readintowonderland's reviews
363 reviews

It was fine, just not particularly profound in my opinion

A proper review is coming when I process my thoughts

I have to applaud this book for all of the wonderful emphasis it puts on LGBTQ+ characters and LGBTQ+-owned businesses. This representation was beautiful to witness and was done in a tasteful way. Basically, every couple that was not the MCs was queer in some way. 

This book uses brief moments of a different format through text messages. It was nice and easy to read and broke up the monotony of typical text. 

My one complaint with it was that it did a bit too much telling and not enough showing. It felt a bit like Lord was holding the readers' hands through it. Also, there was a perfect conclusion point to the book at around the halfway mark but then it kept going. I enjoyed where it went for the most part but the second half is where the telling was more prominent. 

Their love for each other felt so real and natural. They acted like two people who have been in love for years but are flawed. In addition, the way he expressed his love for her was incredibly hot (sorry not sorry).

I will warn readers there is the miscommunication trope, but it takes place before the events of the book. 

In sum, it was a fun story to read with an interesting take on the fake dating trope. I desperately want one of the scones. 

I received this book as an arc from NetGalley. My review is honest and voluntary.

Now that we are at a more thrilling point in the story, I was on the edge of my seat listening the whole time. Here is my one line to continue to express my distaste for the male narrator but at least I'm used to it now. The conclusion of this one felt like an incredibly rushed choice (I will not say what choice as that would be a massive spoiler). I am happy to report that I do like the pairing of Travis and Victoria a lot more. That said, there was a big moment where Victoria did not trust Travis at all. I do worry that they are not compatible as a couple due to this distrust. As always, Harper is by far my favorite character and brings life into the story. 

This series continues to be quite spicy so don't pick up this series if that is not your thing. 

I received this book as an ALC from Valentine PR. My review is honest and voluntary. 

The only author whose historical fiction I enjoy

A proper review is coming when I process my thoughts

I don't really know what to tink about this one but I definitely didn't love it

I just didn't find this one engaging at all. If I am going to spend my time reading, I want to be entertained. That said, I liked the characters pretty well

I still stand by my dislike of the pompous-sounding male narrator. He continues to sound like he is annoyed and gives off vibes that he feels he is above everyone else. That said, I am getting used to it and will probably harp on it less in book three.

I was quite distressed when Harper was still missing because she is by far my favorite character and feel like the story is lacking with each other. Harper is a smart cookie and deserves all of the cookies. She is seeming more and more like her father which is endearing to see. 

Thankfully Victoria and Travis are starting to seem like a better fit. They certainly have chemistry that was not present in the first book.

I really appreciate hearing more from Victoria's perspective and how she feels about it all and being a safe space for Harper. 

This one is definitely a lot more overtly sexual than the last one. If you are not a fan of spice, this is not the series for you. 

The cliffhanger for this one has left me on the edge of my seat once again! I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes next!

 I received this book as part of a Valentine PR alc team. My review is honest and voluntary 

I will admit, the first 35% or so of the book was a struggle to get through. The writing style was very reminiscent of fanfiction with way too much "she said" and "he grumbled." All of the dialogue was clunky as a result.  I also really didn't like Whitney at first. She was giving uptight manic pixie dream girl a bit too much to be tolerable. A lot of what she said was incredibly cringy including calling the girls in her dorm "cohortmates." 

After the 35% mark, everything took a complete 180. Whitney mellowed out, the writing improved, and it felt much more relatable and grounded. I'm not sure what happened or what author took over but I wish that vibe carried itself to the beginning. 

I love that her icon is a bisexual woman and there are a few LGBTQ+ background characters. They are all a good balance of being there but not shoehorned in unnecessarily. 

I'd like to take a moment to proclaim my obsession with Nana. She was funny, witty, and a breath of realness the book desperately needed. I would love to read a book about her jaunt through Europe. This story would've highly benefitted from more lively characters like her.

In sum, this was a sweet (chocolate included) romance with a quirky FMC and a slow-to-warm-up MMC. It takes some time to hit its stride but once it does, it flies by. It would be a great palette cleanser between heavier reads.

I adored this one! It is easily one of my favorite hockey romances I have read so far. I also liked the balance of volleyball and hockey elements. It was refreshing to see two talented athletes fall in love. The blend of tropes as a whole is just so great. It checked a lot of my boxes and did so skillfully. 

I wish we could've seen a bit more of their summer fling in the past that started it all. There were a few flashbacks, but they didn't provide the context I was hoping for. They are so cute, and I would've loved to see more of how Nikolai pulled Isabelle at the beginning. 

The one part that confounded me was how everyone continually brought up how purple everything was at the university. It seems to be building up to some kind of plot point and then it just... disappears. It was a failed Chekov's gun moment. If you are going to bring something up over and over, it should contribute to the plot in a significant way. 

I love how there are a whole host of LGBTQ+ side characters. I noticed at least two lesbian characters and one gay character. It was a nice blend of queer culture being naturally integrated without feeling forceful or there for brownie points. In a sizeable friend group on a college campus, there are likely a few queer people. It helped ground the story in a bit of realism. 

There were a lot of moments that made me laugh out loud. The guys in this story were particularly amusing. Especially when James locked Cooper and Nikolai outside in the snow to work things out. I also smiled at all of the bonding moments including the matching sibling tattoos. 

The one part of this story that I didn't love so much was the aggressive daddy issues. It makes sense for Nikolai's character but less so for Isabelle. Her conflict would be much more effective if it was strictly centered on her brothers. Not every older male needs to be a threat or source of tough conflicting feelings. 

I really admire Reilly for the way she employed the setting to propel the plot forward. Each setting served a purpose for the story in a sensical way. It felt deliberate and calculated effectively. 

This book has a good bit of spice but this spice contributes to the character development. If you are not a fan of spice, I do not recommend this book.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to the hockey romance fans. It is full of characters with depth that also bring about a lot of humor. There are a lot of daddy issues so prepare yourself for that before going in. 

I received this book as an arc from Valentine PR. My review is honest and voluntary.