How to Fake Date a Vampire - Linsey Hall
This is the second book in the Charming Cove series and follows witch-in-training, Emma, and vampire duke, Alaric. In order to earn a spot at her coven, Emma is in charge of planning the annual Beltane Ball. The biggest problem is trying to convince Alaric to let her host it at his estate - his famously private estate. Lucky for Emma, Alaric needs a fake girlfriend to show his grandmother after a disastrous break-up. As the two spend time together preparing for the upcoming Ball, they find that maybe they have more in common than they initially thought. This is falling into the 'not for me' category. I didn't really connect with the characters or the writing style. I found Emma and her whole plot to feel more YA than I was expecting which just isn't my vibe. This YA-ish plot also clashed with the more adult romance elements. I wanted way more from Alaric than we got and I never really got a good handle on his character or backstory. I did really love the world of Charming Cove and all the different types of magic or magical creatures we get to see. Also, Penelope the skunk was far and away my favorite part of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnie Doon Press for the ARC. Publication date was August 31, 2023
The Fiancee Farce - Alexandria Bellefleur
This sapphic romance follows Tansy and Gemma as they enter into a fake engagement. Tansy, sick of the constant questions about her love life, fabricates a relationship with a fictional Gemma. Then, when at her cousin's wedding, the real Gemma finds out about Tansy and their supposed relationship. Good thing for both of them that Gemma needs to be married in a few months in order to inherit her grandfather's publishing company. What starts as a purely business arrangement inevitably turns real. This was absolutely fantastic and has solidified Bellefleur as an insta-read author for me. I was fully invested in Tansey and Gemma as individual characters and their own journeys but also loved to see them get together. They were such a good example of the opposites attract trope where they aren't caricatures or it isn't completely unbelievable that they would actually like being together. We have a great cast of side characters and I liked how the marriage of convenience plot was used. The chemistry between Tansy and Gemma was fantastic and built up believably as they spend more time together.
The Plus One - Mazey Eddings
This is the third book in the A Brush With Love series and follows childhood enemies Indira and Jude. Weeks before her brother's wedding, Indira finds herself newly single and needs a place to stay - obviously her brother's house is her first choice. When she arrives and sees Jude is also staying there, the two pick up where they left off with the verbal sparring. However, it isn't exactly like when they were younger as their own internal and external struggles have left their marks on both of them. Their fake dating agreement quickly turns real as the two of them find comfort in their shared history. Both Indira and Jude have their own mental health struggles and these struggles were the forefront of the story. I loved how Eddings integrated the mental health aspects into every aspect of their lives and relationship. Indira and Jude were such complex characters on their own and I loved when they did finally get together how we could see their relationship morph. The banter between them is perfection and we get a good amount of interaction from the cast of side characters - including the previous couples. I did want a little more of Indira and Jude finding out more about each other. They were antagonistic toward each other for so long, I wanted to see more of them turning that around.
TW/CW: PTSD from medical procedures, parental abandonment
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC. Publication date was April 4, 2023
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