Let’s move on to February! I didn’t read as many books in February because of life reasons. Additionally, I reviewed exactly zero of the ones I did read. But there’s no time like the present.

Fair warning — some of these reviews will be really short. Like, shorter than the book’s blurb short. It might look a little weird, but I want to keep my review archive with Ultimate Book Blogger going, so bear with me.

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publication date: April 20, 2021
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Piper Goodeve
How I got it: From the library
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
My rating:

After losing spectacularly to her ex-girlfriend in their first game since their break up, Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with the worst possible person: her nemesis, the incredibly beautiful and incredibly mean Irene Abraham. Things only get worse when their nosey, do-gooder moms get involved and the girls are forced to carpool together until Irene’s car gets out of the shop.

Their bumpy start only gets bumpier the more time they spend together. But when an opportunity presents itself for Scottie to get back at her toxic ex (and climb her school’s social ladder at the same time), she bribes Irene into playing along. Hijinks, heartbreak, and gay fake-dating scheme for the ages. From author Kelly Quindlen comes a new laugh-out-loud romp through the ups and downs of teen romance.

My Thoughts

I don’t read much young adult these days, but She Drives Me Crazy caught my attention immediately when I saw some friends talking about it. I do love a good fake it till you make it story. There’s nothing quite like being the third party who watches two characters fall for each other before they even realize what’s happening. This was a fun book and the audio was very enjoyable.

Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone
Series: Love Lines #1
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Publication date: October 20, 2020
Publisher: Audible Original
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Luci Christian, Neil Hellegers
How I got it: Audible Plus
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
My rating:

Paint your toes. Pick up the wrong coffee and bagel order. Drive from Brooklyn to Jersey in traffic so slow you want to tear your hair out. It's amazing all the useless things I can accomplish while on hold for three hours with customer service. Three hours when I should be getting the Date-in-a-Box website ready to launch at the big business expo in a few days. Except my shiny new website is glitching, and my inner rage-monster is ready to scorch some earth...when he finally picks up. Not the robot voice I expected but a real live human named Cal. He's surprisingly helpful and really knows his stuff, even if he's a little awkward...in an adorable way.

And suddenly I'm flirting with him? And I think he's flirting back.

And suddenly it's been hours, and we're still on the phone talking and ordering each other takeout while he troubleshoots my website.

And suddenly we're exchanging numbers and sending texts and DMs every day, leaving voice mails (who even does that anymore?!).

And suddenly I'm wondering if it's possible for two people to fall in love at first talk.

Because I'm falling...hard.

My Thoughts

This was my second time listening to Call Me Maybe. Cara Bastone is a gem. She’s easily one of my favorite author discoveries over the last few years. And this novella? It was a total delight. My cheeks hurt while I was reading because I grinned so hard the entire time. I wanted to spin around in circles when I finished because I loved it so much. The characters were rich and the story was unique and engaging. The narrators — Luci Christian and Neil Hellegers — brought Vera and Cal to life in a magical way. And the production of this audiobook? Freaking flawless. I literally couldn’t love it more if I tried. But, you know, speaking of “more”… can we get an extended epilogue or something? I need more Vera and Cal in my life.

Sweet Talk by Cara Bastone
Series: Love Lines #2
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Publication date: October 26, 2021
Publisher: Audible Original
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Lidia Dornet, Chris Brinkley
How I got it: Audible Plus
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
My rating:

It’s officially booty o’clock, I’m alone again in my kitchen choking down a slice of terrible chocolate cake…and I’m pretty sure I just got drunk texted by the man I have a ginormous crush on.

I’ve been daydreaming about Eliot Hoffman’s dimples for two months, and even though I’m sure this was a mistake on his end, it doesn’t mean it’s not an opportunity on mine. It’s the middle of the night, and I just wanna talk to him. So I text him back.

And then somehow we keep talking…ALL NIGHT. We’re both insomniacs, so talking all night soon turns into talking EVERY night.

And talking about nothing soon turns into talking about something.

And here we go from in-depth analysis of reality TV to my relationship with my family to his amazing artwork. There’s no topic we don’t cover…

Except for who I really am. It’s the only question of his I won’t answer.

As my crush turns into an avalanche of Eliot, I think of him all the time now. But if he knew who I was, the entire house of cards we’ve built this relationship on would come toppling down. I want him to be mine, but we might never be more than just a sweet dream…

My Thoughts

As soon as I broke the seal and reread one Cara Bastone story, I had no choice but to immediately move on to the second. Sweet Talk is set in the same universe as Call Me Maybe and it was equally fun and engaging with a different vibe than the first book. A drunk text with a mysterious (mistaken?) identity leads Jessie and Eliot to text regularly and begin to open up to each other. They were my sweet little darlings and I just wanted to smush them. A modern epistolary novella where opposites attract and with some unrequited (or is it?) crush vibes — I’m all about it. Again, the production on the audiobook was fantastic and Lidia Dornet and Chris Brinkley wereso, so great.

From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Publication date: February 1, 2018
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: eBook
How I got it: I bought it!
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
My rating:

If someone were to ask Jasmine Santos to describe the last few years of her life with a single word, it would definitely be a four-letter one.

After seventeen years—and countless broken bones and broken promises—she knows her window to compete in figure skating is coming to a close.

But when the offer of a lifetime comes in from an arrogant idiot she’s spent the last decade dreaming about pushing in the way of a moving bus, Jasmine might have to reconsider everything.

Including Ivan Lukov.
 

My Thoughts

Every time the Olympics rolls around, I have an urge to read Olympic romances. There aren’t a ton of great ones out there, but thankfully there’s a large slate of Olympic sports romances to choose from. Naturally, I headed straight to one of my favorites — From Lukov with Love. Once again, Ivan made me melt and I loved Jasmine’s growth over the course of this book. It gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings I was seeking. You can peep my OG review if you want to read all of my first time flails.

Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy
Series: Avalon Bay #1
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Publication date: February 1, 2022
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Format: eARC
How I got it: From the publisher
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
My rating:

Mackenzie "Mac" Cabot is a people pleaser. Her demanding parents. Her prep school friends. Her long-time boyfriend. It's exhausting, really, always following the rules. Unlike most twenty-year-olds, all she really wants to do is focus on growing her internet business, but first she must get a college degree at her parents' insistence. That means moving to the beachside town of Avalon Bay, a community made up of locals and the wealthy students of Garnet College.

Mac's had plenty of practice suppressing her wilder impulses, but when she meets local bad boy Cooper Hartley, that ability is suddenly tested. Cooper is rough around the edges. Raw. Candid. A threat to her ordered existence. Their friendship soon becomes the realest thing in her life.

Despite his disdain for the trust-fund kids he sees coming and going from his town, Cooper soon realizes Mac isn't just another rich clone and falls for her. Hard. But as Mac finally starts feeling accepted by Cooper and his friends, the secret he's been keeping from her threatens the only place she's ever felt at home.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration.
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

My Thoughts

I didn’t make it too far into Good Girl Complex before deciding it was not for me. New adult/college-aged characters are hard for me to read anymore, but I make exceptions for authors whose work I’ve loved in the past. Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t it for me. The whole frat boy vs townie and plot to make a fool out of an innocent woman just isn’t my jam.

Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Romance
Publication date: January 18, 2022
Publisher: Forever
Format: Audio Listening Copy
Narrator: Lindsey Dorcus
How I got it: From the publisher
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
My rating:

Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying—not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she's focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money.

After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them. They’re there to prove the trolls—including a fellow contestant and their dad—wrong, and falling in love was never part of the plan.

As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London’s steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen—and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration.
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

My Thoughts

Yes, I did read Love & Other Disasters twice in two months. Just because I could. And because I loved it so much the first time around. This time I read the audiobook and might have loved it even more the second time around. Lindsey Dorcus did a wonderful job bringing Dahlia and London to life. I posted a slightly longer version of my feelings about the book from when I read it in January.

A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee
Series: A Sweet Mess #1
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Publication date: July 14, 2020
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Format: Paperback
How I got it: From the publisher
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
My rating:

Aubrey Choi loves living in her small town nestled in the foothills of California, running her highly successful bakery away from the watch of her strict Korean parents. When a cake mix-up and a harsh review threaten all of her hard work and her livelihood, she never thought the jaded food critic would turn out to be her one-night stand. And she sure as hell never thought she’d see her gorgeous Korean unicorn again. But when Landon Kim waltzes into her bakery trying to clean up the mess he had a huge hand in making, Aubrey is torn between throwing and hearing him out.

When she hears his plan to help save her business, Aubrey knows that spending three weeks in California wine country working with Landon is a sure recipe for disaster. Her head is telling her to take the chance to save her bakery while her heart—and her hormones—are at war on whether to give him a second chance. And it just so happens that Landon’s meddling friends want them to spend those three weeks as close as possible...by sharing a villa.

When things start heating up, both in and out of the kitchen, Aubrey will have to make a choice—to stick it out or risk her heart.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration.
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

My Thoughts

A Sweet Mess has been on my TBR and my shelves for ages. I was just never particularly inspired to pick it up. I decided to kick off my Reading My Shelves: A to Z Edition “challenge” with it (yes, I know technically it should have been an “M” and not an “A” but I make the rules here) and ended up DNFing it. If I’m being honest, I’m not even sure how far I made it into the book before deciding to tap out. And maybe even worse? I can’t recall what made me DNF it. I think it was just that I was bored. We’ll go with that.

Knot My Type by Evie Mitchell
Series: All Access #1
Genres: Erotic Romance
Publication date: October 4, 2021
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: eBook
How I got it: Kindle Unlimited
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
My rating:

Frankie
When you say you're a sexologist, people imagine Marilyn Monroe. They don't expect a woman who uses a wheelchair. As the host of the All Access Podcast, I'm breaking barriers, crushing stigmas, and creating sexual connections that are fulfilling for my fans. I'm like cupid, but with pink hair and fewer diapers.
Only, I've hit a snag. A lovely listener wants some advice about accessible rope play and I'm drawing a big fat blank. Which leaves me with no option but to get out there and give it a go.
Which is how I meet Jay Wood—rigger, carpenter, and all-round hottie.
I'd be open to letting him wine and dine me—only Jay isn't my type. He's not a one-girl kind of guy. Monogamy isn't even in his vocab, and I'm not a woman who'll settle for being second choice.
But the closer we get, the more Jay has me tied up in knots.
And it's making me think, maybe I could compromise and accept a little Wood in my life. Even if it's only temporary.

Jay
Frankie's funny, intelligent, and ridiculously sexy. This should be a no-brainer. A little fun in the sheets, and a little romp with some ropes—simple.
Only the infuriating woman is asking for more. I'm not that kind of guy. I wouldn't even know how to be that kind of guy. I'm the definition of easy.
It'll be fine. We'll be friends. Just friends.
So, why does my heart feel frayed? And why is it I can't help but consider taking the ultimate leap of faith—tying myself to Frankie. Permanently.

My Thoughts

Knot My Type was my #12Reads12Friends rec for February. It was a solid 3.5-star read, but I’m rounding down to 3 stars as it’s not quite a 4-star read for me and I don’t do half stars. I suppose I should have realized this would skew more towards erotic romance than contemporary romance based on the subject matter and the blurb, but I didn’t. As I’ve said before, in most cases, erotic romance and erotica aren’t my jam. Or at the very least, I have to be in the mood for them. While I found this book okay overall, the things that really did stand out were Frankie (who I did adore) and her podcast focused on accessible intimacy. Jay kinda sketched me out at times. I think it was primarily because of how fixated he was on her “tight little snatch”. *shudder*

A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas by Jackie Lau
Series: Holidays with the Wongs #2
Genres: Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
Publication date: November 12, 2019
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: eBook
How I got it: From the library
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
My rating:

Greg Wong hates when things don’t go according to plan, so he definitely doesn’t appreciate it when his mother insists he drive Tasha Edwards back to Mosquito Bay for the Christmas holidays. He likes peace and quiet when he’s in the car, and that’s the opposite of what he’ll get with Tasha, his high school sweetheart. The first woman he ever loved.

Not that he has feelings for her now. Of course not. Though while he’s trying not to smile at her laughter and terrible singing, he can’t help noticing how beautiful she is.

And then his plans veer further off course when a snowstorm forces them to spend the night in an unheated motel room with only one bed…

My Thoughts

I decided to sneak one more Christmas book in during February. I couldn’t help myself. A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas? Come on, who can resist that title? It’s like all of my favorite things rolled into one. It was a super fun, sweet and sometimes steamy listen. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again here — I really enjoy Jackie Lau’s holiday shorts. One of these days I’ll explore her backlist and try some of her NOT holiday novellas.

Let’s Chat

Have you read any of these books?
Any faves?