Erabiltzailearen profila

4½⭐️/5

There’s a lot to like about this story:

• Decent autism rep. Not amazing, as it’s not front and center. But nothing anyone could really complain about.
• Good general disability rep. Autistic FMC. MMC has gluten issues. Side characters with a ton of disabilities. All handled well, if lightly.
• Good romance arc. The MMC is a golden retriever & doesn’t do anything too stupid and dudebrosportsguy-ish.

My only complaints are around the MMC POV, with which allosexuals would probably be fine. Pretty much everything in his POV boiled down to either (1) how horny he was, or (2) how tragic his life was. And hey, horny and tragic is a perfectly valid lived experience. It’s just not really a vibe I enjoy.

I’d read more by this author.

Tags: #BestFriendsSibling #BiPanSexualMC #DualPOV #FakeRelationship #FamilyIssues #FirstPersonPOV #FriendsToLovers #Neurodiverse #SelfLoveIsHealthy #Sports #Therapy

4⭐️/5

I enjoyed:

• Interesting premise
• Interesting characters interacting like humans
• Good pacing

My only real complaint here is that it's really just the first act of a larger story. It's fine as it is, as long as you're not expecting clean resolutions to basically any of the open questions. But it was interesting enough and fleshed-out enough that I'd continue reading.

3½⭐️/5

I enjoyed:

• Two people cooperating to try to build something bigger
• Interesting side characters
• Themes of perseverance

Not my jam:

• Some of the talk around addiction (and some late-book topics) can come off as ableist and even anti-science. While you could also make the case that the way it’s portrayed shows it is a flawed POV … but there’s also a reverence for independence and “alternatives” that just felt dog-whistle-y to me.
• Miscommunication
• The power dynamics stuff, as always, does nothing for me.

Tags: #ChronicIllnessOrDisability #DualPOV #ExpirationDate #InversionOfControl #RehabRecovery #SecretsAndBetrayal #SecretShame #ThirdPersonPOV #Trauma

4¼⭐️/5

Look, it’ll say it out loud: this is the story IHOS should have been. While that other story had some of the worst cis-normative BS I’ve read in a while, this one had a wonderfully queer story of two broken-down people trying to connect and help each other. It even has a small fishing town, a grieving and grumpy fishing boat captain, a down-on-her-luck sunshine, and more.

Tags: #AfraidToReplaceLostLove #BackHomeAgain #CareerChange #DualPOV #ExpirationDate #MinimalConflict #PersonNextDoor #PlaceInTheWorld #SmallTown #TheDogGetsSkritches #ThirdPersonPOV

4¼⭐️/5

Reading through Gerri Hill’s books always makes me appreciate how quickly an author can move when they really choose to. Hill always feels to me like the elite 15K runner: graceful, spare, and astonishingly fast while also covering exactly the ground needed.

This isn’t the lightest of stories, but even at its relatively short runtime you still get interesting, 3D characters, real-world struggles, and a satisfying resolution. (Along with an epilogue which explicitly spells out the head canon you had already worked out.)

Tags: #BackHomeAgain #CommitmentIssues #DismissiveDismissivePair #FamilyIssues #HiddenIdentity #NewInTown #SecretsAndBetrayal #SecretShame #SmallTown #SmallTown #Trauma

3¾⭐️/5

I enjoyed:

• People getting to know each other, slowly
• People reevaluating what they want from life

But also, while I can appreciate that some people would find the spirituality portraying in this book as comforting, it didn’t do anything for me and just got repetitive after a while. And as that’s the central focus of the back half of the book … meh.

Tags: #AfraidToReplaceLostLove #CareerChange #CommitmentIssues #ExpirationDate #FamilyIssues #RehabRecovery #Religion #SinglePOV #SlowBurn #ThirdPersonPOV #Trauma

4⭐️/5

Things I liked:

• Decent characters - a little thin, but I appreciated that they knew what they wanted and communicated it.
• The intrigue was also a little thin, but was fine. (Except maybe one particular scene. Which was just … wat.)
• Self love is healthy.
• No stupid 80% break-up.

Not my jam:

• Sex was approximately half the story. It was fine … but it didn’t really do anything for me.
• The antagonists were on the 2D side.
• Asymmetric character development. (We see a decent arc for Rose, but almost nothing for Vivian.)

Anastasia Watley on the audiobook was, as always, a huge bonus.

Tags: #BiPanSexualMC #ExpirationDate #InversionOfControl #SecretsAndBetrayal #SelfLoveIsHealthy #SinglePOV #ThirdPersonPOV #WorkplaceEthics

5⭐️/5

The 80% drama was avoidable … but forgivable. Similarly, the kid was a little much … but at the same time it was about as realistic a depiction of low-income single parenting as you’re going to see in romance.

Tags: #AttachmentDisorder #BiPanSexualMC #ChronicIllnessOrDisability #FamilyIssues #HardOutsideGooeyInside #MyKidsBeforeMe #MyKidsLoveYou #RichPoor #SingleParent #SinglePOV #ThirdPersonPOV

3¼⭐️/5

This was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. I’m not super interested in “the bet” trope, but then we kindof got past the bet pretty quick and the characters and relationship were actually interesting. The fiancee (competitor) was a bit of a caricature … but they often are, so it’s mildly forgivable. Then the secret comes to light at the 80% mark … and the resolution completely lost me.

But, as always, Anastasia Watley was amazing.

I’d probably read another by this author, as a second chance.

5⭐️/5

Zero complaints. Sometimes you just need a feel-good story about people connecting.

Tags: #Awakening #Celebrity #CinnamonRollMC #DualPOV #GoldenRetrieverMC #HalfUnavailable #LoveAtFirstSight #MinimalConflict #ThirdPersonPOV

4¾⭐️/5

Parts I liked:

• I was surprised how much I enjoyed the parallel narratives
• The characters start off shallow, but grow noticeably over the story
• Multiple romances!

But also:

• It's too short by half, and gets a little jumpy. Even just a half dozen more connective scenes would have really solidified the characters and their relationships.
• Some of the writing was a little uneven — not awfully so, but noticeable.

I would absolutely read more in this series, or by this author.

Tags: #AfraidToReplaceLostLove #Cheating #ChronicIllnessOrDisability #DualPOV #FamilyIssues #FirstQueerRelationship #HalfUnavailable #NewInTown #RehabRecovery #SecondChance #SmallTown #ThirdPersonPOV

4¾⭐️/5

I enjoyed:

• Nuanced characters and situations
• Lush storytelling
• Strong, contemplative theme

Not my jam:

• Jealousy/possessiveness
• Physical abuse

Tags: #BIPOC #Celebrity #ConfrontingHomophobia #FakeRelationship #FamilyIssues #FirstPersonPOV #FirstQueerRelationship #HalfUnavailable #LabelsAreNotForMe #PlaceInTheWorld #Trauma

3½⭐️/5

I'm of mixed opinions on this book ... which mostly boil down to "it was fine, except for some parts, I guess?".

Things I enjoyed:

• Interesting concept
• Lush setting
• Likable, relatable protagonist

But then also:

The overarching message of the story seems to be somewhere between "spoiled kids need to be pushed to grow up", "adults know best", and "girls who stand out need to be gaslighted and traumatized so they will grow up to fit in better". And, um, that's ... a choice.

There is a "romance" subplot, but it's well in the background, but it's not really a "people learning they are stronger together" kind of romance — more of a fairytale fated mates thing.

Tags: #ChronicIllnessOrDisability #FamilyIssues #FirstPersonPOV #FishOutOfWater #Kidnapping #Misunderstandings #Mystery #PlaceInTheWorld #Royalty #SecretsAndBetrayal #Trauma

4¼⭐️

This was not the book I was expecting, in several very good ways. It’s certainly not your typical Found Princess story.

I enjoyed:

• Loved the neurodiverse characters
• Loved the humor
• Loved the IDGAF attitudes

Not my jam:

• Too much miscommunication
• Asymmetric character growth

I would absolutely read more by this author.

Tags: #BIPOC #DualPOV #FakeRelationship #FamilyIssues #FishOutOfWater #ForcedProximity #InstaLust #Misunderstandings #Neurodiverse #Royalty #StructureMeetsWhimsy #ThirdPersonPOV

4½⭐️

I enjoyed:

• People taking the time to get to know each other
• People connecting over shared interests
• “Us against our families”

Not my jam:

• So much sniping and antagonism
• Asymmetric character growth

Also, Carrie Coello did a 5⭐️ job with the narration. The characters were easily distinct, and the energy was great.

Tags: #BIPOC #DualPOV #FamilyIssues #ForcedProximity #HalfUnavailable #HiddenRelationship #RivalsToLovers #SelfLoveIsHealthy #StructureMeetsWhimsy #ThirdPersonPOV