Weekly Wrap Up

Why hello there my fellow book lovers! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. It's the start of a new week, and that means it is time to share what I read last week!

Last week I read 3 books, and listened to an audio book. That's right, an audio book. If you read my February Book-opoly post, then you already know I landed on "go to jail", and landing there is a punishment spot. My punishment is to listen to an audio book. So I dealt with that. 

Of the books that I read, 2 were ARCs that I received, and the other was my Amazon First Reads pick for February. So my Kindle and I spent a good chunk of time together. Like always.

So what audio book did I choose?

I went with The Date Swap by Lydia Westing. It is narrated by Maggi Mayfield, and this book is a Scribd exclusive. Now full disclosure, I chose this book because 1) it sounded like a cute rom-com, 2) it's a fake dating trope, and 3) it was only 2 hours. 

Quick description of the book in my own words: Two strangers meet at an airport, realize they are headed to the same destination, and are both in need of a fake relationship to appease their parents. They never expect to fall for each other.

Here's the full description from Scribd:

Vivacious and forthright, Lyla Taylor is honest, except when it comes to her family. It’s self-preservation, really; she doesn't want to give her judgmental mother any more ammunition than she already has. But there’s no lie that will cover up the fact that Lyla is attending her cousin’s Hawaiian destination wedding alone. Until she meets the recently single, straitlaced, and handsome stranger Daniel Dugray in the airport. 

Since they both need a date to their Hawaiian wedding weekend, Lyla convinces Daniel they can be each other’s dates. Among all the secrets she keeps from her family, what’s one more? Tripping through bad weather, ex-lovers, and convincing their families they’ve known each other more than a few hours, Lyla and Daniel struggle to keep up the ruse. As their families pry into their fake love-life, Lyla and Daniel work to last out the weekend until they can part ways forever. At least that was the original plan. Of all the lies Lyla is keeping up, denying her growing feelings for Daniel is the one she needs to last.

Overall it was a cute story, and I was fully interested in how it would play out. Would I have preferred for it to be an e-book or a physical book? Absolutely. But that wasn't an option, and the challenge was to listen to an audio book, so I did it. Still not my preferred way of reading. Maybe I need to find a full cast audio book? Rating wise, I gave The Date Swap a 3/5.

The first e-book I read this week was Only One Touch by Natasha Madison. That's right, I scored an ARC of this book! I was so giddy when the notification appeared in my email. SO GIDDY! Only One Touch was/is one of my anticipated reads for the month, so the opportunity to read it early? Yes please!

Only One Touch was everything I was hoping it would be. Nico and Becca together is just so right. Their chemistry is amazing. 

So that I don't ruin the book, here's the description:

Nico

When I inherited the Dallas Oilers from my father , I became one of the youngest owners in hockey history. Even though the team was at the bottom of the hockey standings,

I had big plans to change that and bring the Cup to Dallas.

Falling in love was something I never believed would happen to me.

You’d think I was getting everything I ever wanted with the girl and the winning record, but I still have a promise to fulfill to my childhood best friend.

Becca

Never let them see you sweat has been my life motto since I decided to make a name for myself as the most-sought-after sport agent.

I know what it takes to close a deal, and only want one thing—to be the best.

Until I felt his touch one night, and everything I thought I knew was forgotten. Nico is everything I've never let myself want.

But all my cards came crashing down the minute I read the headlines.

It takes only one touch to change everything!

I loved the book. I loved the characters. I wanted to smack them both at times, as well as Lauren. I screamed. I cried. I want to read it all over again. I gave Only One Touch a 4/5. 

Next up was The Wedding Game by Meghan Quinn. This was my Amazon First Reads pick for the month, and it was just okay. Now I say that, but I also should say that it picked up about 40% of the way in. Once we got to that point, I was all in. It was just getting there (hello slow burn) that was not my favorite. I know, I know, we need that build up and we need the "world/setting" built. I get that. 

Once the story picked up for me, I was invested. I needed to know how this relationship was going to play out. I needed to know who won the freaking game. I needed closure. And I got that. All in all it was a cute story. I will say I had a different ending to the game imagined in my head, and that was based off of what Thad "said" in the beginning of the book.  Speaking of Thad, he drove me up the wall. UP THE WALL. My rating for this book was 3/5.

My final book of the week was an ARC of Rookie Move by Samantha Lind. When I requested this ARC, all I paid attention to was the fact that it was 1) romance, and 2) it involved hockey. What I didn't pay attention to is that Rookie Move is the 9th book in a series. Yes, it's a standalone series, so it isn't that big of a deal, but it pains me to read out of order. It is what it is, and I can't go back and change it.

Curious what Rookie Move is about? Here's the description from Goodreads:

Dylan

My future was all mapped out.
Graduate high school.
Get drafted. 
Make a professional hockey team’s roster.
Marry my high school sweetheart.

I had it all within my grasp; 
Everything was falling into place.
Except for the distance,
And our conflicting schedules. 

How can we both follow our dreams when the roads keep taking us in different directions?

Hailey 

My future was all mapped out.
Graduate high school.
Graduate Med-School.
Land my dream residency.
Marry my high school sweetheart. 

My dream took me to the opposite coast, but my heart just wasn’t in it anymore.

Could I find a new path to my goal and still find happiness?

Was thinking we could make this work just another rookie move?

Rookie Move is a high school sweethearts romance story. It was a sweet story, and I liked how it flowed. While I enjoyed the story it was missing something. Maybe this is how the author's books are, and I just don't know it as this was my introduction to their writing.  I'm used to reading other books where the couple has a conflict that they have to work through, and I was missing that in this book. Now yes, you could argue with me that the opposite coasts and conflicting schedules could be the conflict I'm looking for, but it wasn't.  Everything about Dylan and Hailey's relationship seemed too perfect. Overall it was a cute story, and I gave it a 3/5.

There you have it. Those are the 4 books I read this week. All in all, it was an okay week. Only One Touch was definitely the high light of the week, and by far my favorite book that I read.

Want a sneak peak of what I'm reading for this week? Here you go:

What did you read last week? What's on tap for this week? Any favorites? Any duds?

Happy Reading,