BOOK REVIEW: Love of My Lives by Yamile Saied Méndez

 

A contemporary love story about fate and the lifelong journey of finding your soul mate. 

BOOK DETAILS

Title: Love of My Lives

Author: Yamile Saied Méndez

Publisher: Kensington Books

Publication Date: September 26, 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Point of View: 3rd Person

Trope(s): Soul Mates, Magical Realism, Travel 

MY SYNOPSIS

On the night Madi Ramirez lost her abuela at the age of 13, her grandmother's spirit paid her a visit and revealed an image of the man she was destined to marry. As Madi grew older and began to date, it became her single focus to find this mysterious man.

Fast forward to present day >> every man Madi believed was the love of her lives has turned out to be a disappointment. When Madi finds herself once again reeling from a breakup, she decides to seek solace by traveling to her grandmother's homeland in Puerto Rico. 

 

Madi immediately feels at home on the island and soon meets a man with whom she feels an instant connection. The only problem? He doesn't haven't the same initials as the man she saw in her vision as a child. Madi must decide if she wants to continue living for a day in the future that may never come or live in the present and enjoy every moment she possibly can with the man right in front of her. 

MY THOUGHTS

LOVE OF MY LIVES is a fun, lighthearted read that would be perfect for the beach. The plot is interesting and unique, and the author added a lot of great descriptive and background information about Puerto Rico. It made me want to book a flight to see the beauty for myself. 

However, I would have liked to feel a deeper connection between Madi and the main love interest. Their relationship just didn't feel believable to me. There were also a few events that seemed too far fetched and a few others that didn't really add anything to the story. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable read that could use another round of editing. 

I'd recommend to readers looking for a fun travel romance, as well as fans of soul mates, magical realism, and instalove. 

OVERALL RATING: ❤️❤️❤️

*A big thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.  

BOOKS READ IN 2020

Ann, Jewel E - Dawn of Forever (Jack & Jill, #3)

Ann, Jewel E - End of Day (Jack & Jill, #1)

Ann, Jewel E - Middle of Knight (Jack & Jill, #2)

Ann, Jewel E - Out of Love

Bennett, Jenn - The Anatomical Shape of a Heart

Bennett, Sawyer - Wicked Need

Bennett, Sawyer - Wicked Ride

Black, Shayla - Decadent

Blake, Kendare - Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns, #1)

Blake, Kendare - One Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns, #2)

Booth, Ainsley - Booty Call

Brandy, M - Fake It 'Til You Break It

Bree, J - Just Drop Out (Hannaford Prep, #1)

Bree, J - Make Your Move (Hannaford Prep, #2)

Brody, Jessica - In Some Other Life

Bromberg, K - Driven

Buxbaum, Julie - Admission

Callahan, Maureen - American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century

Chance, Logan - Taken

Christy, Samantha - Catching Caden

Christy, Samantha - Stone Rules

Cole, Fiona - Liar

Cole, Fiona - Teacher

Cole, Fiona - Voyeur

Danan, Rosie - The Roommate

Darling, Giana - The Affair

Davis, Siobhan - Rebellion (The Sainthood, #2)

Davis, Siobhan - Resurrection (The Sainthood, #1)

Douglas, Penelope - Credence

Evans, Katy - Million Dollar Marriage

Fantome, Stylo - Degradation (The Kane Trilogy, #1)

Fantome, Stylo - Reparation (The Kane Trilogy, #3)

Fantome, Stylo - Separation (The Kane Trilogy, #2)

Fisher, Tarryn - The Wives

Frazier, TM - Pike (The Pawn Duet, #1)

Geissinger, JT - Beautifully Cruel

Godwin, Pam - Dark Notes 

Godwin, Pam - One is a Promise (Tangled Lies, #1)

Godwin, Pam - Two is a Lie (Tangled Lies, #2)

Grey, RS - Doctor Dearest

Guinn, Jeff - The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple

Harris, Rachel - The Fine Art of Pretending

Harrison, Ava - Corrupt Kingdom

Hart, Callie - Dirty (Dirty Nasty Freaks, #1)

Hart, Callie - The Rebel of Raleigh High (Raleigh Rebels, #1)

Hart, Callie - Revenge at Raleigh High (Raleigh Rebels, #2)

Hart, Callie - Riot House

Hebert, Cambria - #Nerd (Hashtag, #1)

Hughes, Maya - Shameless King

Hunting, Helena - Pucked (Pucked, #1)

Huntington, Parker S - Asher Black

Huntington, Parker S - Devious Lies

Jin-sung, Jang - Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee 

Kent, Rina - Deviant King (Royal Elite, #1)

Kent, Saffron A - My Darling Arrow

Kent, Saffron A - The Unrequited

Layne, Lauren - Good Girl

Layne, Lauren - Irresistibly Yours

Lori, Danielle - The Sweetest Oblivion

Maas, Sarah J - A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns & Roses, #2)

Maas, Sarah J - A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns & Roses, #1)

Maas, Sarah J - A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns & Roses, #3)

Madden-Mills, Ilsa - Dear Ava

Madden-Mills, Ilsa - Dirty English

Madden-Mills, Ilsa - I Promise You

Madden-Mills, Ilsa - Not My Romeo

Madden-Mills, Ilsa - The Revenge Pact

Martins, Melanie - Blossom in Winter (Blossom in Winter, #1)

McGinniss, Joe - Fatal Vision

Meyer, Stephenie - Midnight Sun

Mills, Emma - Famous in a Small Town

Ney, Sara - The Teaching Hours

O'Leary, Beth - The Flatshare

O'Roark, Elizabeth - Across Eternity (Parallel, #4)

O'Roark, Elizabeth - Across Time (Parallel, #3)

O'Roark, Elizabeth - Intersect (Parallel, #2)

O'Roark, Elizabeth - Parallel (Parallel, #1)

O'Roark, Elizabeth - Waking Olivia

Pennington, Jessica - Meet Me at Midnight

Phoenix, Red - Brie's Submission (4-6)

Rae, Harloe - Ask Me Why

Rae, Harloe - Gent

Rayven, Leisa - Bad Romeo

Reid, BB - Fear Me

Reid, BB - The Moth and the Flame (When Rivals Play, #2)

Reid, BB - The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play, #1)

Reilly, Cora - Sweet Temptation

Renshaw, Winter - The Cruelest Stranger

Renshaw, Winter - Hate the Game

Renshaw, Winter - Trillion

Reynolds, Aurora Rose - Until November

Ried, B.B. - Fear Me

Ritchie, Krista - Whatever It Takes (Bad Reputation Duet, #1)

Ritchie, Krista - Wherever You Are (Bad Reputation Duet, #2)

Rose, Charleigh - Rewrite the Stars

Rose, Emery - Sweet Chaos

Rose, Emery - Wilder Love

Rowe, Lauren - Bad Liar (The Reed Rivers Trilogy, #1)

Ryan, Kendall - Hitched

Ryan, Lexi - Spinning Out

Salinger, JD - Franny and Zooey

Scarlett, R - Filthy Gods (American Gods, #0.5)

Shen, LJ - Angry God (All Saints High, #3)

Shen, LJ - The Hunter (Boston Belles, #1)

Shen, LJ - Playing with Fire

Shen, LJ - Sparrow

Shen, LJ - The Villain (Boston Belles, #2)

Sheridan, Mia - Becoming Calder

Sheridan, Mia - Finding Eden

Sheridan, Mia - Leo

Silver, Josie - The Two Lives of Lydia Bird

Sloane, Nikki - The Pool Boy

Sloane, Nikki - The Redemption (Filthy Rich Americans, #4)

Smoak, Ivy - Temptation (The Hunted, #1)

Stewart, Kate - Drive 

Stewart, Kate - Exodus (The Ravenhood, #2)

Stewart, Kate - Flock (The Ravenhood, #1)

Stewart, Kate - The Guy on the Left

Stewart, Kate - Someone Else's Ocean

Taraborrelli, J Randy - The Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline, and the New Generation

Thomas, Steve - JonBenet: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation

Tijan - Anti-Stepbrother

Tijan - Enemies

Ward, JR - Dark Lover

Ward, Penelope - Just One Year

Warren, Skye - The Knight (Endgame, #2)

Warren, Skye - The Pawn (Endgame, #1)

White, Lily - Treachery

Wibberley, Emily - Time of Our Lives

Wilder, Jasinda - Door One (The Black Room, #1)

Wilder, Jasinda - Door Two (The Black Room, #2)

Wilder, Jasinda - Door Three (The Black Room, #3)

Wilder, Jasinda - Door Four (The Black Room, #4)

Wilder, Jasinda - Door Five (The Black Room, #5)

Wilder, Jasinda - Door Six (The Black Room, #6)

Wilder, Jasinda - Door Seven (The Black Room, #7)

Wilder, Jasinda - Door Eight (The Black Room, #8)

Van Dyken, Rachel - Ruthless Princess (Mafia Royals, #1)

DO NOT RECOMMEND

#Nerd - Cambria Hebert

The Affair - Giana Darling

Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven

Blossom in Winter by Melanie Martins

Booty Call by Ainsley Booth

Deviant King by Rina Kent

Shameless King by Maya Hughes

Temptation by Ivy Smoak

Time of Our Lives by Emily Wibberley

Treachery by Lily White

ON THE DARKER SIDE

Dark Notes by Pam Godwin

Dirty by Callie Hart

The Endgame series by Skye Warren

The Kane Trilogy by Stylo Fantome

Pike by T.M. Frazier

Raleigh Rebels by Callie Hart

The Sainthood trilogy by Siobhan Davis

When Rivals Play by T.M. Frazier

XXX

(minus the dark subject matter)

The Black Room series by Jasinda Wilder

Credence by Penelope Douglas

Decadent by Shayla Black

The Pool Boy by Nikki Sloane

The Redemption by Nikki Sloane

The Voyeur series by Fiona Cole

Wicked Need by Sawyer Bennett

Wicked Ride by Sawyer Bennett

FEELS

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

I Promise You by Isla Madden-Mills

Meet Me at Midnight by Jessica Pennington

The Revenge Pact by Isla Madden-Mills

The Roommate by Rosie Danan

MY BEST OF 2020 LIST

(the books I've read in 2020 -- not necessarily published in 2020)

A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy by Sarah J. Maas

Dark Notes by Pam Godwin

Devious Lies by Parker S. Huntington

I Promise You by Isla Madden-Mills

The Jack & Jill trilogy by Jewel E. Ann

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

The Parallel series by Elizabeth O'Roark

The Pool Boy by Nikki Sloane

The Ravenhood duet by Kate Stewart

The Revenge Pact by Isla Madden-Mills

Riot House by Callie Hart

The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori

The Tangled Lies trilogy by Pam Godwin

Until November by Aurora Rose Reynolds

Wilder Love by Emery Rose

WHAT MADE YOUR 'BEST OF' LIST THIS YEAR?

COVER REVEAL: Tempted by Ava Harrison

Cover Designer: Hang Le
Model: Joseph Cannata

Release Date: January 4, 2021

Unemployed. Check.

Zero prospects. Check.

An eviction notice in hand. Check.

Life in shambles? Check. Check. Check.

Desperate to avoid living on my sister's couch, I took a job in the one place I shouldn't.

That's where I first saw him.

Drew Lawson.

Elusive bad boy.

Owner of the hottest club in the city.

And apparently my new boss.

Temptation comes in many forms.

For me, it's the way he looks at me.

The way he feels.

He's my addiction.

My secret.

I know I should keep my distance.

I could lose everything--even myself.

But I can't.

And neither can he.

Meet Ava

Ava Harrison is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author. When she's not journaling her life, you can find her window shopping, cooking dinner for her family, or curled up on her couch reading a book.

Connect with Ava

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Facebook | Facebook Group | Instagram | Twitter | Bookbub | Book+Main | Newsletter

For text updates, text HARRISON to 313131

 

BLOG TOUR & BOOK REVIEW: The Pool Boy by Nikki Sloane

From USA Today bestselling author Nikki Sloane comes a sexy, edgy new standalone in the Nashville Neighborhood series.

BOOK BLURB

Nothing says happy birthday like catching your husband in a compromising position with his boss. 

His male boss.

Why, hello, midlife crisis.

I'm starting over, but this time I'm doing it right.

Or at least I'm doing what I want.

Taking the day off from work to hang out poolside?

Yup.

Do I leave the swimsuit in my house?

Sure.

Does my very hot, twenty-something pool boy happen to catch me naked?

Oh, yeah, he does. And he likes what he sees... a lot.

My best friend keeps telling me to have a fling and get back out there.

But I'm not so sure she meant for me to do it with her son.

EXCERPT

Troy Osbourne came once a week to service both my pool and the freestanding spa. I'd hired him last year to handle closing and covering the pool for the winter, then reopening it for me last month, and the weekly visits that followed had kept the water crystal clear and the pH perfectly balanced.

My pool had never looked so good.

But Troy always came when I was at work and let himself in through the gate at the side of my fence, so I had completely forgotten his schedule. He must have gone behind the pool house and inside to fetch his supplies, and when he'd rounded the corner and discovered me topless, he'd dropped everything in his arms. 

Including the long pole with the net at the end.

It was as if someone had put their foot down on the sustain pedal of a piano, only this piano played the music of time, and the moment suspended with my long, drawn out gasp.

I was topless, and he was frozen, and holy shit, he's my best friend's twenty-four-year-old son.

It burst from my lips in horror. "Oh, f*ck!"

In my panic, I grasped at my towel to cover myself, only to struggle, hopelessly, since it was pinned beneath my body. I leapt to my feet and yanked the terrycloth up, pressing it over my naked chest.

Troy still hadn't moved. His lips were open, as if he'd planned to say something, but now he was frozen and unable to do anything. I couldn't see his eyes behind his mirrored Aviator sunglasses, but he didn't seem to be breathing. 

So, I did what any reasonable woman would when a gorgeous almost-stranger caught her naked.

I ran.

MY THOUGHTS

Genre: Contemporary / Erotic Romance 

POV: Alternating First Person 

Tropes: Divorce, Forbidden Love, Learning to Love Again, Musicians, Reverse Age Gap, Work Relationships

Overall: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Character Development: 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

Steam Factor: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I've said it before and I'll say it again -- Nikki Sloane never disappoints. I've read every book, novella, and short story she's ever published, and every book, novella, and short story has been nothing short of spectacular. 

THE POOL BOY strikes the perfect balance between steamy and heartfelt moments.

It's the perfect mix of sweetness and filth.

At the age of 42, Erika is in the best shape of her life. So, she doesn't understand why her husband's sex drive seems to be fading. That is until she catches him cheating.  

Meanwhile...

At the age of 24, Troy is stuck working for his stepdad's construction company. It's one of a few jobs, actually -- he also teaches a class at the gym, cleans the pool for Ms. Erika, and performs at local dive bars on the weekends.  

Troy has harbored a crush on Erika for years but realistically knows he doesn't have a shot with his mom's best friend.

CUE: TROY'S FANTASY COMES TO LIFE

"His mouth was the same as his singing voice.

Gentle one second and full of commanding power the next."

FINAL TAKE

Like THE DOCTOR (the first book in the the Nashville Neighborhood series), THE POOL BOY is a fun, steamy, quick read. It should come as no surprise that I loved it, as I love everything Nikki Sloane writes. She can write a sex scene like nobody's business; they are always super hot and never a touch cringe. This is no easy feat, but Sloane somehow manages it every time. THE POOL BOY is the perfect summer read!

Download THE POOL BOY today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/39TKob6

Apple Books:https://apple.co/2BTlM5t

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2Xm61LU

Kobo:https://bit.ly/2XnDmGm

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2Pm5tBy

USA TODAY bestselling author Nikki Sloane landed in graphic design after her careers as a waitress, a screenwriter, and a ballroom dance instructor fell through. For eight years, she worked for a design firm in that extremely tall, black, and tiered building in Chicago that went through an unfortunate name change during her time there.

Now she lives in Kentucky, is married and has two sons. She is a three-time Romance Writers of America RITA Finalist, a Passionate Plume winner, a two-time HOLT Medallion finalist, and couldn't be happier that people enjoy reading her sexy words.

CONNECT WITH NIKKI

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1SbBUyM

Facebook: http://bit.ly/NikkiSloaneFB

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AuthorNSloane

Instagram: http://bit.ly/NikkiSloaneIG

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/NikkiSloanneBB

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/NikkiSloaneBB

Join her mailing list: https://www.nikkisloane.com/newsletter

*A big thank you to the author and her PR group for granting me the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own personal opinions and have been written in my own words.

BOOK REVIEW: The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Tiffy and Leon share a flat.
Tiffy and Leon share a bed.
Tiffy and Leon have never met.

Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they’re crazy, but it’s the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy’s at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.

But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven’t met yet, they’re about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window.

MY SYNOPSIS

When Tiffy (short for Tiffany) breaks up with her boyfriend, he understandably wants her to find another place to live but her choices are limited.

Tiffy earns diddlysquat at her job working for a craft and hobby magazine. On top of that, she owes her ex-bf a bit of back pay on rent. She loves her job and doesn't want to quit, but neither can she afford to pay for a London flat by herself. Enter Leon's advert.

Leon is as a palliative care nurse at a hospice facility, but he needs extra income to take care of a family matter. Because it isn't really feasible for Leon to obtain a second job, as he works the higher paid overnight shift, he decides the best option is to procure a flat mate. This solution seems easy enough, as he'll occupy the flat when his roommate is working and he stays with his girlfriend on the weekend anyway. 

"I have a feeling Tiffy becomes 'our girl' easily -- she's the sort of person distant relatives and absent neighbors still like to claim credit for."

Leon's new flat mate is friendly, loquacious, goofy, and tons of FUN. Tiffy's bubbly personality, tall stature (six feet!), and funky outfits grab the attention of everyone around her. Leon, on the other hand, is kind, stoic, and likes to keep to himself. He's not a man of many words, and he often settles for the status quo to avoid change. In other words, Tiffy and Leon are polar opposites!

When Tiffy moves into the flat, they find creative ways to communicate and soon realize they've found an unexpected ally in each other.

MY TAKE

"There's more emotion here than at an airport arrivals lounge.
Love Actually was missing a trick."

Leon and Tiffy are utterly charming, adorable, and unique. In fact, unique is the perfect word to describe this book.

The plot is unique.

The characters are unique.

The writing format is unique.

Even their jobs are unique.

And, that's what really tipped the scales and made it a real winner for me. It's always refreshing to find a book with a unique storyline, especially when it comes to romance novels. 

MY RATING

OVERALL: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 👥👥👥👥👥

STORYLINE: 📚📚📚📚📚

COVER REVEAL: The Hunter by L.J. Shen

Boston's debauched elite is going up in flames, and it's the Fitzpatrick family that set it on fire. 

The Hunter, an all-new dazzling and delicious contemporary romance from USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen is coming May 11th and I have the stunning cover!

HUNTER

I didn't mean to star in a sex tape, okay? 

It was just one of those unexplainable things.

Like Stonehenge, Police Academy 2, and morning glory clouds. 

It just happened.

Now my ball-busting father is sentencing me to six months of celibacy, sobriety, and morbid boredom under the roof of Boston's nerdiest girl alive, Sailor Brennan.

The virginal archer is supposed to babysit my ass while I learn to take my place in Royal Pipelines, my family's oil company.

Little does she know, that's not the only pipe I'll be laying...

SAILOR

I didn't want this gig, okay?

But the deal was too sweet to walk away from.

I needed the public endorsement; Hunter needed a nanny.

Besides, what's six months in the grand scheme of things?

It's not like I'm in danger of falling in love with the appallingly gorgeous, charismatic gazillionaire who happens to be one of Boston's most eligible bachelors.

No. I will remain immune to Hunter Fitzpatrick's charm.

Even at the cost of losing everything I have.

Even at the cost of burning down his kingdom.

Add THE HUNTER to Goodreads >>> http://bit.ly/2Qav11R

Be notified FIRST when The Hunter is live >>> http://bit.ly/36MnmAQ

Cover Designer: Lori Jackson

Photographer: Michelle Lancaster

Cover Model: Chase Chase Mattson

About L.J. Shen

L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post, and Amazon #1 best-selling author of contemporary, New Adult, and YA romance. Her books have been sold in twenty different countries. She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.

Connect with L.J. Shen >>> Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest

Stay up to date with L.J. Shen by signing up for her mailing list >>> http://bit.ly/36MnmAQ

Website >>> http://www.authorljshen.com/