The Setup by Rachel Van Dyken (Book Review)

Book Reviews, Romance | 12.29.2019

The Setup by Rachel Van Dyken (Book Review)

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5 Stars) The last installment in the Wingman Inc Series is probably the best and the cutest of all....

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💭 What was the best vacation you've ever been on?

Wow. I am SO in love with this book.

Poppy and Alex met during orientation week and are complete opposites. Based on their first conversation they would never think a friendship could bloom between them. But, when Poppy needs a ride home to her hometown and Alex happens to be her ride they discover that all their differences can actually be a very good thing. With each other, they can be who they truly are, weird and complicated, and not really care what the other one thinks.

As their friendship grows, they make a pact to spend all Summer Vacations together.

Multiple locations serve as the backdrop for their trips, and the clever writing jumps from their previous summers while intercalating with the current timeline. Present-day Poppy and Alex are summering in Palm Springs and the writing is so immersive you can practically feel the arid air and see the neon pink flamingos popping from the page.

Things that make You and Me on Vacation so special:

🌴The Mutual Pining is Blissful
🌴Opposites Attract
🌴There. Is. Only. One. Bed
🌴Slow Burn
🌴THEtg BANTER IS EVERYTHING
🌴It makes you feel things

This is one of those books that I'll keep going back to when I need something beautiful and romantic to read. It's the first chilling sensation of jumping in the pool on a hot summer day, it's the drip of melting ice cream on your fingers, waiting on your porch for your first boyfriend to pick you up, swiping the card for your hotel room on the first day of vacation, opening your first paycheck, sipping champagne for the first time and feeling the tingling sensation of bubbles in the back of your tongue...

I could go on and on...

You and Me on Vacation
will be available on May 11th

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Full review: link in bio 📲

Thank you Penguin Random House UK for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

My feed has been full of blue books lately and it's a total coincidence, but I think it's cool 💙

💭 Do you celebrate Easter? Are you ready to eat all of the chocolate? 🍫😋

Thank you so much Penguin Books Ireland for the lovely bookmail! 📚📭

𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀! 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 & 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗘𝗺𝗺𝗮 𝗚𝗹𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗻
Life is messy, and sometimes so is your space. As a reformed hoarder turned professional declutterer, Emma Gleeson knows how easy it is to be overwhelmed by stuff. Stuff Happens! is her life-changing guide to getting a handle on your stuff and reclaiming your peace of mind.

Stuff Happens! is brimful of practical advice on . . .
· what to keep and what to chuck (responsibly)
· how to shop (especially if you struggle with a fast fashion habit)
· how to organize (however tiny your space)

𝗜 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻... 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱... 😅💛

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻
Twelve-year-old Norman Foreman and his best friend, Jax, are a legendary comedic duo in waiting, with a plan to take their act all the way to the Edinburgh Fringe. But when Jax dies, Norman decides the only fitting tribute is to perform at the festival himself. The problem is, Norman’s not the funny one. Jax was.

There’s also another, far more colossal objective on Norman’s new plan that his single mom, Sadie, wasn’t ready for: he wants to find the father he’s never known. Determined to put a smile back on her boy’s face, Sadie resolves to face up to her own messy past, get Norman to the Fringe and help track down a man whose identity is a mystery, even to her.

I can't wait to read them! ❤️😌

💭 If you had a pet turtle, what would you name it?

Second First Impressions is an extremely unique and quirky book that is unlike any Contemporary Romance I've read before. Ruthie Midona (the 25-year-old reverend's daughter) is the stand-in manager at Providence - a high-end retirement villa. Ruthie is methodic and high strung and she has an immense fear of messing up. She dresses and acts like she's 125 instead of 25. Even the residents around the villa seem more lively than she is. Besides making sure the place runs smoothly, her only other hobby is taking care of the many Golden Bonnet Tortoises she rescued and brought to live around the place.

Everything changes when she unexpectedly meets Theodore Prescott, the long-haired, motorcycle riding, full of tattoos son of the owner of Providence. Circumstances lead to Teddy having to share a cottage with Ruthie and work as the personal assistant of the most eccentric residents in the villa.

Yes, this premise is insane for a romance novel, but it absolutely works. Sally Thorne managed to write something beautiful and heartwarming within such a strange concept. And it's also completely different than anything she's written before. It's a bit moodier (maybe even darker) than The Hating Game and 99% Mine. But it works and it manages to stand on its own. I was completely enthralled and definitely recommend it.

Thank you Harper Collins for the ARC! Second First Impressions is out today in Australia and April 13th in the US and UK.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Full review: link in bio

💭 If you could travel anywhere right now to spend only 24h in a new city, where would you go? 🌍

An exquisite book that manages to convey so many beautiful feelings at once. Today Tonight Tomorrow has a delicious format usually seen in movies, where all the events happen during the final day of high school for Rowan Roth and Neil McNair.

In the four years, they both have been attending the same school they have been rivals competing for everything, from grades, a position on the student council, science projects, and most recently the coveted position for valedictorian.

But, the last day also has a special celebration for all seniors, a game of HOWL - a scavenger hunt assassin game across the city of Seattle, with a major prize of 5 thousand dollars to the winner. And the battle to settle all scores between Rowan and Neil.

Although this is a brief synopsis of Today Tonight Tomorrow I can't begin to encapsulate here how this book is successful in relating those exact feelings that every graduate went through at some point. The giddiness of the last day, paired with fear, regrets, nostalgia, but deep excitement for what's to come. I can't praise Rachel Lynn Solomon's writing skills enough. I hear and talk about books that are unputdownable, this was more than that, I was glad to keep reading it even if it had over 900 pages and never wanted it to end. It was a complete delight to turn every page.

I loved how the game o HOWL made this a tribute to Seattle, where we got to follow the clues and guess the locations with the characters. Loved how Rowan has a great passion for romance novels and how throughout the book she goes from embarrassed about them to defending how important and successful the genre is. I loved the tiny details at the beginning of the chapters that added depth and context to the story.

Today Tonight Tomorrow was fun, refreshing, and clever. Definitely a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read and a book that I will come back to and read whenever I want something witty and heartfelt.
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#romance #yaromance #yabooks #yacontemporary #rachellynnsolomon #simonandschuster #readingya #yafictionlover #readersofinstagram #bookreader #bookishladies #bookreview

This book was an absolute gem! The Brown Sisters is such a fun and quirky series, but I think that Talia Hibbert saved the best for last with Eve Brown, and that's saying a whole lot.

Eve Brown can't commit. She goes from one failed job to the next and her only safety net is her chunky trustfund. That is until her parents cut her off until she can find and keep a stable job for one entire year.

Jacob owns a lovely bed and breakfast but he is in desperate need of a new chef. All of the sudden a gourgeus purple-haired woman shows up to his open interview and is bound to bring a lot of excitement to his very calculated life.

What you can expect from this book:
As always - fantastic representation
An adorably grumpy hero that has ALL the swoons.
Laugh out loud moments
Content that is SO relatable
A quarter-life crisis in the best possible way
A heroine that is gorgeous and outspoken
Fun and witty banter
REALLY STEAMY SCENES.
And so much more.

If you're looking for a contemporary romance that checks all the boxes look no further, this is definitely a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me.

Thank you @netgalley and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for approving me for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

💭 Do you prefer to rent your own Airbnb or go to a cozy Bed and Breakfast?

A closed-off emotionally stunted hero that repeals everyone around him and seems like the biggest jerk only to be revealed as a closeted cinnamon roll is my kryptonite!

Dr. Maximillian Ramsey has been short-listed for one of the most prestigious academic fellowships in the world. To win it, he needs to give a series of passionate speeches about his subject matter. The only problem is, he has no interest in being charming, and being on stage is a big no in his book.

To make this happen, the university enlists Holly, a communications specialist selected to give Max a makeover. In a battle of wills and wits, both go head to head, none willing to admit defeat.

I devoured Heart Smart in one sitting. I'm a sucker for witty banter and this book did not disappoint. Both Max and Holly were greatly crafted and were interesting on their own, but together they melted my heart and I couldn't get enough of them. Just writing this review makes me want to go back and re-read the entire thing.

Thanks @smartypantsromance for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

💭Do you prefer the spotlight or leading from the backstage?

@lazybookconqueror