I’m still catching up on reviews and wanted to bring you this post of recent romance reads I’ve enjoyed! They’re all contemporary so if you’re a fan of being swept away on Earth or without wondering if the magic is responsible, keep reading these book reviews!
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Kiss Me, Mi Amor by Alana Quintana Alberston
Enrique Montez, smooth-talking heir to the Taco King empire, is man enough to admit that he made a critical error when he underestimated Carolina Flores. The agricultural hotshot should have been an easy conquest–who would turn down the chance to partner with California’s largest fast-food chain? But instead of signing her name on the dotted line, Carolina has Enrique eating out of the palm of her hand, and when fate steps in with an unexpected opportunity, Enrique is willing to do whatever it takes to capture her heart.
Growing up as the daughter of farmworkers, Carolina spent her youth picking strawberries in the fields of Santa Maria and vowing to improve the lives of people like her parents. Now, as one of only a few Latina farm owners, she has no time for romance and she’s certainly not about to let the notorious Montez brother anywhere near her business–even if just being near Enrique makes her skin tingle.
But she is willing to let him help get her overinvolved family off her back. When Carolina’s father and her lovelorn sisters mistake Enrique for her (nonexistent) boyfriend, she reluctantly agrees to a series of pretend dates to their town’s traditional Mexican-American holiday celebrations. Soon the fake feelings turn real and both Carolina and Enrique must convince each other to take a chance on love before their vacation romance is over.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I was so excited to be back in the world of Love and Tacos even though it’s been a while since I read Ramón and Julieta. This sequel features a different main character, but it’s very related to the world, and some characters, you may have fallen in love with. While the first is definitely my favorite of the two, Kiss Me, Mi Amor is sure to captivate fans of the second. I think being dual POV saved this book for me so I could see the thoughts behind Enrique and Carolina. How she wants to be her own individual, but how her family is keeping her tied to one image of herself.
And Enrique’s different background and – more like my perspective – learning to see where Carolina is coming from. It took me a while to warm up to Carolina and her family, how it can be both something that is so vital to us – our own backbone – but also how they can hurt us in their unwillingness to let us become our own person. Enrique is certainly where my heart lie especially as he feels out of place at Mexican events which resonated with me and being in Chinese spaces.
As a whole, I enjoyed Kiss Me, Mi Amor, I just didn’t love it more than the first book. There were a few elements about the ending which felt rushed to me, considering the build up, and a few decisions I felt might not have made sense character wise – but overall, this was a great read for those who might be able to relate to Carolina more and want to see her POV. Find Kiss Me, Mi Amor on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.
The Deja Glitch by Holly James
Gemma Peters is doing fine. She’s making a name for herself in the L.A. music biz as a radio producer. She’s got a ride-or-die best friend in Lila, and she gets to come home to Rex, her loving Labrador, every night. But ever since her rock star ex-boyfriend used her to get a record deal from her rock legend dad, she’s made a “no musicians” rule when it comes to dating that’s becoming more like a “no dating” rule, period.
So, when Gemma crashes (literally) into Jack one Thursday morning, at first she feels like fate might finally be doing her a favor. After all this guy is cute and, wait, is she imagining it, or is he staring a little too deeply into her eyes? And how does he know her name? Even harder to explain is the funny feeling of déjà vu she gets every time she looks at him. It’s not at all like Gemma to kiss a man and forget him completely, so then how can she explain the dreamlike memory of his lips on hers?
The truth is this is no ordinary Thursday. Not for them. In fact, they’ve lived this day over and over for months. And while Gemma has been totally oblivious to the time loop, Jack has been agonizingly aware of every single iteration. Luckily, Jack has a theory to bring his own personal Groundhog Day to an end. And it’s simple. Before the day is over, he just has to get Gemma to fall in love with him.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I adore time loop stories and The Deja Glitch is my most recent read. But I think, right off the bat, what I enjoyed about The Deja Glitch is that is addresses the unequal positions of Gemma and Jack. How Jack knows her, knows about her, and has all these feelings Gemma has only just begin to see. For Jack it’s been so many ‘todays’ that he has begun to forget yesterday. And for Gemma yesterday is there and only a feeling of déjà vu makes her realize things may not be that simple.
The Deja Glitch had me wondering what I would do in this situation. How much can happen in a day and how different our lives would be if one choice was different. Everything and nothing can happen in a day. And for Jack, who has been trapped, he wonders if there’s a way to jolt the system to get it back on track. But what could it be? Another piece of why I enjoyed The Deja Glitch is that it forces Gemma to examine her own feelings about her ex and her dad.
It asks how people can disappoint us and, most importantly, if we give them another chance. The Deja Glitch is one of those books I read in a few days because I wanted to not only see if they would fall in love, but also if they will escape. While I sincerely hope I don’t get stuck in a time loop, The Deja Glitch can resonate with anyone who feels like we get stuck. And what it might take to break us free. Find The Deja Glitch on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.
To Have and to Heist by Sara Desai
Simi Chopra is on a bad-luck streak. She’s lost yet another job, her student loan debt won’t stop growing, her basement apartment is a certifiable flood zone, and now her best friend has been accused of stealing a multimillion-dollar diamond necklace. To put it lightly, she’s desperate for a break—that’s right when Jack waltzes out of the bushes and into her life.
Jack is just as charming as he is mysterious. When he offers to help her find the missing necklace and steal it back, Simi jumps at the chance to clear her friend’s name and collect the substantial reward. But every good heist needs a crew. All she needs to do is transform a ragtag group of strangers into an elite heist crew, infiltrate a high-society wedding and steal the necklace from a dangerous criminal before the happy couple say “I do.” Meanwhile the bride is keeping secrets, a detective with a slow-burn smile keeps showing up at her door, and the ultimate robbery might not be the wedding con, but the way Jack is stealing her heart.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Anyone looking for your next fun, action packed, romance read, pick up To Have and to Heist. If you enjoyed the adventure of Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai, this is for you. There’s immediate intrigue in this heist romance novel. But there’s an undeniable and foundational core of friendship and humor. Because – let’s face it – the average reader or person wouldn’t be great at a heist right off the bat. In To Have and to Heist I loved the friendship between Simi and her best friend, this extremely rag tag group of maybe criminals, and the humor on every page.
The banter is delightful as the characters in To Have and to Heist have to navigate the individual versus the collective – and also the plan. Everyone has so much character which is immediately clear and hilarious. There is chemistry, a tender trust between them, and laugh out loud chaos. I had the best time reading To Have and to Heist and I would highly recommend. Find it on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.