An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley, this in no way influenced my review.
Hook, Line, and Sinker is the companion novel to It Happened One Summer,and follows Hannah and Fox, as they navigate their complicated feelings while sharing an apartment.
I honestly was hooked (get it?) from the beginning, because I love a good friends to lovers romance. The story begins with a series of cute text exchanges between the two over a few months, and we see how their friendship began and how they became so close. It was so nice to see their established friendship and also realize the undercurrents of their not-so-friendly feelings between each other.
This is very much a slow burn; most of the novel they aren’t actually a couple.The story is much more about them both taking strength from each other to grow as people. The entire novel has them both pining for each other while also completely ignoring the feelings they had because of *issues*. But then, that’s the beauty of these types of stories isn’t it? I love good pining in a friends to lovers romance.
There was actually such a nuanced story from Fox’s side that I was honestly floored. He has a lot of insecurities because of being objectified and treated as a playboy his entire life, even by his own family. This leads to him not thinking highly of himself and believing he doesn’t deserve Hannah. It was the main reason he and Hannah don’t get together during most of the story, and him having to grow and realize he actually was good enough was lovely. It's something we don't see a lot from these types of characters.
Hannah herself is so multilayered. Being used to staying on the sidelines, she’s not assertive enough to actually go for things she wants, such as working on the music in the movie she’s an assistant for. As she realized her feelings for Fox and gained more courage throughout the book, we saw someone completely different but still the same. She was so sweet, I loved her a lot.
Like I said before, most of the book is a delicious yet torturous slowburn, but I think that made it entirely better once they actually get together and finally unleash all the feelings they’ve been keeping in for months and months. The sex scenes while they aren’t the smuttiest I’ve read from Tessa Bailey, since they were paired with the intense emotions these characters were feeling, I think they felt all the more raw.
The one thing that brought my enjoyment down just a smudge was the final act. The big conflict should have happened sooner, or not at all. I understand Fox and his insecurities, but him self-sabotaging at that point in the book felt repetitive when these same issues were supposedly discussed before. I loved how Hannah handled it however, and there was some good angst to be had, but I do wish it had been different. (Sidenote: Please just get therapy? Please??)
Overall, if you like a slow-burning friends to lovers romance with all the emotions, great smutty times, and even humor, this is the book. I recommend reading book one before this one, as there are things you wouldn’t understand if you don’t read it.
This was certainly an... adventure. The writing was brilliant, the concept incredible... I really enjoyed this a lot. I think my main issues were the This was certainly an... adventure. The writing was brilliant, the concept incredible... I really enjoyed this a lot. I think my main issues were the pacing, because it took me a while to get into it, and I guess this is more a personal preference but I wish I could have seen more female characters other than Lila. Don't get me wrong, Lila is amazing, but this had a very male dominated cast.
“I didn’t know her name, nationality, age, or occupation, but I know this: Someday I’m going to marry the woman sitting in 12D.”
So that’s how Acting o “I didn’t know her name, nationality, age, or occupation, but I know this: Someday I’m going to marry the woman sitting in 12D.”
So that’s how Acting on Impulse begins, and it’s a pretty memorable opening line. I loved a lot of things about this romance novel, but I think one of the most important things was the way it was written. The dialogue is funny and fresh, and I like that sometimes the main narrators would address the readers directly. It made the whole thing play out like a hilarious rom com in my head, which made it all the better.
I loved Tori Alvarez from the very first moment. She’s a physical trainer determined to make her mark and help others. Tori’s philosophy is “siempre pa lante, nunca pa tras”, and she has no reservations about giving you a piece of her mind. My favorite thing about Tori was the fact that she was afro-Puerto Rican. I love when my culture is represented, and I really enjoyed reading about Tori & her family, and all the delicious descriptions of Puerto Rican food. (p.s. this is an #ownvoices novel!)
Carter is a big celebrity, and seeing his thought process was the most hilarious part of the book. He basically worshipped the ground Tori walked on, even before actually knowing her. This sounds bad, but it was actually pretty endearing. Carter is a completely developed character, with hopes and aspirations just like Tori, and I think a lot of us readers can relate to being completely infatuated with someone at first sight.
The romance is honestly the best. Their interactions always set off sparks and had me cackling. Tori always kept Carter on his toes while he always tried his best to tear her defenses down. It was great to see them both talking out their feelings and supporting each other throughout the book as well, because it really showed that they were a really good match.
Acting on Impulse is swoony, funny, and original. This is a story I’m glad to have gotten the opportunity to read, and I hope more people read and support this author, since the sequel also looks amazing! I mean, look at the cover! ...more
Permanent Ink had so many great things going for it.
First off we have Poe, 23 years old and with no real direction Boricuan Bookworms- Book Reviews
Permanent Ink had so many great things going for it.
First off we have Poe, 23 years old and with no real direction in his life. He lives in the basement of his dad’s house, and keeps getting picked up by the police for “vadalizing” a.k.a. grafitti. His dad is fed up with him. Enter, Jericho, 40 years old, and Poe’s dad’s best friend. Jericho gives Poe a job at his tattoo shop as his intern, but things get heated when Poe makes it clear he’s attracted to Jericho.
At first I really didn’t see how they would fall for each other. Not because of the age-gap, but because they were so vastly different from each other, and Poe seemed so… immature. However, the book is incredible in character development from both Poe and Jericho. We see Poe transform from irresponsible and aimless to dedicated and mature. While we see Jericho soften up and become a better person for both Poe and himself.
"I wanted to touch him so bad it was as if my hands had turned to iron and his skin had suddenly been magnetized. It felt like a fucking compulsion."
The romance between them was angsty at first, because of the 17 year age gap, and Jericho not wanting to hit on his best friend’s son, but you can practically feel the chemistry between them. Poe was sassy and snarky, while Jericho was defensive and stern. Poe has a daddy kink, and it was great to see the nuance with which the authors managed it. Because of Jericho being both older and Poe’s boss, we see an interesting power dynamic; I’m glad it was addressed in text.
The tattoo shop aspects were so good! I learned so much about the process of it all, but I also kind of fell in love with tattoos? I loved the process behind it, plus since Poe was learning, it felt like we were learning as well, and it was so cool to read about.
The only thing I wish I could’ve seen more of is the romance between Jericho and Poe. I wanted to see more moments of them together and why they fell for each other, other than being told the things they did. The sexy moments were all great and sexy, but I wanted to see *more*. However, I was so invested in this book and the characters, that this slight thing didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book itself.
I am actually really excited for the next book in the series, since I loved the characters so much! Piper & Avon are an awesome writing duo, so I highly recommend you read anything they write!
[image] You can see the full Pinterest board, here :)
His Perfect Partner had all the elements for me to fall in love with it: single parent, hate to love romance, puerto rican heroine, mexican american hHis Perfect Partner had all the elements for me to fall in love with it: single parent, hate to love romance, puerto rican heroine, mexican american hero, family, holiday theme, food descriptions, and sizzling chemistry.
Yaz & Tomás start off on the wrong foot because they both have misconceptions about each other, so it was really entertaining to see them discover new things about each other. As much as they tried to stay away and ignore their feelings, there were always situations which forced them together, such as Tomás’ adorable 5-year-old daughter, María.
I’m always wary of romances about single parents, because sometimes it feels like the children are just placeholders with no real impact on the story. However, in this book, the child in question is such an important part. We get to fall in love with this little girl as much as the characters in the book do, and we see how important she is both for her father and how she influences the romance between Yaz & Tomás.
Another big aspect of this book is Yazmine’s family. She has two sisters and lives with her father while he’s recovering from cancer. I think this is one of the biggest parts of the story, and it really shaped the way the rest of the book went. It was wonderful to see a healthy and loving dynamic between Yazmine and her sisters and father, and the way the book was written really made you feel emotionally invested in them, to the point where you will be shedding a couple of tears and feeling part of that family as well.
There’s a distinct holiday setting to this book, as it takes places during Thanksgiving/Christmas, which was made all the better when paired with delicious descriptions of Puerto Rican food, such as sancocho, coquito, pernil, and more.
There’s Spanish present throughout the novel, ranging from small words to full sentences, and I loved it. The book made me feel right at home and I know that it’ll be easy to comprehend for non-Spanish speakers.
Can I just take a moment to gush over how incredible this story is? Two latinx leads? With a huge emphasis on family and culture and none of it watered down or misrepresented? I’m not saying all books have to have such a big cultural influence, but this book was just such a breath of fresh air! I loved that the author was able to write this story, as it honestly means a lot to me.
I really enjoyed the romance, but it took me a while to warm up to Tomás. I didn’t like him at first. He felt like he needed a partner that he could depend on, one that wouldn’t put their career over their family, and that’s totally understandable to me. However, this was what initially kept him and Yazmine apart. Tomás didn’t want to be with Yazmine because he thought she would leave them for her career, but he also wanted to be a part of her life. He would go on dates and such, but he also wanted to be close to Yaz. It felt hypocritical because Tomás was sort of making Yazmine feel like she didn’t matter, which wasn’t cool with me. Not to mention a lot of the drama in their relationship could’ve been resolved with one long conversation about what they wanted to do. However, this is resolved by the end, and the tension between them was still pretty engrossing. Also, this is a romance novel without sex!
I’m very keen on reading book two, as I’m already in love with Yaz’s sisters and I can’t wait to see what’s next. Priscilla Oliveras’ debut is one to look out for: a romance that totally breaks barriers. ...more
Just when I think Thea de Salle is done surprising me, she does it again with The Queen of Dauphine Street.
Dauphine focuses on Maddy, our pansexual and eccentric heroine, and Darren, a Texan gentleman who cracks jokes, both of whom are tackling PTSD in their own ways.
What I loved about this book is the fact that the book never pretends to “cure” the characters’ PTSD with romance. We see these characters find some kind of solace in each other, but we know that their traumas aren’t suddenly erased.
Thea de Salle writes such wonderfully complex and highly lovable characters. I loved Maddy and her outrageous personality. She’s completely comfortable with her sexuality, and doesn’t really give a damn about what anyone thinks of it. We first met her in The King of Bourbon Street, as Sol’s ex-wife and former Dom, but in this book her personality is completely fleshed out and we learn so much more about her. Then we have Darren, who completely stole my heart with his corny dad jokes. Darren is a southern gentleman who’s recovering from an abusive relationship. He’s charming, and sexy, and funny, an absolutely perfect combination.I really just loved the interactions between Maddy and Darren. They clicked from the very beginning. Darren lived to make her laugh, and Maddy knew how to make him feel better at every turn.
“[Maddy] didn’t have designs on fucking him per se, but if she slipped and fell onto his dick? Well? Oopsie!”
This book is infused with trademark Thea de Salle charm and hilarity, which made it even easier to pass the pages. We also got appearances from Sol & Rain from The King of Bourbon Street, and we got to meet new characters that also stole our hearts!
The sex scenes as expected, are steamy, kinky, and overall just really sexy. They leave you breathless and giggling, and more in love with the characters than you were before.
Overall, this sequel/companion novel definitely meets expectations. This erotic romance is sexy, fun, and an all-around solid book in the series. I loved Maddy & Darren, and it definitely made me anxious to read the next book, The Lady of Royale Street.
What draws you in to The King of Bourbon Street from the beginning is our hero, Sol DuMont, the newly divorced, openlBoricuan Bookworms- Book Reviews
What draws you in to The King of Bourbon Street from the beginning is our hero, Sol DuMont, the newly divorced, openly bisexual 37 year-old hotel chain mogul. Sol is, for lack of a better word, a complete and cocky asshole (pardon my french). He embodies charm and power, and it's difficult not to feel like you're encountering a shark ready to strike. His voice is snarky and refreshing, and he’s easy to love. When Sol meets Arianna “Rain” Barrington, 24 year-old heiress hiding from her uber controlling mother, we find something else to love about him: the way he turns into absolute mush for her.
Admittedly, it’s not difficult to fall for Rain. She’s absolutely adorable, speaks her mind, and is a complete ray of sunshine. Rain is fat, but her portrayal is never negative. Rain’s fatness is never used as an obstacle in her relationship with Sol, and overall I think it was a great portrayal.
“His instinct was to take care of her however she needed to be taken care of.”
Her dynamics with Sol were so incredible. He was wrapped around her fingers and basically treated her like a princess. This is a Dom/sub relationship, and while Rain was new to the whole thing, Sol was always completely respectful of her and her boundaries. He constantly asks for her consent, and puts her needs before his. How Thea de Salle managed to write super sweet and super steamy scenes at the same time is a mystery to me, but she did it in every single scene. There are a lot of sex scenes in this book, some of them with power play, orgasm control, and overall LOTS OF KINK, so if that’s something you’re not comfortable with you shouldn’t read this book.
“Appreciate her, she said. That I can do. Love her? I bet I could do that, too.”
The plot itself isn’t only about sex, as it has amazing character development, and is incredibly atmospheric. We fall in love with the different side-characters as well as Sol & Rain, and by the end of the book you’ll be wanting to read books about ALL the characters.
Overall, this is erotic romance done right. We have a bisexual Dom hero + a fat adorable heiress whose romance absolutely sets the bar. There’s a lot of consent and communication between these two, not to mention really kinky sex scenes. Book 2 is about Maddy, Sol’s ex-wife, and while I haven’t posted my review yet, I’ll tell you that Thea de Salle does NOT disappoint in that book either.
Marianne (Boricuan Bookworms)
>
Books:
adult-fiction
(15)
Loading...
