Book Review: "Everything for You" by Chloe Liese

It’s like this book was written for me, I loved it so much.

Chloe Liese, I don’t know what took me so long to read one of your books, but now you’ve hooked me. I need to go back and read about all of the Bergmans!!

Oliver Bergman is the youngest of five brothers and the sixth of seven children, so he’s tried to excel at everything he does. An excellent soccer player, he left college to turn pro and join the LA Galaxy.

When he first joins the team, he’s beyond excited to be playing with Gavin Hayes, a soccer legend who was Oliver’s teenage obsession. He also admired that Gavin is openly gay, which gave him the courage to be open in his own life. But for the last two years, Gavin has rebuffed him at every turn, treating him with outright disdain.

When their coach makes them both co-captains, Oliver hopes it will be the start of a friendship. But Gavin isn’t willing to budge, no matter what Oliver tries—kindness, pranks, outright hostility. So their coach gives them an ultimatum: get along or lose their co-captaincy.

The two vow to be civil to one another, but the more they work together, the more they are forced to acknowledge their intense feelings for one another. Gavin, in particular, knows his career is nearing the end, and he worries if he gives into his feelings for Oliver, will he resent all that Oliver has left in his career? Or worse, will Oliver leave him behind?

This book had it all—enemies to lovers, family dynamics, emotional and physical challenges, and steamy sex. I was hooked completely—I’m a sucker for a sports romance!

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: "The Lies I Tell" by Julie Clark

Tense and twisty, The Lies I Tell got me thinking.

“I spend hundreds of hours on observation and research….When I’m done, I know everything I possibly can about you, and most of the people around you. By the time you’re saying nice to meet you, I’ve already known you for months. Does this worry you? It should.”

She’s been Meg, Maggie, Margaret, Melody. She’s been a college student, a life coach, a real estate agent. Over the years, Meg has perfected the art of the con. She knows how to get what she needs and disappear before she gets caught.

Kat's life was upended 10 years ago, and she’s always blamed Meg. And when Meg comes back into her orbit, she’s determined to expose her for what she’s done. But as they draw closer, she doesn’t know what to believe about Meg. What is her end game this time? Whom has she targeted? And is she going to get the best of Kat again?

I found this absolutely fascinating and compelling. I loved Julie Clark’s last book, The Last Flight, and this has cemented her as an auto-buy author for me. There were twists I anticipated and twists I didn’t, and in the end, the book definitely surprised me a bit. Meg and Kat were fascinating characters.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review! The book will publish 6/21.

Book Review: "The Bodyguard" by Katherine Center

She’s been hired to protect him, but she’s been protecting herself as well.

This was great!! Katherine Center’s newest book has nothing to do with the movie of the same name but I couldn’t resist singing the soundtrack. (It is what it is.)

She may not look it, but Hannah is an Executive Protection Agent (bodyguard) at the top of her game. After dealing with some personal issues, she gets an unusual assignment—protecting famous actor Jack Stapleton while he’s in Houston visiting his family.

Jack is one of the most recognizable (and handsome) actors, but after a family tragedy a few years ago, he dropped out of the public eye. He certainly doesn’t think he needs a bodyguard at first but his studio gives him no choice. The thing is, however, he doesn’t want his family to know he has stalkers, so he insists Hannah pretend to be his girlfriend. She doesn’t think anyone would believe Jack would date her—she’s a far cry from his other girlfriends—but he’s a good actor.

When she and Jack move into his family’s ranch, she must negotiate the tension between him and his brother. But more than that, the more time she spends with Jack, the more she starts to feel like she could be his real girlfriend—which is bad for the job, and bad for her heart. Is he falling for her, too, or is he acting?

I love the way Center tells a story, and even though this was fairly predictable, I was there for it all. These characters—Hannah, Jack, even the supporting characters—were terrific, and I was completely hooked. This would be a great movie!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy in exchange for an unbiased review!

Book Review: "The Beach Trap" by Ali Brady

Romance, family drama, house renovations, and a beautiful beach setting—could you ask for more? If this sounds up your alley, check out The Beach Trap.

Kat and Blake became inseparable best friends at camp the summer they were 12 years old. But as the summer ends they make a shocking discovery: they’re half-sisters, and Blake hasn’t seen their father in years. Devastated by this betrayal, Kat breaks off all contact with Blake.

Fifteen years later, their father dies and leaves both of them the family’s beach house in Destin, Florida. Blake wants to sell it as soon as possible because she needs the money to care for her grandfather, but Kat wants to hang onto the place that held so many memories for her.

The house is run down, so the sisters—in a rare moment of agreement—decide that they will renovate it and at the end of the summer, Kat will buy Blake out. But while Blake does most of the work, Kat, a popular social media influencer, wants complete creative control, which causes more friction between the former friends.

Meanwhile, both embark on summer romances, although Blake finds a man with family secrets of his own. Can the happiness they’ve found last more than the summer? Will the sisters be able to find their way through their past resentments and hurt in order to rebuild their relationship? And what will happen to the house?

This was such an enjoyable read. It had everything I love in a book—even an adorable dog—and I was immersed from start to finish. It’s definitely a bit steamy, but it’s also poignant, funny, and sweet.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the advance copy in exchange for an unbiased review!

Book Review: "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt

This is an absolutely fantastic, beautiful story about friendship, family, and second chances.

I love when a book is even better than I hoped it would be. That’s definitely the case with this one!

After Tova’s husband dies, she starts working as a cleaner at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Her friends think she’s crazy, a woman of her age doing that kind of work, but it gives her a sense of purpose, and it keeps her from mourning her husband as well as her son Erik, who disappeared one night more than 30 years ago and was presumed drowned.

Tova strikes up a most unlikely friendship with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living in the aquarium. Marcellus is smarter and more resourceful than anyone realizes, and he starts to take a liking to Tova too, in his own way.

Little by little, Marcellus starts to realize a secret that’s been kept hidden for years, and he’s determined to help Tova discover the answers she’s been seeking. But it will require every bit of cunning he has left—and could endanger his life.

I didn’t think another non-human character would touch me more than Six-Thirty from Lessons in Chemistry, but Marcellus was amazing. I really enjoyed so many of the characters in this book. It’s the kind of story that will make me look at aquatic creatures a little closer the next time I’m at the aquarium!

Book Review: "Yerba Buena" by Nina LaCour

This is an utterly exquisite story of longing, regret, love, and the memories that haunt us.

Nina LaCour has been one of my favorite YA authors for years now, so I was tremendously excited that she was writing her first adult novel. This book is as beautiful and poignant as her YA books, and it filled my heart with emotion.

Sara was 16 when a tragedy forces her to leave home and head for Los Angeles. She makes a life for herself and ultimately becomes a sought-after bartender and mixologist. But her memories are full of a girl she once loved and a disturbing discovery.

Emilie has always been a bit directionless, unsure what she wants. Her academic career reflects her inability to commit to one thing or another. She gets a job arranging floral displays for restaurants, including Yerba Buena, and before she realizes it she falls into an affair with the chef/owner. She meets Sara at Yerba Buena and feels a connection, but neither is ready to take the first step.

As time passes, Sara and Emilie connect and realize the intensity of their feelings for one another, yet the secrets from their past that they cling to always seem to be a roadblock. How do they step beyond the fear, the regret in their lives to capture the longing and embrace their vulnerabilities?

I was drawn in from the very first page of this book. It’s sad and joyous and hopeful and these characters will resonate in my head for a long while.