Barbara Rachel's Reviews

Love and Other Risky Business by Sarah Brenton My rating: 4 of 5 stars A stunt man and seamstress consider taking their friendship to the next level in this romantic comedy. The male MC is bisexual, and does represent that clearly, not as a work in which I feel I am seeing over done in contemporary romcoms lately. In addition to friends to lovers, we have forced proximity. This story was interesting as disaster strikes fairly early in the plot and I was wondering where we would go from there but it kept a great pace and storyline throughout. I was not wild about the MC best friend. He was kind of annoying. But that's okay, I don't have to like everyone. I loved the mother of the male MC -- she was by far my favorite character and the only one that felt truly ship-worthy. But overall, really enjoyed it, it took some original plot twists and turns. This was steamy, so if explicit intimacy is not your thing -- not for you. Thank you so mu...

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey My rating: 5 of 5 stars When a broken down has-been pro golfer teams with his biggest (and only) fan whose life is a total disaster, true love may be on the horizon. While it sounds like such a far-fetched concept — it really works. Fan Girl Down was a super fun read. Tessa Bailey truly is a master at what she does. If you are not familiar with her work, she is so talented at creating characters that I am absolutely cheering for. There are a bunch of classic romcom tropes here including grumpy-cheerful, edgy-innocent, forced proximity.  It is importantly to note that her books are definitely for readers comfortable with explicit material. This particular book also works in some really heavy themes such chronic illness, lack of health insurance, childhood neglect, alcohol abuse, medication rationing. And yet the book was entertaining and engaging. I really loved this book. If you do not mind extra spicy intimacy...

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft My rating: 4 of 5 stars 4 Stars! This was a bit more of a slow burn than I initially expected. In time, however, I fell in love with the story and particularly with Niamh and her journey. Arriving into a world of complex political intrigue that includes classism, racism, family secrets, and hidden attractions, Niamh at first seems so out of her depth I was worried she may not make it out unscathed. I really enjoyed how her story unfolded although at times it did feel that components of the this book were a bit borrowed from contemporary culture. In the end, however, Niamh’s path is distinctly her own. More than just romance, Niamh finds lifelong friends on her way to her (possible) happily ever after. While this is my honest review of this book, I was gifted a copy of the book, free of charge, in exchange for my review. I am thankful to Net Galley, Allison Saft and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this...

Kissing Kosher by Jean Meltzer My rating: 5 of 5 stars Avital is a worn-out family bakery manager with chronic pain who has her world turned upside down by her new hire, Ethan. Ethan, meanwhile has his own struggles as the orphaned heir to a bakery empire; he has taken a job with Avital - not to learn his way around a kitchen - but to steal a secret recipe from a rival family. What is already complicated becomes next level due to their mutual attraction.  At first, I was taken aback by the transparent description of Avital’s struggles to get from one day to the next. I read this in one day because I could not put this book down. It is a romance, between two unlikely heroes but there is so much more. There is chronic illness, emotional abuse, grief and loss. And there is marijuana. A surprising amount of discussions revolving around cannibus, that I was not expecting.  I loved this book. It was honest, painfully so at times. I laughed and smiled but...