Tag: romace

Posted in book lists, books, favorites, graphic novels, horror, middle grade books, NAHM, Native American, Picture books, Rom-Com, YA

Native American Heritage Month book recs

Posted on by ALSanchezBooks

November is Native American Heritage Month

As many lot of us prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving next week, the sentiment behind the celebration remains a treasured and important one, but I think it’s important to research and learn about the real story behind the frequently told tale of the first Thanksgiving and acknowledge the wrong that was done to all the Native tribes through the colonization and since then.

Today I’m sharing some of the books by Native authors and native stories that we have read (or are currently reading) and have enjoyed in the last couple of years as we diversify our reading and learn more about the beautiful culture and communities.

Picture Books:

  • We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Illustrated by Michaela Goede
  • Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard and Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
  • Remember by Joy Harjo and Illustrated by Michaela Goede
  • Be a good ancestor by Leona and Gabrielle Prince and Illustrated by Carla Joseph
  • Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior by Carole Lindstrom and Illustrated by Bridget George
  • Being Home by Traci Sorell and Illustrated by Michaela Goede
  • What’s in a bead? by Kelsey Borgford and Illustrated by Tessa Pizzale
    -It’s Powwow Time! By Martha Troian and Illustrated by Hawlii Pichette
    -Bud finds her gift by Robin Wall Kimmerer and Illustrated by Naoko Stoop

Middle Grade:

  • The Second chance of Benjamin Waterfalls by James Bird
  • Ancestor Approved edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith
  • We still belong by Christine Day
  • Red Bird danced by Dawn Quigley
  • Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen
  • On a wing and a tear by Cynthia Leitich Smith

YA:

  • Fire Keeper’s Daughter; Warrior girl unearthed; and Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley @angelineboulley

Horror Anthology:

  • Never whistle at night, Edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

Romance:

  • The truth according to Ember; & Love is a war song by Danica Nava @danica_nava

Non-fiction:

  • An Indegenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
    -The Paranormal Ranger by Stanley Milford Jr.

Did you pick any books for Native American Heritage Month?
Have you read any books you can recommend?

Posted in books, favorites, recipe, recipe and review, reviews, Rom-Com

Recipe and a Review: Problematic Summer Romance

Posted on by ALSanchezBooks

Sicily in the scorching summer, a wonderful villa by the water, and Maya and Connor. Ingredients for a super steamy summer romance. After reading this, I needed some serious cooling down, and what better way than to try 2 refreshing drinks inspired by this novel. 

Starting your day with a cooling glass of granita, whipped cream, and a brioche bun is the norm in Sicily (as per this book) and espresso is a popular choice th perfect choice.

Acqua e menta is a classic Italian drink is a mixture of mint syrup and chilled still or sparkling water. 

I hope you enjoy these!

Summary:

Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life. Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him.

It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life.

When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs—even if it’s a problematic one.

“Why did she bring me a slushy?” Conor looks at me like I just produced a legally actionable claim. “Jesus Christ.” “What?” “Maya.” “What did I do?” “Took a dump on centuries of Sicilian culture?” I blink. “Because I asked about the slushy?” “It’s called a granita. Granita al caffè. With panna—the heavy cream on top.” He plucks a brioche bun from the basket on his left and puts it on my plate.…. “Shut up and eat.” It turns out to be crunchier than a slushy, made of little shards of ice infused with sweet espresso. It’s delicious, of course—creamy and refreshing and cloud-fluffy, and: “I’m moving here,” I tell him after two bites, scooping more granita onto my pastry.

If you make it or share it please tag me 🤩

My thoughts:

  • I’ve been lusting for a  Maya and Connor book since I saw their guarded interactions in Not in love. I could sense there was something there.
  • I was afraid of this book because the title made me worry it would be a insta-love story. But I was so wrong. The two timelines clearly show us there had been a lot going on the previous 3 years, and there was a greater depth on their relationship than was evident.  The 3 years had been the slowest of slow burns, with occasional episodes of exploding heat (The cave scene 🔥🔥🔥)
  • I loved how Maya was so certain of what she wanted with Connor and how she expressed it. It did feel at times she was the only one fighting for them, and he was constantly fighting against his feelings and found his reluctance a bit repetitive.
  • I didn’t find the age gap to be a big deal, probably because of how the author handled the development of their relationship, by having them come into each other’s radar well after Maya is an adult, and having them go from mere acquaintances to friends to prospective lovers.
  • While this is a stand alone, I feel like reading Not in love first gave me a better understanding of the other characters and situations, and also the anticipation for M & C to get together.
  • As always, I absolutely love Ali’s style, the romance and humor intermingled with seriousness.
  • I also enjoyed getting a bit of continuation of Rue and Eli’s story, and the setting in the Italiand villa was fantastic 
  • The audio narration was perfection, the duet style by Elizabeth Lamont & Eric Nolan (with his Irish accent) *chefs kiss 

Have you ever been to Italy?

Where would you like to go?

“After sneaking out of the theater, I spent a couple of hours wandering down Corso Umberto while sipping on a delicious drink made of water and sweet mint syrup. ”

Enjoy!

Posted in books, favorites, recipe, recipe and review, reviews, Rom-Com

Recipe and a Review: What Happens in Amsterdam

Posted on by ALSanchezBooks

As Dani experiences the sights, culture and cuisine that Amsterdam has to offer, I couldn’t help but get craving for trying so many delicious sounding foods. But one stood out, buttery and fluffy Poffertjes. These dutch mini pancakes, were the absolute best, and instant hit in my home. I’ve since made them several times, and we’ve gotten more creative with the toppings, the possibilities are endless.

Summary:

Dani Dorfman has somehow made it to her thirties without knowing what she wants to do with her life. So when an office romance ends poorly and gets her fired, she applies for a job in Amsterdam, idly dreaming of escaping the mess she’s created, but never imagining she’ll actually get it. Except she does. By the end of her first week in Amsterdam, she’s never felt more adrift or alone. Then she crashes her bike into her high school ex-boyfriend—and suddenly life is blooming with new opportunities.

Wouter van Leeuwen was a Dutch exchange student Dani’s family hosted, a forbidden love that ended in a painful breakup. Years later, there’s still sizzling chemistry between them, and okay, maybe a little animosity. More importantly, Wouter needs to be married to inherit a gorgeous family home on a canal—and when Dani’s job falls apart, she needs a visa. As the marriage of convenience pushes them together in unexpected ways, Dani must decide whether her new life is yet another mistake—or if it’s worth taking a risk on a second chance.

“I stop in front of a cart selling miniature pancakes, where an older man is pumping batter into small circles on a griddle. Poffertjes, says the sign above him. “One of these please”… “with sugar or nutella?” “Both?”

I watch my little pancakes rise, darkening at the edges before he scoops them onto a paper tray, sprinkling them with powdered sugar and a healthy dollop of nutella.”

If you make it or share it please tag me 🤩

My thoughts:

  • This was absolutely perfect. I loved Dani and Wouter. These 2 had undeniable chemistry from the start, funny they were the ones that couldn’t see it.
  • Plus the steam was A+, I love how the author manages to make them vulnerable yet so open to each other in the intimate moments. And there were plenty of deliciously 🔥 scenes.
  • Second chance romance is a hit of miss for me, but the author managed to make them endearing and you can’t help but root for them.
  • I always love how she also manages to have mental health representation, and how Dani initially struggles to speak up for herself and show her independence to her family. Her growth was great throughout the story.
  • The author clearly loves Amsterdam, and she makes me want to visit, and soon!
  • The narration by Elizabeth Lamont was fantastic, specially listening the words and names pronounced correctly.

Thank you @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the gifted copy of the book.

What’s your favorite topping for pancakes or waffles? 

Enjoy!

Posted in books, favorites, recipe, recipe and review, reviews, Rom-Com

Recipe and a Review: Great Big beautiful life

Posted on by ALSanchezBooks

What’s better than a refreshing sip of lemonade on a hot and humid day? A cold glass of Mint lemonade. This was the perfect inspiration to share a favorite of mine, and check out the adult beverage twist at the end 🍋🍹

Summary:

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives: Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, but the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

“I take a tiny sip of the lemonade, which turns into a long gulp, because it’s amazing, fresh and crisp with torn mint leaves swirling around along with the ice cubes.”

If you make it or share it please tag me 🤩

My thoughts:

  • This book felt like a mix of classic EmHen romance in the present story with the classic witty banter and  undeniable chemistry; but mixed with a historical family drama in the flashbacks of Margarets story, with the drama and secrets, that reminded me a lot of a TJR novel. 
  • It felt different than her previous novels so it’s hard to compare and rank against her other books, but I was still hooked and loved every minute of it.
  • I loved the development of the relationship between the MCs. Forced proximity is one of my favorite tropes, and these two kept bumping into each other, until they just wanted to spend more and more time together.
    Alice was so open from the start, but Hayden went from quiet and reserved, to full on committed to making something work with Alice.
  • And I also enjoyed the drama and the mystery of Margaret’s story. While I had my suspicions there was something she was hiding and I did guess one correctly, I didn’t see the big reveal coming and that twist was completely unexpected.
  • The problem they encountered towards the end was the most heartbreaking and the saddest I’ve read and it really really broke me.
  • The narration by Julia Whelan was superb as always.

Thank you @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the gifted copy of the book.

What’s your favorite refreshing summer drink of choice? 

Enjoy!

Posted in books, favorites, recipe, recipe and review, reviews, Rom-Com

Recipe and a Review: Work in Progress

Posted on by ALSanchezBooks

New year brings a redesigned look for my recipe and review series, Can’t wait to hear what y’all think about it and Work in Progress by Kat MacKenzie.

From thevery first moment Alice and Robbie meet, they don’t have a meet-cute, they have a meet-ugly. He thinks she’s and entitled American brat, she thinks he’s an inconsiderate Scottish bastard. They hate each other, until they don’t.

In the process, they share a lovely, middle of the night snack, I couldn’t help but try to replicate: 2AM chicken sandwiches with homemade mayo and pints. 

I wish I had the ability to make tea with scones and clotted cream, ans rhey often had in this book, but it proved too complex for this format.

“Truce? He asked. “Well, only temporarily, of course. Until we refuel. Then we can go back to trying to kill each other with renewed vigor.”

“Truce,” I agreed…..

“How about a sandwich and a pint? Will it do, do you think?”… Together we moved around, busily slicing bread, shaving chunky cuts of roast chicken, washing and chopping the tomatoes and lettuce, and sourcing various cheeses and condiments…. “You’ll have to wait a bit longer to give me time to make a proper mayonnaise, and after seeing that look on your face, I don’t trust you enough to turn my back on you for even a second.”

“Make a mayonnaise? Mayonnaise isn’t something that’s made… it’s something that’s bought… in a gallon jar… at Walmart.”

His eyes widened dramatically, and he scoffed. “I rescind the former compliment. You have no taste…”

If you make it or share it please tag me 🤩

“The only way I’d warm up to you is if I set you on fire first”

Summary:

Alice needs a fresh start. After her horrible breakup, losing her job, nothing seems to be going right. She makes a sour of the moment decision and books a UK literary , women only, bus tour that promises camaraderie and fun. But finds a bus full of elderly ladies plus one irritating and handsome Scottish driver.

My thoughts:

  • I really love this one. Mention Jamie Fraser and send me traipsing around Scotland too please!
  • I enjoyed the travel romance concept. And a literary tour of the UK sounds like a dream. It made for a  fun reading, looking up the different places they visited. The characters always going and seeing something new. 
  • I liked that the side characters where this troupe of lovely elderly ladies, they acted like loving grandmas, and took Alice under their collective wings. Providing her with much needed wisdom, and a good dose of gossip and showing her, that her initial impression was so wrong.
  • Many of the situations were a bit far fetched, but still made for funny and entertaining moments that had me laughing despite the unlikelihood of it all.
  • Part of the plot does relies on miscommunication or misunderstanding, it’s a trope I don’t usually likeC it was undertsadable due to the circumstance, but still always wish for the characters to speak like adults to each other.
  • I loved the slow burn relationship development between Alice and Robbie. Once they got over their aversion, they really had time to get to spend time together and get to know each other well.
  • This is a relative low spice book with no explicit scenes, so if youre into romance with closed doors or barely open, this is a great choice for you.
  • Loved the nods to tons of books, characters, settings. 

Overall, I think this was a great This was a debut novel and I will happily await more books by this author.

Thank you @avonbooks for the gifted copy of the book.

Would you go on a literary tour? What would your destination be?

Enjoy!

Posted in BIPOC / Latinx characters, books, favorites, recipe, recipe and review, reviews, Rom-Com

Recipe and a Review: Sleeping with the frenemy

Posted on by ALSanchezBooks

I’m usually skeptical of fruity drinks because I find the sweetness often overpoweres the taste. However, when Leo was tasked with making a signature cocktail for his sister’s wedding, one of the drink descriptions caught my eye and I decided to try to come up with a mix to bring it to life. 

The last think Sofi expected when she came home from work on Monday evening was to be swiftly corralled into the distillery for an impromptu taste tasting. According to Kamila, the wedding party was getting together to choose a signature drink for the reception, which was news to Sofi, the planner of said reception.…..

Sofi sniffed and took a sip of her drink which tasted like a blackberry sweet tea with a tart kick of lime, spicy ginger and the warmth of smooth whiskey.

“This is good!” she told him, “a bit too boozy, but good”

If you make it or share it please tag me 🤩

“By the end of the night he wasn’t sure which drink had been chosen as the best or even if they’d voted at all.”

Ingredients

Summary:

Leo Vega’s love life has been on life support since long before the gunshot wound that put him on leave from the fire department. Sofi, the woman he’s had a secret on-again, off-again relationship with for years is bsck from her year long absence and she’s ready to patch things up with her best friend Kamilah, Leo’s sister. When they are pushed into a tense roommate situation, and tasked with helping set up Kamilah’s wedding, It becomes almost impossible for them to ignore their feelings.

My thoughts:

  • The Vega’s are back! I love this multigenerational, and multicultural book series. It follows The Vega family, a close-knit Puerto Rican family in Humboldt Park, Chicago. Each story centers around a grandchild of a mischievous and matchmaking abuelo, in this case we have Leo and his sisters best friend Sofi who he has been in a secret on-again, off-again relationship with for years.
  • I loved Leo, with his history of being a goofball, he struggles to get the one he loves to hake him seriously. But he has matured and is so dedicated and loving, he’s the sweetheart of the two. He’s also a musician and singer and that always makes me swoon.
  • Sofi is fire and spice, she is independent and strong. She is also trying to figure out what she wants in her future, that starts with getting her BFF back, but it also means facing her other relationships with her former beau and her father, and situations she would prefer not having to face.
  • These two make a seriously hot pair, their chemistry is evident and because of their history, it doesn’t take long for the heat to start burning both. The steam was perfect for them and oh so delicious.
  • We had a great combo of thropes: best friend’s brother, second chance romance, close proximity. I also love the meddling grandparents, here our dear Abuelo Papo teams with Sofi’s abuela Fina.
  • I love how the author always manages to insert important topics like complicated family relationships, mental health, loss, gentrification, etc.. 

If you haven’t read any in this series I really recommend checking them out!

What’s your favorite drink? Boozy or  otherwise, and when did you last have it?

Enjoy!

Posted in books, favorites, recipe, recipe and review, reviews, Rom-Com

Recipe and a Review: Until Next summer

Posted on by ALSanchezBooks

My family and I love to go camping. I remember always wanting to try smores since they always looked so delectable on tv and movies. At the risk of being shunned, I didn’t love it, I found them too messy and sweet. However, I decided I wasn’t going to give up and instead I tried this twist: S’mores Rice Krispy treats. They were delicious and have the added bonus of being less messy and portable. 

“I reach the campfire and breathe deeply, taking it all in: the scent of roasting marshmallows, the flickering firelight, the laughter and singing. All the benches are packed.”

If you make it or share it please tag me 🤩

“By the time the fire is reduced to embers, the champagne bottle is empty, and our hands are sticky with the remnants of the sweetest s’mores, we’re buzzing with possibilities. With plans for the future of our beloved camp. Plans we’re making together.”

Ingredients

Summary:

Growing up, Jessie and Hillary lived for summer, when they’d be reunited at Camp Chickawah. The best friends vowed to become counselors together someday, but they drifted apart after Hillary broke her promise and only Jessie stuck to their plan, working her way up to become the camp director. 

When Jessie learns that the camp will be sold, she decides to plan one last hurrah, inviting past campers—including Hillary—to a nostalgic “adult summer camp” before closing for good. Jessie and Hillary rebuild their friendship as they relive the best time of their lives—only now there are adult beverages, skinny dipping, and romantic entanglements. Straitlaced Hillary agrees to a “no strings attached” summer fling with the camp chef, while outgoing Jessie is drawn to a moody, reclusive writer who’s rented a cabin to work on his novel.

The friends soon realize this doesn’t have to be the last summer. They team up and work together to try to save their beloved camp.

My thoughts:

  • Can I sign up for Adult summer camp? Please!!?? I think this is the best Ali Brady book so far. 
  • It was so much fun, and entertaining. I loved the focus on the former best frieds as the rebuild their relationship, it qas heartwarming to see them working on their bonds and communicating.
  • I also enjoyed how each one gets to have their on romance on the side. Esch with great levels of steam.
  • How the authors managed to have so much on page time for fun summer camp activities and shenanigans was also great. It made me feel like I was there enjoying it with them.
  • This is my favorite of their books so far, and even though it’s not summer anymore (although in the Caribbean it’s still pretty hot), I couldn’t let it pass without sharing this one.

Do you like smores?

Did you ever go to sleep-away camp?

I never did, but this book sure makes me want to.

Enjoy!

Posted in books, favorites, recipe, recipe and review, reviews, Rom-Com

Recipe and a Review: Not in Love

Posted on by ALSanchezBooks

French Toasts are a favorite breakfast dish in our home, served with fresh fruit, whipped cream and homemade spiced syrup, everyone always goes for seconds. When Eli made Rue breakfast, I swooned. When he made her French toast, I immediately knew what recipe to pair with this review.

“Is this French toast?” she asked once they sat at the table. He poured coffee in her cup. “Yes.” “And this is the fancy dish your fancy chef ex taught you to make?” She sounded skeptical. “Never said that the dish had to be fancy. And I recommend you try it before you say one more word you will regret.”

Her eyes narrowed, but she poured syrup on her toast, covered it with some of the fresh cream and the mix of berries, brought a bite to her lips with the air of someone who was doing him a big favor, and after chewing for a handful of seconds covered her mouth with her hand and said, “Holy shit.” He gave her his most told you so look. “What the hell?” She seemed affronted. “How?” “Secret recipe.” “It’s French toast.” “As you now know, not all French toast is created equal.”

If you make it or share it please tag me 🤩

“Out of all the people I’ve met, the things I’ve wanted, the places I’ve been, none has ever felt as necessary as you do. Because I love you. I love you in a way I didn’t think I was capable of. I love you because you showed me how to fall in love. And I don’t regret it, Rue. I wouldn’t want it any other way. Even if you can never say it back. Even if you never think about me again after today. Even if you were right after all, and you’re not capable of love.”

Summary:

Rue Siebert and Eli Killgore are on opposite sides of a hostile takeover, that threatens to disrupt everything Rue has ever worked with at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. But Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through – and he’s a man who gets what he wants.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline, but their hearts don’t want to play by the rules.

“Maybe people can be happy and sad. Maybe stories are messy and complicated. Maybe endings don’t always include solutions that tie everything together in a bow. But that doesn’t mean that they have to be tragedies.”

My thoughts:

  • ⁃I’m a big Ali Hazelwood fan and have read everything she’s published. I’ve also done a Recipe and a review for all her major novels, this is my 4th. So while I love her work, and while I did enjoy this one, it’s not my favorite of hers.
  • I liked slow development of the friendship and relationship of the MCs as they share more of each other.
  • She described this as an erotic romance, and I agree this was definitely steamier from early on, and it was honestly 👌🏻 They had great chemistry
  • I was expecting the usual romcom, so I really missed having more of her usual funny banter and situations. If you’re looking For a steamier novel then this one is for you.
  • The narrators did a great job, I always like having dual narrators for dual POV. Eli’s narrators voice will forever remain in my brain whenever I read a description of a deep gruff voice. He absolutely nailed and it added to the steam factor 🥵
  • Last but not least, I suspect she left the door open for another book, because there was some serious something cooking up between Eli’s BFF Hark and his sister Maya. I smell an age gap romance on the way.

Do you like French toasts? What’s your favorite breakfast dish?

For the bread I recommend using thick sliced brioche, cinnamon bread pairs excellent bur plain brioche is still delicious.

Enjoy!

Posted in books, favorites, recipe, recipe and review, reviews, Rom-Com

Recipe and a Review: Funny story

Posted on by ALSanchezBooks

In Funny Story by Emily Henry, when Dapthne decides she’s done with Waning Bay, Michigan, Miles makes it his mission to make her fall in love with the charming small town. In one of the scenes, he’s appalled to find out her ex, Peter, never took her to the iconic retro-style burger spot Big Louie’s to have their famous “Petoskey Fries” honoring the fossilized coral stones found in the area, and chocolate cherry milkshake.

I looked online for hours for the fries, and found nothing. So either there’s some super secret place they make these fries that has noline presence, lr EmHen made them up, both are probably equally likely 😂

But I didn’t want to give up, so in the book they’re described as fried with jalapeños, so I looked at a few recipes and decided to make them to see what they were all about. For the milkshake, I looked at several recipes and made some modifications. Both were very delicious, and I’m pretty sure will get made again.

If you make it or share it please tag me 🤩

“You kissed me.” His brow shoots up. “I thought that was what you wanted. I thought that’s what we were doing.” “No, I know.” I step back, my spine meeting the side of the bench seat. “We were. I just—it’s different now.” “What do you mean?” “I don’t want to play that game anymore,” I say. “I don’t want you to say things you don’t mean and do things you don’t want to do. It’s confusing.” “Who says I did anything I don’t want to do?” he asks. “You did,” I fire back. “You’re the one who told me you don’t want anything to happen between us—” “I never said that,” he argues, stepping closer. “—and I don’t want to be a prop to make your ex jealous, and I know I started it—” “You’re not a prop,” he says, looking hurt. “That’s exactly what I just was,” I counter. “You only want to kiss me when they’re there to see it. And I know I started it, but things are different now.”

Summary:

Daphne suddenly finds herself without a fiancé, because a few months before their wedding, Peter decided he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra. Stranded in Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family, without a home, but with a dream job as a children’s librarian, she suddenly finds herself roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Miles is exactly the opposite of Daphne. When they receive the invitation for Peter and Petra’s wedding, they drown their sorrows in adult drinks and decide to pretend to date, posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, mainly to get even at their exes. What could possibly go wrong?

“And I know I’m not who you pictured yourself with, but I think I could be, eventually. If you’ll let me. So don’t go. Because I don’t want you to. Because you’re my best friend, and I’m in love with you.”

My thoughts:

  • This book was one of my most anticipated for the year and it did not disappoint (I’m looking at you (Un)happy place 😒)
  • I absolutely loved Daphne and Miles. They were well developed, complex, imperfect, surprisingly relatable and deep characters.
  • We get a good dose of humor with the classic Henry fun and funny dialog and banter.
  • It deals with discovering what you want for yourself, and navigating your wants and needs and other people’s expectations.
  • I loved the nod to libraries and librarians, they are superheroes.
  • I also loved the romance that develops between them and the spice. The steamy scenes where perfect.
  • Waning Bay came with a great set of unique secondary characters: co-workers, small business owners, cooky stepmom and suspicious biker at a neighborhood bar. Helping make the small town charming and memorable.
  • I loved the narration of the audiobook, as always Julia Whelan is so talented.

Have you read this one? Or have it on your tbr?

This one not sits right below Book lovers as my favorite.

Enjoy!

Thse recipes were adapted from iamhomesteader.com and cookienameddesire.com

Posted in books, favorites, recipe, recipe and review, reviews, Rom-Com

Recipe and a Review: The Ex Talk

Posted on by ALSanchezBooks

My favorite romance book last year was Business or Pleasure. It was the first book I read by Rachel Lynn Solommon, but every review I read kept mentioning The Ex Talk. I finally got around to reading it and definitely regretted waiting this long.

I decided to pair the book with a recipe I make quite often at home, and easy version of Beef Bulgogi, since the MCs first time out is to a Korean place and Dominic suggests this dish to Shay to try.

If you make it or share it please tag me 🤩 This recipe was adapted from Justataste.com

“Let’s get this over with,” he says when I sit down across from him. “Make your case.” “Jesus, can we at least order first?” I open the menu. “What’s good here? “Everything.” ….. “I’ve never had Korean food,” I admit. “And you’ve lived in Seattle for how many years?” “My whole life.” …. He opens his menu, too. “Bulgogi. Korean barbecue beef,” he says, pointing to a row of menu items…. In the end, that’s what I do, and he says I can try his bibimbap. It’s strange, this offer, and even stranger is the reality that I am having dinner with Dominic Yun.

Summary:

Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can’t imagine working anywhere else. But lately it’s been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who’s fresh off a journalism master’s program and convinced he knows everything about public radio.

When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it’s this or unemployment. As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers.

My thoughts:

  • I absolutely loved this book! It was funny, emotional and relatable in so many ways. I loved the concept of it, the theme of their podcast was so interesting, I would have loved to listen to more of it.
  • I also loved all the NPR references and it definitely gave me some nostalgia.
  • The story flowed smoothly, and the characters worked well together, I loved the chemistry that Shay and Dominic had from the beginning.
  • We get a good dose of humor in between the very real situations Shay finds herself in, unappreciated at work, her boss misogyny, her self esteem takes a hit. This intermixed with a healthy dose of romance and spice. The steamy scenes where perfect.
  • I loved the narration of the audiobook, the narrator portrayed the characters so well.

Do you listen to public radio?

Enjoy!