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READ VIA: Libby audio and ebook ABOUT: Connected through a shared high school trauma, Grant Shepard and Helen Zhang find themselves in a writer’s room adapting the script for Helen’s YA novel. Their attraction is undeniable, but their past and their feelings are messy. Helen tries to hold off on her feelings for Grant while he pursues her love openly, knowing it may end up breaking him apart. MY THOUGHTS: This is a spectacular debut novel. The writing is descriptive, the plot is driven by a shared pain, and insatiable hunger between our main characters. Told through alternating third-person points of view that switch at times within the chapter, the writing is fresh and beautiful and compels the reader through the novel. Their relationship is messy and complicated and, at times, feels impossible. This made me appreciate their love even more. Helen struggles to connect with her family, and this bleeds over into her ability to accept her feelings for Grant. There was an underpinning of the challenges of being a first-generation immigrant, how trauma impacts families, balanced by banter and sexy scenes, and I just marveled at how Kuang weaved this story together. Grant’s outward longing is balanced by Helen’s attempts to deprive them of the inevitable, and it is gorgeous. AUDIO: Andrew Eiden and Katharine Chin’s narration is perfection. Their voices pair exquisitely, bringing Helen and Grant’s passion, yearning, and heartwrenching journey to life. SIMILAR BOOKS: If you appreciate the depth of Seven Days in June, with the prickly female lead of Book Lovers, this would work well. SHOULD YOU READ: Highly recommend for fans of in-depth romances with intricate writing and hard fought happily ever afters.

Thank you MacMillion audio for the advanced copy. Plus-sized Player was an entertaining read. It’s fun, sexy, and full of self-love. Wesleigh Siobhan’s narration was outstanding. This book is intimate, and she captured both Russ and Nina with care, bringing their bold personalities to life and making the hot spice even hotter.I listened to the narration at 1.5-1.75 for most of the book and felt the narration was clear. I would listen to something by Wesleigh easily again. The spice in this book is plentiful and descriptive, and at times, it rivals the plot development. I loved how much these two were into each other. They could not get enough of each other, and I ATE IT UP.I did struggle a bit with the telling rather than showing aspects of the writing, and I wish the conflict had a little more depth. That said, I did not see it coming and think it worked well for the plot. Russ and Nina had lots of physical chemistry, and I enjoyed that they were both independently successful. Also, Nina’s mom is so supportive of her career, which is refreshing! I love positive depictions of parents in a book. While I initially struggled with the player storyline, Allen did an excellent job of creating NIna’s arc. I also liked her choice to make her a plus-sized influencer, and I think many readers will connect with that aspect. Overall, this is a light, fun, sexy read that will pair perfectly with a summer day spent reading by the pool!!

This is my third of her books, and Annabell continues to impress me more and more. Yet again, Annabel creates a story that leaves you yearning for summer (and ice cream, beaches, bike rides, and family) and a love story that leaves you completely charmed. Here, we have a story about accepting the other day messy parts of someone. Don’t we all crave that? Someone to love the part we most want to hide. Dan, a cinematographer, and Jane, a hopeful producer, are determined to create their film. When Jane panics and states that she knows a famous singer and could get him on the soundtrack, they embark on a trip to a music fest in Dan’s hometown. Jane was a complicated yet loveable lead. Her self-doubt was consistent and authentic, and I found her fear of being seen to match her history. She frustrated Dan (and, at times, me), but I particularly loved how Annabel wrote her growth. Also, the arc with her mother was so well done, and I enjoyed seeing how they comforted and confronted each other. Dan’s upbringing differs from Jane’s. He has a big family and parents who are deeply in love, yet he feels misunderstood by his family. He speaks openly about how he feels and who he is. Jane falls for all of him. Jane and Dan somehow see each other raw and messy and still fall madly for each other. While mostly closed-door, the tension here is sexy, and as the reader, I appreciated how their intimacy grew (both in the bedroom and how they opened up to each other). What I particularly enjoyed about her writing here is how much the details add to the plot. The intentionality of her words is evident—the ill-fitting swimsuit when Jane typically selects her clothing with precision, Dan’s dad giving Jane his number, and the texts between Jane and her best friend. They create so many layers that her characters cannot help but come off the page. Also, as wonderful as her writing is, Annabel is even more delightful in person, so if you can see this book tour, absolutely go! I loved this one and cannot wait to read what she writes next!