Let's Talk Romance {a Romance Book Tag}

The other day I was watching a tag video that Heather from Bookables had posted. It's all about the romance genre, and since it's my favorite type of book to read I figured why not join in. 

First romance you remember reading

Montana Sky by Nora Roberts

Last romance you read

Balls to the Wall by April Canavan

Romance you are most like to recommend to a newbie

Modern Royals series by Aven Ellis

Romance you are most likely to recommend to another romance reader

All the Kings Men duet by Kennedy Ryan

An underrated romance you wish more people would read

Bloodmark Saga by Aurora Whittet

I binged this series, and absolutely loved it.

An overrated romance you wish people would stop talking about

Oh, well, let's do this then.

Beach Read by Emily Henry

No I haven't read it, but I have heard it's not really a romance, so yeah.

An auto-buy author

Because I cannot just pick one:
Aven Ellis
Natasha Madison
Helena Hunting
Kennedy Ryan

An author you use to love that you've since abandoned

Nicholas Sparks
I used to read EVERY book he would release. There are still some that I love to this day, but I won't pick up any more of his books. Heck the last book I read of his (Two by Two) was so bad I almost DNF'd it.

Favorite trope

Friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and second chance.

Best book with your favorite trope

Well now that's a bit subjective. Let's go with my most recent read which was Balls to the Wall by April Canavan. Parker and Remy used to be friends, after some words spoken by Remy they are now enemies, and it could very well be a second chance for them. So there you go.

A book you didn't like even though it has your favorite trope

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

It is enemies to lovers, and I DNF'd it.

Most hated trope

Maybe forced proximity

A book you liked even though it has the trope you hate

About a Boy by Stephanie Kay

Your problematic favorite

I honestly have no clue. And yes, I had to look up what this meant as I've never heard the term before.

A book everyone else loved that has you scratching your head

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Now to be fair, it wasn't horrible, but it also wasn't this awesome book that so many people are making it out to be. 

Your favorite romancelandia person to follow on twitter

I don't really do twitter, so I'll skip this question.

A place or person you go for recommendations or reviews

Steph's Romance Book Talk, Bookables, Chelsea Palmer, In Love & Words, and Peace Love Books all on Youtube.

A book that has a character that reminds you of yourself

On Thin Ice by Aven Ellis

Holly Johannsen is me in fictional form. A bit of social anxiety, loves planners and books, and is from Minnesota. 

Romance cover you love

Is this where I admit I don't like the majority of romance book covers? That being said, many of Nora Roberts covers tend to draw me in. Especially the Cousin O'Dwyer trilogy and The Guardians trilogy covers..\

A book you've reread more than twice

I don't typically re-read unless it is pictures books with my kids.

Best romance audiobook

I don't listen to audio books.

Best romance or rom-com movie

You've Got Mail

Favorite heroine

I'm torn between Tenley from Clipped Wings and Lennix from All the King's Men duet.

Favorite hero

I don't have one.

Your all time favorite romance

HAHAHAAHA
That's cute.
You expect me to choose one.

• All the King's Men duet by Kennedy Ryan
• Modern Royals by Aven Ellis
• Bloodmark Saga by Aurora Whittet
• The Edge of Happiness by Kristen Turnage
• Sign of Seven trilogy by Nora Roberts
• The Guardian trilogy by Nora Roberts
• Folkestone Sins by Samantha Lovelock 

That was a lot more difficult than I was expecting! It was still enjoyable to complete though. 

Have you read any of the books I mentioned? Who are your auto-buy authors?

Happy Reading,

Weekly Wrap Up

 

Hello my fellow book lovers! Hope your week was amazing, and filled with wonderful books. Last week for me was terrific. I enjoyed all the books that I read, and that made me happy.

Let's talk stats really quick.

I read:

• 5 books
• 3 were physical books (library loans)
• 2 were e-books
• 1 of them was an e-arc
• 4 were sports romance
• 1261 Pages

I gave each of them 4 stars. Although I will say one of them I went back and forth on. It was this close to being a 5 star read.

Fractured Things {a review}

Folkestone Sins is a series of interconnected duets.
Fractured Things is the second book in the Folkestone Sins series.
Ongoing questions about Stella and Poe will be answered throughout
all of the books in the series.

I'm going to throw this out there now, it's bold I know, but Folkestone Sins is going to be one of my favorite series of 2021. Yep, I said it. I truly believe it will be in my top 5. So thank you, Samantha Lovelock for creating this wonderful series.

Now that I've made that declaration, let's talk about Fractured Things. Well I mean, I can't talk about it in depth, but we can discuss a few things. I'm not about to spoil anything if I can help it. 

Before I say something I shouldn't, let's start with the book blurb:

Stella:
Poe Halliday could have been my everything. The boy who allowed me to dream again.

Over as quickly as it began, one night ended it all with a dark secret spit from cruel and twisted lips.
The secret that stole her from me.
After spending my entire life living with my mother's demons, I refuse to let them take anything else away from me.
I'm stronger than they think I am, and the only way I can escape this nightmare is to fight.

This time it will be on my terms.

I have to go back.

Poe:
Stella Bradleigh shone like the brightest star. Able to keep my shadows at bay with nothing but her smile.

I've been unknowingly living under the same roof as the devil incarnate--the architect of a horrific event kept secret for so long.
The secret that stole her from me.
When she left, my world turned cold again.
From the day she arrived, I knew my heart belonged with hers, and even though I tried to push her away, she became a part of me.
The shadows in this town are no match for the ones I carry. I'll stand by her side and fight.

This time it will be on her terms.

She has to come back. 

So if you remember how Fragile Things ended, you know that was a doozy of a cliffhanger. You also know that Stella ran, and rightfully so. She had a lot to process.

Fractured Things picks up right after all that occurred. The "Poe-logue" gives us a quick refresher into what happened. It does get one key piece of information wrong though, but that won't be revealed until sometime in chapter four. Ahem. Oh and Poe is keeping a secret that will be shared later. Well not in this blog post, but in the book.

Anyway, Poe goes after Stella. I had a feeling it would happen, but part of me wondered if he might not. So when Poe, Payne, and Mr Halliday head to New York, I had a bit of a smile on my face. When the guys find Stella and Sunday (because you know there was no way she was letting Stella go by herself!), they eventually make their way back to the apartment. Things happen there (with the sleaze ball landlord), and even though the girls are holding their own, Poe and Payne come with the assist. I had to smile when Poe said:

"You're a tough one, Stella Bradleigh, and I'm grateful for that. No more scrapping though, okay? Thank you for proving once again you can take care of yourself, but you'll give me a heart attack before I hit my twenties if you keep this up."

As they all are leaving the apartment, Sunday says this to Stella:

"This is not your home anymore. I don't think it was ever really anything more than a stopover. We are your home: me, Payne, Poe, Cecily--all of us. Folkestone is your home. It's time to leave this place behind." 

Yes! Give Stella the family she needs. Remind her that you all are her people, and that you care for her. 

When the group finally lands back in California, Poe made me laugh. Seriously.

"We need to work on your fear of flying because I want to travel everywhere with you. Recreate our first meeting in as many airports as we can find." 

If you recall their initial meeting in Fragile Things, then it might make you laugh too.

There is this whole thing that happens in Holt's (Mr Halliday) office, and oh my heart.  That reveal was just everything. I may have teared up a little. So when you come to chapter ten, come back and talk to me.

I want to tell you about Stella and Poe, and what happened after Stella's meeting with Holt. I want to tell you what Poe revealed to Stella, because oof it was a lot.

I also want to tell you how I cried a bit in chapter sixteen, because hello emotional. 

There is an epic scene in chapter eighteen with Stella and Hali, and oh how I want to share it all. But I can't, because spoilers.  Just know, Stella comes out on top. It is in this chapter when we learn a little tidbit about Sunday as well. More of her story will come out in Restless Things, so we need to be patient.

There is so much I want to talk about. Like what happened in chapter twenty at the hospital. Seriously, what was that?  Or the party, and the whole thing that happened outside. Um what? Why? But also, tell me more. My gut tells me this is important information for Restless Things.

Also this little piece I pulled from the book just sums up the pain that Poe is dealing with when it comes to his relationship with Stella.

What do you do when it feels like half of you is missing? Not missing like you can never see them again, but missing in the sense that you're forced to see them all the time, but they aren't beside you anymore. I think that's almost worse. That feeling of desire, of want, of a craving you can't satisfy. Having to watch them live their life without you keeps twisting the knife a little deeper.

Don't worry though. This graphic should tell you a bit about Poe and Stella, and the status of their relationship. 

Anyways, a lot of stuff went down in this book. All of it put together makes an incredible story. The fact that Fractured Things left off on another cliffhanger, that hurts. But it also sets the stage for Sunday and Payne. I'm excited to see Stella and Poe as side characters and focus on the relationship between Sunday and Payne. I'm curious about their past, and how the last few chapters for Fractured Things will play into Restless Things.

If you like new adult romance that has a bit of mystery and suspense to it, grab this series! I cannot recommend it enough. Oh and if you're wondering about the steam factor, there is a bit to be had. Really though it was the rest of the story that drew me in, and held me captive. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go add the paperbacks to my wishlist, so they can eventually come home to me.

Happy Reading,

Thank you to Wildfire Marketing for providing me with an e-arc of Fractured Things in exchange for review.

I am loving this series and the characters.

Fragile Things {a review}

One day I was scrolling through Instagram, and stumbled across a promo post for Fragile Things by Samantha Lovelock. I read the description and knew that I had to read this book! 

Sometimes what seems most fragile, can't be broken.

Stella
Poe Halliday was an accident. A chance meeting that changed my life forever.

My mother didn't have secrets; her secrets had her. After she disappeared, I had nothing.

Or so I thought.

When the invitation arrived, the opportunity to learn about my mother's past was too great to pass up. I know I was taking a risk, but I craved answers.

Now the dark history of this town threatens to tear me apart.

It's all about him.

I knew this was a mistake.

Poe
Stella Bradleigh was a distraction. Something to play with when my shadows got too dark.

I spent my entire existence forced to live a life I didn't want. There was only one way out.

Or so I thought.

Meeting the beautiful stranger with the mysterious past, I thought she would be a good time, and then I could just throw her away.

Instead, she consumed me, and now she's made me question everything I know to be real in my life.

It's all about her.

I knew I was a mistake.

Now I know you might be thinking, "Laur that doesn't tell us much". You're right, it doesn't. BUT it's enough to pique curiosity. Or at least it was for me.

Fragile Things is the first book in the Folkestone Sins series. It is a dark, young/new adult romance that is told from dual point of views. We first meet Stella while she's living alone in New York. Her mom disappeared a couple years ago, and after a short stint in foster care, Stella ran. She knew she'd be better off alone than living in that foster care environment. Shortly before her 18th birthday, Stella receives a mysterious package. Inside the package is a letter that is inviting her to take an all expenses paid trip to California. Needless to say, she accepts the invitation.

Upon arriving at the airport, Stella literally runs into a gorgeous man. She decides to go for it, and kisses the man. Oh what a kiss it was. Stella could practically feel the spark. But she's certain she'll never see this person again.

That is until the first day of school when she runs into him again. 

And that is how Stella and Poe met. 

(it feels like it could be instalove, but oh no friends, we're getting slow burned for a bit)

As the story progresses, we see how Stella has become friends a fantastic group of people, who are referred to as "the heirs". It seems that their families are the founding families for their little community. Stella is slowly finding out a bit more about her Mom's past. 

There is so much I want to tell you about Fragile Things. I want to tell you about Hali. She's our villain of the story, and she has her claws aimed right at Stella. Then there is the guy who takes Stella to the party, and all the horrible things that happen with that. I want to tell you about the tension between Stella and Poe, as well as between Sunday and Payne. I want to tell you about what happened to Stella's Mom (past and present). I also long to tell you about how the book wraps up, but hello major spoilers.

Just know, you go on a ride in this book. You'll love the characters. You'll be annoyed with a character or two. You'll be in disbelief about things from the past that are revealed. You may also feel like yelling at Stella and Poe. And maybe, just maybe, you'll find yourself wishing for a friend like Sunday. She seems awesome, but she definitely has some issues that she's working through.

So if you like dark young/new adult romance, that has a bit of suspense and mystery to it, then grab this book. Actually, just purchase the entire series now because otherwise you'll be going back to download the additional books in the series. Oh wait, maybe that's just me.

If you decide to read Fragile Things, know that the Folkestone Sins series must be read in order, as each book is the continuation of the story. Fragile Things and Fractured Things are currently available. Restless Things will be released on March 25, 2021, and Ruined Things will be available on June 17, 2021. 

Happy Reading book lovers,

Thank you to Wildfire Publishing and Samantha Lovelock for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Fragile Things. I am hooked on this series, and cannot wait to see how it continues. All thoughts about the book are mine, and I was not required to leave a positive review. I was truly captivated by this book, and cannot wait to see how it progresses.

About A Boy {a review}

Stephanie Kay has released her latest book today! It is called About A Boy, and this friends to lovers novella was so good. So good. Now technically About A Boy is part of a multi-author series called All American Boys, but you don't have to read the other books to know what is going on. I don't believe they are intertwined, or if they are it is extremely minor. Although if you want to, go for it! I'm sure it will introduce you to a variety of authors that you might not be familiar with.

 
Now, if you read my February Anticipated Reads post, then you may recall me questioning the last name Lanzi. I was wondering if Maddie Lanzi was any relation to Sophia Lanzi. (Sophia is from Delay of Game, which is book 3 in the San Fransisco Strikers series.) Well my question was answered! I thought they might be sisters, but nope, they are cousins. So yes, they are related. Sorry if that's a spoiler for you. I don't think it is though as Sophia is barely in the book. Anyways, that little connection made me smile.

As I mentioned previously, About A Boy is a friends to lovers story. Maddie and Marco have been best friends since they were little, and their families have always referred to them as M&M. Well Marco has recently flown back into town so he can make some truffles for a wedding, and M&M are sharing a hotel room. All is fine and dandy until they find out about the hotel room situation. That's going to make things a bit more interesting. 

Before I say too much, let's bring in the book blurb:

The best of friends, but nothing more. Until now...

Graphic designer Maddie Lanzi is still figuring out her life. Her freelance business is up and sort of running, but something is missing -- her best friend. The only constant in her life since birth. Inseparable. Until a year ago.

Pastry chef Marco Marchetti has spent the last year in Paris honing his skill with all things chocolate. Life is good. The only thing that could make it better is having his best friend Maddie by his side. Now he's heading stateside to make truffles for her brother's wedding. He's excited to see his family, but all he really wants is to hang with Maddie. They're even rooming together, just like when they were kids.

When a hotel mix-up turns two queen beds into one massive king-size, he's seeing his best friend in a whole new light. Will a weekend of passion turn into a lifetime together or will Marco be heading back to Paris alone?

About A Boy was so good. I loved the story. I loved the romance. I loved how steamy the book was. I loved "seeing" Maddie and Marco together, and reconnect after being separated for the last year. I, of course, also enjoyed when the characters from the San Fransisco Strikers books made an appearance. I was smiling like a fool.

Of course every good love story has a moment where things turn questionable. Can they work through their issue to get to their happily ever after? Can they communicate, and not just assume the other knows? So you already know that an issue arises, but what will happen? How does the book end?

If you enjoy the friends to lovers trope, then please read this book. It is worth it, I promise. About A Boy is a quick and easy read, but I think you'll fall for the characters too. I can only hope to see more of Maddie and Marco in future books by Stephanie Kay.

Happy Reading,

About Stephanie Kay:

USA Today Bestselling Author, Stephanie Kay has always loved a good romance, and she got hooked on the dirty ones at the tender age of 14, when she told her mother that if the cover wasn't a bodice ripper, then there was no sex in the book. As an avid mystery reader, her mother never checked to see if Stephanie was lying. Twenty plus years later, Stephanie's most prized possession is her Kindle, and she may have a Hallmark movie obsession.

You can find her online at www.stephkaybooks.com and on Facebook and Twitter. Please join her reader group for updates and excerpts. 

Thank you to Stephanie Kay for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for a review.

A positive review was not required, this story just made me happy and therefore I talked about it.

About