Book Review: "The Trail of Lost Hearts" by Tracey Garvis Graves

Wren has been reeling from the sudden death of her fiancé, not to mention a second blow which was even more crushing. All she has wanted to do is cut herself off from the world and wallow in her grief, but her friends won’t let her. Remarkably, she starts to find joy in geocaching, or using a GPS to find hidden objects, and she plans a trip to Oregon, to get away from home and spend a week clearing her mind while searching for geocaches.

Shortly after starting out on a hike, she encounters a dangerous situation she is utterly unprepared for. Marshall, another hiker, happens to be walking by and he saves Wren from almost certain disaster. Wren is tremendously grateful for Marshall’s heroism, and when he proposes they team up for the rest of the week, she agrees.

Marshall is dealing with a tragedy of his own, and while his kindness and empathy help Wren to unburden herself, he isn’t willing to open up himself. But the more time they spend with each other, the stronger the connection between them grows. Neither is sure what the future holds, but they decide to enjoy the time until Wren heads home.

But when Wren returns home, it appears that she and Marshall are farther apart emotionally than Wren thought. For the first time, she knows it’s necessary to put herself and her needs first, even if it’s not what her heart wants.

How do you find the strength to move on when you can’t see past your grief and hurt? When do you know if you’re ready to shake off your past and start anew? Can you let your fears go in order to take a chance?

I love the emotions that Tracey Garvis Graves fills her books with. Every one I’ve read has hit me square in the feels, but at the same time, they’ve been infused with hope. I definitely will keep reading everything she writes!!

Book Review: "Nate Plus One" by Kevin van Whye

Looking for a sweet, friends-to lovers rom-com? What about Nate Plus One?

Nate was a fan of Jai’s band before he knew who Jai was. Now they’re best friends, and Jai helped Nate through heartbreak when his boyfriend ghosted him.

But lately, Nate can’t seem to get Jai out of his mind. He finds himself thinking about what it would be like to date him, but he’s afraid telling Jai how he feels might ruin their friendship. So when Jai’s band loses its lead singer as they’re prepping for a huge competition, Nate agrees to sing for the band, even though stage fright has kept him more behind the scenes than in the spotlight.

Nate is getting ready to go to South Africa for his cousin’s wedding. He’s excited to spend time where his late father grew up. But when he finds out that his ex-boyfriend is going to be at the wedding, he doesn’t think he can handle that alone, so Jai agrees to be his plus-one.

South Africa is amazing, and Nate and Jai keep getting closer and closer. Should Nate tell Jai how he feels and risk their friendship? And will Nate’s ex complicate things further?

I really enjoyed this. It was great to have main characters of color where there wasn’t crazy crises or racism, and South Africa was a terrific setting. Sure, it was predictable, but that was part of its charm!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!

Book Review: "Good Girl Complex" by Elle Kennedy

Elle Kennedy's latest book is a sexy, fun romance that put me through the emotional wringer!

Mackenzie, or “Mac,” always does what’s expected of her. Even though her parents barely acknowledge her (they're both far too busy for parenting), they are quick to let her know if she steps out of line. Although she was raised in immense privilege, she actually made significant money of her own creating two popular websites. But despite her desires to simply concentrate on this digital empire she's created, her parents want her to get a college degree and then marry her wealthy boyfriend, Preston.

Cooper is a local in the college town of Avalon Bay. He and his friends hate the way the “clones,” or the rich people, take over their town between the college and tourism, but their livelihoods depend on them. He’s a bad boy with a heart, someone who’s seen a lifetime of hurt and rejection in a short period of time.

When Mac meets Cooper, she’s already aware of his and his twin brother’s reputation as bad boy players. But there’s something more about Cooper that she can’t resist beyond his sexiness. It’s his combination of arrogance and vulnerability that makes her want to shake up her carefully ordered life. And the more Cooper gets to know Mac, the more he realizes she’s not just another rich clone, but she’s someone he can’t live without.

Cooper has a secret that could destroy Mac and her feelings for him. But even without it, can two people from such different worlds have any chance at happiness?

I thought Good Girl Complex was a really good read. I loved the banter between Mac and Cooper, and loved some of the side stories with Cooper’s brother and their uncle. As it often happens with romances, I knew exactly what would happen, but that didn’t matter. I just would’ve liked an epilogue, as the conclusion seemed a bit rushed.

I'm a fan of Kennedy's writing, as I've read a number of books she's written with Sarina Bowen, but this was my first book of hers that she wrote alone. I can’t wait for the next book in this series, Bad Girl Reputation, due out in the fall!

Book Review: "The Road Trip" by Beth O'Leary

Can forced proximity help a former couple recapture the magic or will it just make things worse? This is the question addressed in Beth O'Leary's new book, The Road Trip.

Dylan and Addie were in love. It was an intense relationship, but Dylan’s indecisiveness about his future and his constantly choosing his longtime best friend Marcus, who had wanted nothing more than to break them up from the start, dooms them. But when a betrayal occurs, it shatters everything.

Two years later, they know they’ll see each other at their mutual friend Cherry’s wedding. They've not spoken since the day their relationship ended. But the last thing they’re prepared for is when Dylan accidentally rear-ends the car Addie and her sister are driving to the wedding.

While the logical choice would be to let Dylan and Marcus fend for themselves, they’ll never make it to the wedding on time. So instead Addie and Deb invite them to drive with them to Scotland. In a Mini. Along with another random wedding guest, Rodney. What could go wrong?

Of course, hijinks ensue. And amidst crises and traffic and arguments about the trip playlist, Dylan and Addie realize their feelings for each other haven’t changed no matter how they try to fight them. But are feelings enough to overcome the hurt and guilt and betrayal? Have they changed that much?

The story alternates between present and past, tracing the trajectory of their relationship and what brought them to this point.

I’ve loved Beth O’Leary’s previous books, The Flat Share and The Switch, so much, so I had high hopes for The Road Trip as well. I loved Dylan and Addie and their story, but much like the trip itself, the book took a long while to get going. And honestly, Marcus was one of the most ridiculously insufferable characters and he took up far too much space in the story. But in the end, I still got teary. Lol.

NetGalley and Berkely provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

The Road Trip publishes 6/1.

Book Review: "Be Dazzled" by Ryan La Sala

Ryan La Sala's newest book, Be Dazzled, is an utterly adorable rom-com that looks at doing what you love and being with whom you love, no matter what anyone says. Plus sequins. Lots of sequins.

Raffy is a tremendously talented artist. But unlike his artist-turned-gallery-owner mother, he doesn’t view art as valuable only if it’s elitist. His talent lies in design—costume design, more specifically—and he’s found his sweet spot in designing costumes for cosplay conventions. This isn't something his mother approves of, so he must hide everything from her and work only when she isn't home.

He literally runs into Luca, a handsome boy from his school, in the sequins aisle of a craft store. Luca has actually followed Raffy’s popular videos on a YouTube-like channel, so he’s mesmerized by Raffy’s talent. Clearly smitten with one another, they decide to create a costume for the two of them to compete at the next cosplay convention.

But the pressures of creating the perfect costumes and having to hide this side of him from his mother take their toll on Raffy and his relationship with Luca. It doesn’t help that Luca has his own anxieties about fully coming out to his own family and embracing the side of him that loves cosplay, and these anxieties ultimately doom their relationship.

Devastated and angry, Raffy is still determined to create the winning costumes for the biggest cosplay convention, in hopes he might get offers of sponsorship or even jobs. But when Luca shows up with a former friend of theirs to compete as well, it opens wounds that aren't even close to healing and ignites Raffy’s competitive spirit. Can he get everything he wants, or will he have to sacrifice something to be happy?

Although I have zero artistic ability I am fascinated by art supplies and the creative process, so I couldn’t get enough of this book. Raffy and Luca are an adorable if dysfunctional couple, and even though I wanted to shake them sometimes, I rooted for their love to win in the end.

Be Dazzled was a fun story with real emotional components as well, because it hurts when you can’t share the things or the people you love with those closest to you. La Sala shows he’s just as talented at rom-coms as he is creating fantastical situations, like he did in his last book, Reverie.

This book charmed me completely!