New Adult

Review: The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends by Jamie D’Amato

~ megs14malloy

The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood and BoyfriendsThe Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends by Jamie D’Amato
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends follows 19-year old college freshman, Brennan, after he is suddenly turned into a vampire.

Navigating life as a new vampire comes with challenges, especially considering all the other things going on in his life, like school, family stuff, mental health and dating.

He has though, by default, also become part of a secret society filled with other local vamps, so at least he’s not alone. Also, it is helpful a little as far as learning how to survive as a young vampire, even though the sheer number of informational pamphlets is at times overwhelming.

Returning to university after recovering from a suicide attempt was tough. Brennan was hoping for a fresh start, but this wasn’t exactly what he was thinking. Even though his mind may be spinning a lot of the time, Brennan is determined to make it work. He can do this.

When the super cute boy who works at the campus library, Cole, discovers Brennan drinking from a stolen blood bag however, Brennan is forced to open up and reveal his new secret earlier than he would have liked.

Cole seems more than willing to keep Brennan’s secret, and it fact, it seems he sort of likes him? Brennan can hardly believe his luck. Everything would be perfect if it wasn’t for the pesky vampire thing.

Problems bigger than his own arise when students begin to go missing, and strange ‘animal attacks’ begin occurring around campus. Brennan, and his new friend group, believe there may be a rouge vampire in their area, and they need to stop them before anyone else comes to harm.

This is a very rough synopsis of this story, because this book is so many things. It’s Brennan, a regular guy dealing with life, transitioning to college, struggling to find his identity and path, while also being turned in a vampire and meeting the boy of his dreams.

That’s a lot to navigate here, but D’Amato blended everything into this story so absolutely beautifully. I loved getting to know Brennan and his relationship with Cole was sweet, swoony and so compelling.

I also loved the concepts behind the vampire bits. The local guilds, how they got their blood, etc., it was all very creative. I was impressed with how well D’Amato meshed the IRL-stuff with the fantasy/vampire elements.

The story itself was cute and funny. I listened to the audio and Michael Crouch’s narration was spot-on for Brennan. Crouch truly brought his character life. He is such a likable MC. I loved his perspective, just how he relayed everything that was going on, it’s highly-entertaining.

The banter between Brennan and Cole was fantastic; so witty and charming. But also amongst the side characters, all of the dialogue was well done.

I think for me the only areas where I wasn’t totally blown away was some of the vampire bits in the middle area. The beginning was fab, the ending was so, so fun, but it did sort of go off for me just a little bit in the middle. That’s the only reason this isn’t a full 5-stars. Also, I’m a picky bitch.

Overall, this is the sweetest, softest, swooniest, M/M vampire romance you’re going to find. Bonus points for the fact that there’s a real plot.

It definitely snuck up on me and sort of stole my heart a bit. Cole and Brennan were just the sweetest. I was swooning for them and the progression of their relationship amidst all the fun vampire content.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Jamie D’Amato definitely impressed me!!

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Review: So Happy Together by Olivia Worley

~ megs14malloy

So Happy TogetherSo Happy Together by Olivia Worley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

So Happy Together is a twisty and dramatic Social Thriller that should be read as a warning about the potential hazards in modern dating. Singletons listen up!!

This story follows Jane, a 24-year old, aspiring NYC-playwright. Jane meets Colin, her perfect person, via a dating app. She can hardly believe her luck. He’s too perfect.

Sadly, he breaks things off after only 6-dates. Jane doesn’t see it as forever though, just a bump in the road of their longer term relationship. She’ll do anything to make it so.

Then Colin starts dating Zoe, a up-and-coming New York artist, who also appears to be quite successful in various online space as an artistic influencer.

Zoe may have a lot, but Jane knows Zoe will never be able to love Colin like she can, but what’s she willing to do about it?

I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. The audiobook was well narrated and kept me engaged during a very long solo road trip. Nevertheless, the story itself was a bit of a mixed bag for me, particularly in the second-half.

The beginning was super engaging and gripping, but the further it went, the more it started to lose my attention. It almost got too twisty, if that’s possible?

With this being said, I did still enjoy quite a few of the twists thrown into this wild tale. Also, I appreciated the risks the author took with the story. It’s not your typical Dramatic Thriller and actually went a lot darker than I expected.

I think for me, the most difficult area was towards the end. There were so many things popping up, and some were hard to track, so it felt muddled. I’m still not entirely sure I understand how exactly everything played out.

I think where the author really succeeded here was with the creation of the characters. I love an unreliable narrator, and Jane seemed like one, but she wasn’t the only character in this story who you couldn’t necessarily believe.

I liked how the author played with the abundant psychological manipulations of this cast of characters. It had me doubting everyone, and I sort of love that.

I also really enjoyed the New York setting, and just that whole feel of being a young person, transplated to NYC, trying to make a go of it. You’re amongst millions of people, but it can be such a solitary endeavor.

Overall, I definitely vibe with Worley’s ideas and character work, even if the execution wasn’t perfect in this one. This is the 2nd-novel I have read from this author, and I’m definitely excited to read more.

You never really know what you’re going to get.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I do recommend the audiobook. Michelle H. Lee’s narration was perfect for Jane’s perspective.

Again, while this wasn’t a flawless novel, I still found it to be a lot of fun and appreciated how dark and twisted the author went with it. Looking forward to more Worley!!

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Review: Take Me Home by Melanie Sweeney

~ megs14malloy

Take Me HomeTake Me Home by Melanie Sweeney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Take Me Home follows Hazel and Ash. Ash has been in love with Hazel since high school when she was dating his best friend, but of course, he’s never told her that.

Even years later, Hazel acts like Ash only exists to annoy her. He works at her favorite coffee shop, where he’s constantly battling her for her favorite chair. Just why?

With the holidays approaching, Hazel gets a summons from her father to return home to their small-town of Lockett Prairie, Texas, to attend his wedding.

Hazel hasn’t been back there since she fled for college. It’s the last thing she wants to do, and even though she and her Dad aren’t that close, she feels obligated.

Coincidentally, at the same time, Ash needs to get home as soon as possible to deal with a pressing family issue. Of course, his junker car breaks down just prior to him wanting to leave and he doesn’t have the funds to repair it.

Watching him struggle trying to figure out a way home, Hazel eventually succumbs and offers to give him a ride, but there will be rules.

I’m not gonna tell you the rules, just know the stage is set for a wonderfully-adorable road trip, which includes cute car banter, inclement weather, strange diner experiences and a B&B stay with only one bed.

All this is just the start though. Once they hit Lockett Prairie, the gloves come off, and these frenemies begin to rely on each other for a lot more than an impromptu ride home.

Y’all, I can’t believe how much I enjoyed this. It was so unexpected. I mean, I shouldn’t say it that way, I thought I would enjoy it, but like, I loved this.

It pulled me in so quickly. I read it in less than 24-hours, absolutely flying through it, just eating it up. Both Ash and Hazel brought so much to the story. I loved watching them really get to know one another.

This book does feature a lot of my favorite tropes, so that def worked in my favor. The road trip, the witty banter, the forced proximity, frenemies to lovers; it had it all.

My only small gripe would be how much these characters went through emotionally in such a small frame of time. We’re talking mere days. That felt a little unbelievable to me, but that was such a minor thing, it didn’t impact my overall experience too much.

Also, with this being said, I did truly appreciate how the author balanced all the difficult real world family issues, with the cuter romantic bits. I felt that was well executed.

One small side note, even though this is categorized as Adult, I would point out that it is more specific to call in New Adult. I feel like that’s an important distinction to make, because some Adult Readers may feel like this reads a little young, even though the characters are technically adults.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I need more Melanie Sweeney in my life!!!

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Review: The Rival by Emma Lord

~ megs14malloy

The RivalThe Rival by Emma Lord
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

I’m not apologizing anymore. I’m done. Let it be known, I love Emma Lord, her stories, her characters, her wit and the themes she chooses to explore in her books.

I’ve never walked away disappointed. They’re silly, cutesy and so dang full of heart and humor. I’m a fan. A big, big, huge, unapologetic fan.

In this story we follow Sadie, who is excited to shake off the constraints of her small town and family, as she starts her first year at Maple Ridge College.

She’s most excited to focus on her writing, as she competes for a spot at the college’s famous zine. What she wasn’t expecting was to have to compete against her lifelong academic rival, Sebastian, for the spot.

Sadie and Seb’s parents are best friends, and thus they’ve been shoved into each other’s orbits their whole lives. Unfortunately, it seems they are always trying to out-do one another, so the relationship has been contentious.

Traditionally, Maple Ridge has selected one student from their high school to attend, so Sadie thought she was golden. Apparently, Seb worked his way off the wait list though, probably just to be the bane of Sadie’s existence.

Of course, he also wants to write for the zine, even though unlike Sadie, his long-term plan isn’t to be a writer. At least, not if his Dad has anything to say about it.

Even though she wants to continue to look at Seb with nothing but contempt, in this new setting, with more on the line and less support, he becomes a bit of a comfort as she transitions to college life.

Before they know it, they seem to be working together in a way they never have before, and also starting to feel things they’ve never felt before.

This was so cute. It’s such an Emma Lord story. She has such a style and formula, and darn it, it works. I find myself becoming completely invested in her characters, no matter what they are going through.

I feel like nobody writes inner-turmoil, or self-doubt, quite like Emma Lord. She makes everything relatable and understandable. It’s hard not to root for her main characters.

I love academic rival situations anyway, so this was sort of set-up to be a win for me. There’s something so sexy about two individuals battling it out with their big brains.

I also love Lord’s side characters. There’s never anyone who feels superfluous. Every player has a point, a reason for being there, and a well-developed personality to boot.

In this, both Sadie and Seb have some issues they’re working through in regards to their families. I thought those aspects were very well done. There are def some complex feelings to work through as you move out of the family home for the first time, and that was examined in detail here.

I would recommend the audiobook if you have access to it. The narration was so great as a voice for Sadie’s perspective. I had such a good time listening to it.

There were moments that I was laughing out loud, and others were I was nodding in understanding. Just a really well rounded YA Contemporary.

If you’ve loved Emma Lord before, or want to try her work for the first time, you should really check this one out!

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Keep ’em coming, Emma Lord!

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Review: The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

~ megs14malloy

The FamiliarThe Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

This could be me. It could be. I did pick this up for a Book Club discussion and I definitely wasn’t in the mood for this type of story, but I also feel like this book had issues…

It took me two tries to get through. Initially I picked it up, read to 31%, and put it down. I was retaining nothing, confused by the number of characters in the beginning and truly felt that none of it was sticking in my brain.

Luckily, our Book Club discussion got pushed back like 10-days, so it gave me a little leeway. I was fully expecting to enjoy it once I returned to it in a different frame of mind.

The second time around, I did start again at the beginning and managed to retain a hell of a lot more info. Nevertheless, I still felt bored and admittedly, my mind wandered a lot.

Our main protagonist is Luzia, who works as a scullion in the kitchen of a manor home. Luzia has magical powers, although she’s never been formally trained in how to use them properly, or harness their full potential.

These powers are noticed by her mistress, Valentina, who then comes up with a scheme to use Luzia’s powers to gain prestige, favors and power for herself within Madrid’s upper-class society.

She trots Luzia out in front of her guests and makes her perform parlor tricks. Luzia ends up coming to the attention of a man connected to the King. She then gets invited to compete in a competition that could result in her being employed by the King himself.

From that point, Luzia’s life becomes a whirlwind. She begins magic training and enters the competition, which pits her against individuals with all sorts of different abilities.

There’s a bit of romance, palace intrigue and lots of interpersonal drama. Luzia’s Aunt is involved, and of course her mistress, Valentina, who is the one who got her involved in this whole business in the first place.

For me, the competition, which should have been my favorite aspect of this book, wasn’t developed, or utilized, as much as it could have been. I know there were stakes involved, but they didn’t feel high or present enough.

I also felt like the magic system could have been more clear and developed as well. I would’ve been happy to do away with the forced romance, in order to then spend that time leaning into the darker sides of the magical elements.

I think this missed an opportunity to create an unsettling, or dangerous, atmosphere. If you look at this cover, that’s what you would expect. It looks gothic and creepy, but it lacked that tone.

Finally, I couldn’t picture anything that was happening. For me, it could have been set anywhere historical. It was only in our discussion that I realized exactly where we were and what the time period was supposed to be.

Valentina was the most interesting character, IMO. She was giving Regina Mills from Once Upon a Time vibes and I’ll never look away from that. I wish I could have felt more connected to Luzia though, as it was really her story we were focused on.

At another time, perhaps I could have enjoyed this more. I’m not sure and at this point, we’ll never find out, because I’m certainly not reading it again.

With this being said, I know that Bardugo is an exceptional writer and my opinion certainly is by no means trying to negate that fact. This book just wasn’t a good fit for me. I’ll be back to read more of her books someday.

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Review: What Grows in the Dark by Jaq Evans

~ megs14malloy

What Grows in the DarkWhat Grows in the Dark by Jaq Evans
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I first read the synopsis for What Grows in the Dark, I was immediately intrigued. I also enjoyed the cover art and the title is compelling to me.

Then I started drowning in other new releases and sort of forgot about it for bit. Recently, as I was going through my list of unread-ARCs it piqued my interest again, so I looked it up to refresh my memory on the synopsis.

Again, it sounded interesting to me, so I was surprised to see that its rating was only around 3.01-stars. Nevertheless, I’m no stranger to being in the minority opinion on books, so I wasn’t afraid and decided to give it a go.

After I completed the first 15%, I wrote a status update to say how much I was loving it. The tone and the direction it was taking, I was really into it, really intrigued. I had a gut feeling that it was going to be at least a 4-star read for me.

Sadly, now that I’m finished, I get the overall rating. Regardless of how strong it started for me, the further I got into it, the more it started to lose steam and my attention. It got muddled and my interested definitely waxed and waned.

I think this author has great ideas and it was a fun set-up, but I feel like somewhere in translating the ideas from their head, onto the page, for the Reader to understand, something missed the mark. It’s too bad, because I do see a lot of promise here.

This is a true Supernatural Thriller/Mystery, which reads a lot like a YA story, even though it is Adult. I love YA Horror/Thriller novels, actually preferring them over Adult in a lot of instances, so that’s no shade from me, but I am guessing that does have an impact on the rating.

In my opinion, this would be a great book for Readers looking to transition more into the Adult space for the first time. For others, I would just caution this feels, at best, more New Adult, than Adult.

It also includes one of my favorite tropes, following a main character returning to their hometown, after many years away, looking to solve, or deal with, some sort of unresolved issue, mystery, or trauma. That fact alone is what initially grabbed my attention.

Unfortunately, that trope alone wasn’t enough, but just because it didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. I would urge anyone with interest to pick it up. It’s just a book. What do you have to lose?

Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would absolutely give this author another try. The concepts and the writing are there, I just wanted something a little different from the execution.

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Review: Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham

~ megs14malloy

Only If You're LuckyOnly If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Only If You’re Lucky is a slow burn and I know it won’t necessarily be for every Reader. For me, though, there is no denying the rich-quality of Willingham’s writing.

She pulled this one off in the end, big time. It took me a minute to settle into the story, not gonna lie, but once I did I was swept up into the drama like a nosy neighbor.

In this story we follow Margot, who is a Freshman at a small Liberal Arts college in South Carolina.

It was Margot’s dream to attend this particular college with her childhood best friend, Eliza. Unfortunately, Eliza’s life was taken in a tragic accident just prior to that dream becoming a reality.

Freshman year, Margot is obviously still coming to grips with the loss of her best friend. She feels like a ship without a port and therefore, plays it very safe. She befriends her new roommate and they barely ever leave the dorm.

At the end of the year though, she gets approached by a girl she’s been watching from afar all year, Lucy Sharpe. Lucy is magnetic, bold and popular and for some reason, she wants Margot as a friend.

Lucy offers Margot the chance to move in with her and two other girls in an off-campus house. Unable to refuse a golden opportunity, the chance for a new life, a fresh start and a position amongst the it-girls, Margot accepts, thus changing her fate forever.

As Margot is folded into this new group of girls, she begins to think that perhaps Lucy isn’t quite who she thinks she is.

The other two girls, Nicole and Sloane, seem a bit hesitant to discuss Lucy behind her back. Are they just loyal friends, or is there more to it than that?

By the end of Sophomore year, these girls are completely embedded in one another’s lives, rarely apart. Then a boy from the fraternity house next door ends up dead and Lucy goes missing without a trace. Circumstances have shifted.

As the police dig into an investigation, it’s clear Margot, Nicole and Sloane know more than they’re letting on. Are they helping Lucy, or do they really not know where she is? You’ll have to hang in until the very end to find out.

As mentioned before, this is a slow burn. You have to be patient as Willingham sets the stage, introduces our characters and fills in some of Margot’s backstory.

As the relationship with Margot and her new friends begins, that’s when things start to pick up. It’s hard to get a read initially on the other girls and you wonder just what exactly Margot is getting herself into.

I did really grow to care for Margot and the other girls over the course of the story. A lot of the things they were doing and going through, I could relate to and through Willingham’s writing, it really took me back to that time in my own life, when I met my best friend, Nichole.

Once I was hooked into the characters, I started to fly through this and I loved how the different aspects of the narrative tied together in the second half.

I think some may be disappointed by this because while it’s pitched as Adult, I would actually classify it as New Adult. Some Readers are going to pick this up and find that the storyline reads a little young for them, and I get that.

I read a ton of YA stories, personally, and love them; particularly YA Mystery/Thrillers. While I was a little surprised initially, I still feel like this is a strong story. In fact, I think this would be a great transitional book for Readers moving from the YA to Adult category.

Also, I know the synopsis states they’re in college, but I rarely read the full synopsis for a Mystery/Thriller, and I think the same can be said for a lot of Readers.

You don’t want to spoil yourself, so if you see a favorite authors’ name on the cover, you just give it a go. These are the people I think are going to be the most surprised.

If you go into this with the right mindset though, knowing this is a story involving young women in the early stages of college, going through all the things young women in college go through, you could really enjoy it.

I did have the pleasure of listening to the audiobook and absolutely recommend that format. It’s narrated by one of the best narrators of all time, Karissa Vacker, and per usual, she brought life to this story.

Overall, I think this was a bit of a change for Stacy Willingham. Her earlier stories have been well and proper in the Adult category. It’s nice to see her stretch her legs a bit and I feel she was successful in this story.

It’s well-constructed and contains a full cast of nicely-fleshed out characters.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me a copy to read and review. Willingham is a must read for me. I will continue to pick up all her work!

Only If You’re Lucky is available now!!!

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Review: Such Pretty Flowers by K.L. Cerra

~ megs14malloy

Such Pretty FlowersSuch Pretty Flowers by K.L. Cerra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

‘Get it out of me.’

That was the last text Holly ever received from her brother, Dane. She was out with friends, dancing, drinking, living it up. Her brother was ending his life.

Holly is overwhelmed with grief and guilt in the days following the discovery of Dane’s mutilated body. She knew he was struggling with his mental health. She feels guilty for not being more available to him.

Running through events in her mind, Dane’s tumultuous last months, Holly begins to suspect that his suicide isn’t as straight-forward as everyone believes. Seeing her brother’s mysterious and beautiful girlfriend, Maura, at his funeral does nothing to quell those fears either.

In fact, it only makes her suspicions grow.

Determined to figure out the truth behind Dane’s tragic death, Holly sets out to learn more about Maura and her relationship with Dane.

Holly befriends the younger woman and before long, circumstances allow them to spend a lot more time together. That’s when things begin to get weird; really weird.

Maura is a very successful florist in the Savannah area. She owns a gorgeous home, she’s so put together, but she’s also creepy as heck.

At first, Holly is drawn to her, attracted to her, but she’s also scared of her and she can’t quite pinpoint why. As their relationship grows, Holly begins to fear that she could turn out just like Dane if she’s not careful.

Compelling, addicting, eerie and creepy are just a few of the adjectives I would use to describe Such Pretty Flowers.

Anddddd while it wasn’t perfect, it definitely got my anxiety up and kept me glued to the pages!

I went into this under the mistaken idea that this was a YA-story, but it’s definitely not. It’s got more of a New Adult vibe. It gets pretty dark and graphic, even including some body horror, which I always enjoy. I was here for it.

It was also super suspenseful. You can tell that there is something going on with Maura. It was so interesting trying to figure out what. It also gets pretty stressful and intense, like in a Single White Female kind of way.

It’s like one of those intense feelings where you just want to shake the protagonist. Like, why are you making these crazy decisions, just get out of there!!

Holly was determined though. She tried so hard not to let silly fears overwhelm her, even when they didn’t seem quite so silly. Maura was just a girl, younger than her even, she had no reason to be intimidated by her…right?

Overall, I found this to be a clever and compelling work of Dark Fiction. There were a few areas that could have been explored a bit more, in my opinion, but I feel like this is still a solid, engaging story.

Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had a lot of fun with it and look forward to reading more from this author.

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Review: Fortuna Sworn (Fortuna Sworn #1) by K.J. Sutton

~ megs14malloy

Fortuna Sworn (Fortuna Sworn, #1)Fortuna Sworn by K.J. Sutton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Fortuna Sworn is the last of her kind. It was her and her brother, Damon, but he went missing two years ago.

Since that time, Fortuna has spent her days blending into the human world while searching for him at night. On one of her searches she gets captured by goblins and brought to the market to be sold.

Luckily she’s able to escape the whole being sold thing, but she did catch someone’s eye whilst at the market; a very powerful faerie named Collith.

Before she knows it, she’s receiving a proposition, her hand for the possibility of getting her brother back. I am putting it simply, but you get the gist.

The story follows Fortuna as she enters the world of the fae, hoping against all hope that she’ll be able to find what she’s looking for.

But if she finds her brother, will he even want to be rescued? And what is she sacrificing in the process?

This was good. I liked it. A solid foundation for the start of a series. I don’t read a lot of fae books, in fact, I have only read a handful that I can think of, but I liked how this one was constructed.

Additionally, I’m very intrigued by the ending and will be continuing on to the second book.

I won’t claim I understand everything going on here, but I loved Fortuna as a character and want to learn more about her and this world.

Fortuna is a creature known as a nightmare, which I have never come across before. Basically, she can make people see, or experience, their worst fears just by touching them. She wields this power as a weapon and I got to say, it’s pretty badass.

As stated above, I’m definitely on board to continue on with this series. I listened to the audiobook and thought it was a great way to take in this story. The narration was fabulous.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me a copy to read and review. I’m so happy I finally had the chance to check this one out. It sucked me in!

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Review: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

~ megs14malloy

The Love HypothesisThe Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The prologue to our action is an adorable Meet Cute in a bathroom in the research wing of a University.

Unfortunately, our smart and quirky protagonist, Olive, is having major issues with her contact lenses at the time and never gets a good look at the guy she’s talking with.

Regardless of her optical challenges, the interaction made an impact. In fact, it sort of helped her decide the course of her life. Her decision to pursue a Ph.D. was in a way spurred along by that encounter.

Three years later, Olive is now a Ph.D. candidate at that very University, living a perfectly normal single student lifestyle.

That is until her best friend, Ahn, falls for the guy Olive went on like two dates with. Olive seriously doesn’t care if Ahn goes for it. She doesn’t have feelings for that guy, but Ahn isn’t buying it.

Therefore, Olive does what any good friend would do and creates a fake dating relationship with the first man she can literally grab.

The man in question happens to be Adam Carlson, a young hotshot Professor with a surly reputation. What could go wrong?

Pursuing motivations of his own, Adam agrees to go along with Olive’s scheme. Logically, it is a win-win for both of them, but can they keep to the boundaries set-up at the beginning of their agreement?

I really had fun with this story. Olive was such a great main character. I grew quite attached to her over the course of the story and was rooting for her to achieve all her goals.

Additionally, I felt that the incorporation of a female main in STEM was such a refreshing set-up for a Contemporary Romance. The University setting, the research issues and politics, the hot professors, it was all so engaging!

The fake dating was actually quasi-plausible and I enjoyed watching the evolution of Olive and Adam’s relationship as they got themselves in deeper and deeper.

Adam is definitely a swoon-worthy male lead!

Overall, this is a memorable, science-is-sexy story and I want more from Ali Hazelwood; definitely one of my favorite Romance stories of the year, if not my very favorite.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Highly recommend!

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