"Elise Brandeis has never won a Pulitzer—and she never will. At least not while she’s delivering sandwiches at the Gotham Times, instead of working there as an actual reporter. Her only shot at seeing her byline in print is to prove to the no nonsense managing editor that she has a nose for news. And she’s got just the story to grab her elusive attention. Right after she delivers this turkey on ciabatta. Chasing down leads brings Elise to Roosevelt Island, but just when the trail of clues begins to take shape, she gets stuck. Literally. On a cable car with three strangers who couldn’t be more different. An uptight rugby coach, a construction worker and a former adult film star she pretends not to recognize a little too well. At first, Elise wants nothing more than to be rescued ASAP. An hour later, everything has changed. By pure happenstance, four separate journeys have collided in an intense, meaningful way. Suddenly, disentangling their lives feels more impossible than winning that Pulitzer. Good thing Elise is too busy proving herself at work to consider three boyfriends. Nobody has time for that--even if they make giving in feel oh so right. But three heads are better than one and these loners will teach themselves to work together to win Elise over forever…And more importantly, keep their dirty socks off her floor." (Description of Happenstance by Tessa Bailey was taken from Tessa Bailey's website).
Happenstance by Tessa Bailey is a reverse harem featuring a sports romance, an “enemies to lovers” romance, and a golden retriever boyfriend. It invokes the “touch her and you die” trope and a bit of the “I hate everyone but you” trope. Happenstance deals with a ton of themes and topics such as politics, power and corruption, fear of commitment, family and found families, love and heartbreak or loss, companionship, convention versus rebellion, empowerment, loneliness and isolation, appearance versus reality, and mental health. I would recommend Happenstance to fans of reverse harems, Tessa Bailey’s other novels, and steamy romance books. In my opinion, since this book is very spicy, Happenstance is not suitable for readers under 18. Happenstance was unique and different from any other book I’ve read in the past (even other reverse harems). The only other reverse harems I’ve read were paranormal romances (Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Robert and the Dark Artifices series by Cassandra Clare); since there are typically different societal norms in fantasy worlds, I personally felt like these reverse harem romances seemed less shocking and less unconventional (to myself as well as the other characters). In my opinion, the 3 males’ intense reactions and instant connections to Elise were reminiscent of a mating bond; like those found in paranormal romance novels such as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas or the Ice Planet Barbarians series by Ruby Dixon. But again, to me, even though I love books about fated mates, this unyielding mate-like connection might have been more probable in a fantasy novel. Furthermore, I was surprised that there wasn’t a lot of hesitation, jealousy, or awkwardness between the 3 men; in my opinion, this seemed rather unlikely and unrealistic. I also personally didn’t like the fact that the main character Elise, who was initially quite reluctant to start a relationship with any of the men, seemed to be almost pressured into starting the quad relationship by her roommate, her boss, and the 3 men (who were almost relentless in their pursuit of Elise). Due to the main character, Elise’s, dabble in investigative journalism, there were some unexpected instances of political scandal, danger, and kidnapping included in this book, which I appreciated as I felt that they added more excitement to the story. I also enjoyed the fact that, even though the spicy elements seemed to be at the forefront of this book, Bailey still included some emotional elements; like how the members of the “tram fam” helped each other to overcome fears or obstacles in their lives including divorce, family conflicts, and past exploitation. Overall, even though it was a tad unrealistic, I thought that Happenstance was an engaging and enjoyable read that would be perfect for fans of steamy romances! Tessa Bailey is one of my fave romance authors and I can’t wait to read her next novel, Secretly Yours, when it releases in early 2023.
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“After Sharlot Citra's mother catches her in a compromising position, she finds herself whisked away from LA to her mother’s native Indonesia. It'll be exactly what they both need. Or so her mother thinks. When George Clooney Tanuwijaya's father (who is obsessed with American celebrities) fears he no longer understands how to get through to his son, he decides to take matters into his own hands. To ensure that their children find the right kind of romantic partner, Sharlot's mother and George's father do what any "good" parent would do: they strike up a conversation online, pretending to be their children. When the kids find out about their parents’ actions, they’re horrified. Not even a trip to one of the most romantic places on earth could possibly make Sharlot and George fall for each other. But as the layers peel back and the person they thought they knew from online is revealed, the truth becomes more complicated. As unlikely as it may seem, did their parents manage to find their true match after all?” (Description of Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto was taken from Penguin Random House Canada’s website). Well, That Was Unexpected is a contemporary YA rom com invoking the fake dating and stuck together tropes. Some topics/ themes discussed in this book include love and heartbreak, family, culture, change versus tradition, growing up, travel, communication, technology, sexual orientation, female roles, social standing, and appearance versus reality. I believe that this book is best suited for teens and young adults who enjoy books like Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean, Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch, or To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han as well as movies like Crazy Rich Asians or The Princess Diaries. I believe that the moral of Well, That Was Unexpected is that you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, and first impressions aren’t necessarily accurate.
On the downside, I personally found this book to be slow to start and I found that, overall, the plot wasn’t super engaging to me; this could have been because I am older than the target teen/ young adult audience and/ or it could have been because I’m a mood/ seasonal reader (the tropical book cover and setting may have been better suited for summer reading instead of autumn).
Overall, I thought that Well, That Was Unexpected was a cute teen/ YA read perfect for fans of travel, the fake dating trope, and laugh out loud moments! After the events of The Ex Hex, the Jones witches have the town’s ley lines under control and everything is seemingly calm in Graves Glen. But, while Vivi, Rhys, and Elaine are out of town, drama inevitably ensues when Rhys’ brother Llewellyn (or Wells) Penhallow moves to Graves Glen to re-establish his family’s connection to the town by opening a witchy shop right across the street from Gwyn’s own witchy shop (Something Wicked). Despite their competition, Wells and Gwyn both become wary when some of Gwyn’s schoolmates unexpectedly return to Graves Glen. Shortly after, Gwyn and Wells are forced to work together when Gwyn’s powers mysteriously begin to fade.
Some themes present in The Kiss Curse include revenge, quest for power or status, love and loss, loneliness and isolation, identity, and family. In my opinion, I would recommend The Kiss Curse to fans of fantasy romances and/ or “enemies to lovers” romances like The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, Mating the Huntress by Talia Hibbert, Lore & Lust by Karla Nikole, The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen, My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey, or To Hate Adam Connor by Ella Maise. Firstly, I have to say that I personally enjoyed Wells and Gwyn’s “enemies to lovers” romance in The Kiss Curse more than Rhys and Vivi’s second chance romance in The Ex Hex. Furthermore, I loved all the comedic moments that Sterling included in The Kiss Curse; especially Gwyn’s enthusiastic and often mischievous trainees (or “Baby Witches”), Gwyn’s outspoken talking cat, Gwyn’s fondness for witchy puns, and a hilarious incident involving a glittery “love spell”. I also really liked the sweet and swoon-worthy moments that Sterling included, especially the meaning behind Wells’ fondness of Gwyn’s pink hair streak. I appreciated that Sterling kept me guessing and I didn’t feel like the ending was predictable. I loved the autumnal vibe of the smalltown of Graves Glen; all the Halloween and fall festivals in Graves Glen reminded me of beloved fictional small towns like Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls) and Halloweentown.
Evan Hartley (Cooper’s twin brother) and Genevieve West are notorious for being an on-again, off-again couple…that is, until Gen suddenly and unexpectedly leaves town without a goodbye. A year later, when Gen returns home to Avalon Bay for her mother’s funeral, she’s determined to prove to her family and friends that she’s matured and ditched her bad girl reputation; and that involves staying far away from Evan Hartley. But it’s near impossible to avoid her attraction to Evan while being back in Avalon Bay…especially since her dad has hired Evan’s company to do some home renovations. Gen believes that her and Evan are bad influences on each other, but Evan is determined to prove to Gen that he’s capable of change and deserves another chance.
Bad Girl Reputation is a contemporary new adult romance with the second chance romance and forced proximity tropes. It deals with themes such as change versus tradition, life and death, family (or lack there of) and friendship, addiction, growing up, abuse of power, good versus bad, as well as love and heartbreak. I should note that the characters in this book briefly recount the death of a parent and an instance of sexual harassment which could be triggering for some readers. I would recommend Bad Girl Reputation to fans of the Off-Campus and Briar U series by Elle Kennedy, the Beach Kingdom trilogy by Tessa Bailey, The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, and Every Summer After by Carley Fortune. In my opinion, the moral of Gen and Evan’s story is that people can be capable of change. First off, I have to say that, overall, I was a bit disappointed with this series; I absolutely love Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus and Briar U series so, in comparison, her Avalon Bay series just didn’t live up to my high expectations. But admittedly, I enjoyed Bad Girl Reputation a lot more than I did the first book in this series (Good Girl Complex). Furthermore, I liked how, because of reading book 1, I already knew most of the main characters and I was already familiar with some of the storylines; therefore, even though you might be able to read Bad Girl Reputation as a standalone, I highly recommend reading Good Girl Complex first. I loved that Cooper and Mac (the main characters in Good Girl Complex) continued to be prominent characters in book 2; some of their storylines, like Mac’s hotel and Cooper’s drama with his mom, even carried over into Bad Girl Reputation. I thought that it was so cute and swoon-worthy that Evan, despite his reputation for being a bad boy, tries to “woo” or court Gen, as if she’s the only girl in the world for him; he even starts doing some heartwarming charity work to try to prove to Gen (and himself) that he can be more than just a troublemaker. Furthermore, I loved how Gen and Evan’s relationship was passionate, sincere, and rife with history. Lastly, without spoiling anything, I thought that the ending was a “chef’s kiss”. On the downside, I thought that there were some missed opportunities in this book; for example, it probably would have been hilarious if Kennedy included a full description of Evan’s disastrous sailing attempt instead of just briefly recounting it. I also wasn’t a fan of all the police corruption nor the conflict regarding the Hartley brothers’ mom because they weren’t as interesting to read about in comparison to the main romantic storyline. The beautiful beachside setting of Avalon Bay makes Bad Girl Reputation a perfect summer read, or a great escapist read for the colder months. If you enjoy new adult romance and the second chance trope, then I highly recommend reading Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy. |
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