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Ideally Inspired Reviews

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Contemporary

May 4, 2021 Emily Reviews, Uncategorized

{Emily’s Review}: Before I Saw You, By Emily Houghton

Alice Gunnersley and Alfie Mack sleep just a few feet apart from one another. They talk for hours every day. And they’ve never seen each other face-to-face.

After being in terrible accidents, the two now share the same ward as long-term residents of St. Francis’s Hospital. Although they don’t get off to the best start, the close quarters (and Alfie’s persistence to befriend everyone he meets) brings them closer together. Pretty soon no one can make Alice laugh as hard as Alfie does, and Alfie feels like he’s finally found a true confidante in Alice. Between their late night talks and inside jokes, something more than friendship begins to slowly blossom between them.

But as their conditions improve and the end of their stay draws closer, Alfie and Alice are forced to decide whether it’s worth continuing a relationship with someone who’s seen all of the worst parts of you, but never seen your actual face.

A tender novel of healing and hope, Before I Saw You reminds us that connections can be found even in the most unexpected of places—and that love is almost always blind.

Filed Under: Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: Before I Saw You, Chick Lit, Contemporary, contemporary romance, DNF, Emily Houghton, grumpy/sunshine trope, hospital, lackluster, Love, pacing, patients, Romance, Sunday Roast, tragic accident, unlikely friendship, women's fiction

March 30, 2021 Elizabeth Reviews

[Elizabeth’s Review]: Prom Theory by Ann LaBar

This book was a fun read and I genuinely enjoyed the journey we had inside Iris Oxtabee’s head as she experimented with the mystery that is love. The best way I can describe this book is fun and predictable, and even then I enjoyed the characters we met and the crazy situations Iris got herself […]

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: childhood friends to lovers, Contemporary, Fun, High School, high school romance, Prom, Romance, science, YA, ya contemporary, YA Romance

March 9, 2021 Elizabeth Reviews

[Elizabeth’s Review]: When We Were Infinite by Kelly Loy Gilbert

TW: this book discusses topics of domestic assault/abuse, suicide, racism, microaggressions, mental health and illness, and panic attacks. This is my first Kelly Loy Gilbert book and wow, I am blown away. Beth’s story is achingly powerful and when interwoven by Gilbert’s writing, one cannot seem to escape from the pain and heartbreak that these […]

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Asian, character development, Contemporary, Fiction, friendship, heartbreaking, High School, mental health, Mental Illness, music, musician, tragic, ya contemporary

February 12, 2021 Chelsea Reviews

[Chelsea’s Review]: The Last Goodbye by Fiona Lucas

This will be a spoiler-free review. I was instantly drawn to this book from the moment I read the synopsis and saw the comparisons to both Josie Silver and Jojo Moyes, who write beautifully heart-wrenching books. After reading this book, I can tell you that The Last Goodbye is just as beautifully written. I knew […]

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Contemporary, contemporary romance, Fiction, Grief, healing from loss, loss, Loss of spouse, Romance

December 6, 2020 Asis Reviews

[Asis’ Review] Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey

Y’all know a marriage in trouble book will ALWAYS be a book for me. It’s one of my favorite tropes for some reason and I immediately knew I had to read this lol Good thing: this one did not disappoint. I absolutely adored Rosie. I loved how much she grew throughout the book, how her […]

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: chef, Contemporary, Faves of 2019, Friends to Lovers, marriage, marriage-in-the-rocks, overseas, rom-com, Romance, small town, therapy

September 29, 2020 Elizabeth Reviews

[Elizabeth’s Review]: All This Time by Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott

All This Time is a story about loss and overwhelming grief and how to move on. Kyle has always been sure of his life and his future, and that was Kimberly. The duo has been best friends for as long as they can remember and a couple all the same. The one thing Kyle is sure […]

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Contemporary, contemporary romance, Death, friendship, Grief, High School, loss, Love, recovery, Romance, romance suspense, romantic suspense, young adult, young adult romance

August 25, 2020 Elizabeth Reviews

[Elizabeth’s Review]: Like Lovers Do (Girls Trip #2) by Tracey Livesay

I had so much fun reading this book! From the book description, I knew I was going to fall in love with the friends to lovers trope. In meeting Nic and Ben and getting a feel of their chemistry and dynamic, I also knew that I was going to enjoy reading this book and was […]

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Adult, adult romance, best friends, best friends to lovers, Contemporary, contemporary romance, diverse, doctor, Fake Relationship, Female Friendships, Friends to Lovers, friendship, Fun, girl-power, Romance, Steamy

August 4, 2020 Elizabeth Reviews

[Elizabeth’s Review]: Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston

This is the third book in Ashley Poston’s Once Upon a Con series, and I was so excited to see that it was a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast! This book revolves around Rosie Thorne, who is grieving her mother’s death and trying her best to navigate a new reality in her absence. […]

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: beauty and the beast, Celebrity Romance, comedy, Contemporary, contemporary romance, enemies to lovers, fairytale, Fiction, Grief, High School, humor, LGBTQ+ Representation, modern retelling, Nerdy, sci-fi, YA, YA Romance

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