Her Wicked Marquess but after reading A Scoundrel of Her Own, I went and got both on my Kindle! If you can’t already tell… I 100% recommend this book and you should totally go grab your copy on release day (Dec 28th)! Even if you haven’t read the previous two instalments, this can be read as a standalone.

If you also read it, comment down below what are your thoughts? Or if this book interests you!

BOOK REVIEW: Return All by Eve Dangerfield

 

Title: Return All
Series: Rebirth #2 - (can be read as standalone)
Genre: Contemporary sport romance
Trope(s): childhood sweethearts, rich heroine, friends-to-lovers, professional football player
Cliffhanger: no
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥/5
Rating: ⭐⭐/5
Release Date: December 14th, 2021 

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a conflicting one. Return All is about a second-chance romance between our heroine, Mara, and our hero, Derek. They both grew up in this small town and were high school sweethearts. Then they got separated and ten years later, Derek is this famous football player while Mara is this rich girl and no one knows how she got rich. 

Here is what I liked and what put me off: Liked:

• The chemistry between Mara and Derek!

• The daddy kink 

Disliked:

• I didn't vibe with the author's writing (a lot of "!" at the end of the sentences, and I know the author is Aussie but some choice of words just made me cringe, i.e. "missus", "bloke", "footy", etc. I don't know, it just sounded weird and childish for me and I know some Aussie and they absolutely don't speak like that).

• The constant brand names thrown in (I get it... she is rich but you don't need to say every single brand that exists in the world for every single piece of clothing... it was just overdone)

• All characters were in the late twenties but acted very immature 

• The reveal about how she got rich wasn't that impactful... it was like "oh really? that's it?" very anticlimactic. Lastly, Derek didn't grovelling in my opinion. He broke the daddy/little girl's trust and just expected her to come back and never address it.

If you also read it, comment down below what are your thoughts? Do you like it or do you agree with my dislikes?