Tag: friends to lovers

Contemporary Romance, Reading Plan, Review Books, romance

Girl Gone Viral (Modern Love #2) by Alisha Rai @alisharai

EziChi

Title: Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai
Series: Modern Love #2
Release Date: April 21st 2020 by Avon
Format: Kindle Edition (400 Pages)
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Blurb: In Alisha Rai’s second novel in her Modern Love series, a live-tweet event goes viral for a camera-shy ex-model, shoving her into the spotlight—and into the arms of the bodyguard she’d been pining for.

OMG! Wouldn’t it be adorable if he’s her soulmate???

I don’t see any wedding rings [eyes emoji]

Breaking: #CafeBae and #CuteCafeGirl went to the bathroom AT THE SAME TIME!!!

One minute, Katrina King’s enjoying an innocent conversation with a hot guy at a coffee shop; the next, a stranger has live-tweeted the entire episode with a romantic meet-cute spin and #CafeBae is the new hashtag-du-jour. The problem? Katrina craves a low-profile life, and going viral threatens the peaceful world she’s painstakingly built. Besides, #CafeBae isn’t the man she’s hungry for…

He’s got a [peach emoji] to die for.

With the internet on the hunt for the identity of #CuteCafeGirl, Jas Singh, bodyguard, friend, and possessor of the most beautiful eyebrows Katrina’s ever seen, comes to the rescue and whisks her away to his family’s home. Alone in a remote setting with the object of her affections? It’s a recipe for romance. But after a long dating dry spell, Katrina isn’t sure she can trust her instincts when it comes to love—even if Jas’ every look says he wants to be more than just her bodyguard…

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This one was very different from book 1 but I still loved it. If you don’t remember her, Katrina was introduced in book 1 as the silent partner and friend to Rhiannon, the heroine in book one of this series. We got the little tidbits about Katrina being a recluse, but not the full explanation as to why.

In this sequel, Katrina is trying her hand at making a love match. However, she isn’t finding that zing of attraction that she feels when she is around her bodyguard Jas. She is determined to find someone who returns her affections so when a chance meeting occurs with a handsome stranger at a cafe, Katrina tries to shoot her shot. What happens as a result exposes the very private Katrina on the internet. To buy time for the attention to die down, Katrina’s bodyguard Jas whisks her away to his family farm and that is when both characters really begin to open up and see what’s been in front of them the whole time.

The writing was really engaging and dynamic. The author deals with their mental health issues with sensitivity and grace, so I was really able to empathize with the main characters. Katrina and Jas were dealing with issues that made trusting others very difficult but they clearly don’t have trouble trusting with each other. Their subplots with their respective families added another layer of intrigue to this story. I learned a few cultural things thanks to Jas’s family. The grandfather reminded me of my own.

The pacing of this story made the romance more believable because these are very cautious and skittish individuals. Imagine a turtle slowly poking their head out of their shell and being to take steps. Each step revealed the characters were always aware of the other and tried their best to meet the other’s need. They were pretty good at communicating with the other. The dual pov made the romance more authentic because the reader got to follow the character’s mental and emotional journey.

I thought there was an excellent balance with the romance and their individual growth/healing. I am always a fan of love stories where the characters grow and make the choice to fight for their own happiness. I enjoyed the slow burn and ultimately the happy ending. This series proved to be a hit for me and I can’t wait for the next book.

Audiobook, historical fiction, Review Books

Review: The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimme

EziChi

The Things We Cannot SayThe Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Title: Landon & Shay by Brittainy C. Cherry
Series: L & S Duet #1
Release Date: October 30th 2019
Format: Kindle Edition (363 Pages)
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Blurb:

 

This story was amazing. I couldn’t put it down and it was one of the best historical fiction narratives I have read.

The story follows two related heroines: The life of Alina Dziak, who was a Polish teenager in the midst of the Nazi invasion. It follows her family along with her childhood love Tomasz as they hide and eventually try to escape to a non-occupied territory for safety. Second voice we follow is Alice, who is raising a 7 yr old autistic son Eddie and his 10 yr old sister Callie.

At first, I was trying to figure how what they had to do with each other, but rest assured that it would become readily evident. Both women are trying to remain strong and adaptable in an environment where so much is out of their control. Alice and Alina touched me and moved to tears. Their perseverance and how they handled life’s adversities were so admirable.

Many of us have read historical fictions but hearing the harrowing escapes and the ingenuity people use to evade the Nazi soldiers never gets old for me. It is a constant reminder of how hard people fought to survive despite how scared they were. The writing was so engaging, riveting and intense. There was such sadness and such happiness too. It always amazes me how resilient the human spirit truly is. I love this book, the message and ending gave me peace. I will recommend this book to anyone who loves Historical Fiction books like Amy Harmon’s novel From Sand and Ash. It’s on that level good.

*received e-book from Netgalley

View all my reviews

Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Review Books

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren

EziChi

Publisher: Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books – Gallery Books
Genres: General Fiction (Adult); Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: December 4, 2018

BLURB: Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.

So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.

But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship…but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.

I thought this story was a cute and fluffy story. Millie and her four friends decided to sign up on a dating website to get dates for their work social event. When Millie uses an alias Catherine, she connects with a date and they hit it off online.
Some specific phrases that her online guy used led Millie to deduce that her online mystery man was in fact her best friend Reid. Millie had found Reid physically attractive but they had never connected in this way before. Millie is torn on whether to continue the charade or tell Reid that she is Catherine. Meanwhile, the online couple gets closer and closer, prompting Reid to want to meet face to face.

The group of friends was my favorite part of the group. They were funny, they teased each other but they were supportive as well. The writing was entertaining and flow was pretty consistent. I loved Reid and Millie together and wondered why they didn’t put all their cards on the table sooner. There was a part of them that saw the other, they just didn’t communicate honestly and allow themselves to be vulnerable. It was angst enough to give the story an emotional kick. I love how Millie redeemed herself and the role the friends played in it all. Overall, an enjoyable and fun read for those who enjoy romantic comedy or contemporary romances.