Barbara Rachel's Reviews

I loved this book. ⭐️ Overall Impression ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ 🔍 ADD Ease Of Focus: 🔍 🔍 🔍 🔍 🌶️ Spice Level: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️  🌶️ 🖤 Darkness Level: 0/5 🎤 Audio Quality 🎤 🎤 🎤 🎤  📝My review: Ethan and Taylor have immediate chemistry complicated by forced proximity, forbidden romance and both MC’s have a background of hurt, Ethan from losing his marriage to his ex’s career ambitions and Taylor from neglectful parents.  What I ❤️ This is such a sweet romance, the chemistry between the 2 MC’s is off the chain. It was spicier than expected and most surprising was the adult ADD rep. It was so on point and accurate — especially behaviors that in the past were attributed to being space or unfocused.  What I 💔👎🏻 The narration on the audio was a little too fast. Had to re-listen to most chapters. 📗 📗 🏷️ Tropes: Forced Proximity, Forbidden Romance, Love at First Sight, Age Gap 📗 📗 #IAmAnUnapologeticNerd #ADDFriendlyBookReviews #BookLoverAndReviewer #ADDisMySuperpowe...

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace My rating: 5 of 5 stars really enjoyed I really liked reading this book—it was highly entertaining with tons of humor, had hockey, steamy romance, what more could I want?  It was very spicy so if that’s not your thing, this book is probably not for you, but I really enjoyed it. The struggles that each of the main characters went through was really engaging. One thing I didn’t like was that Robbie and Bobby had such similar names — I would get confused as to who we were talking about. But maybe that was just me. Otherwise— loved it.  One trigger warning: body dysmorphia and body shaming. Also to know: it is the 1st in a 3 book series. 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 🏒 #sportyRomCom #CharactersThatNeedThearpy #ContemporaryRomance #HockeyRomance

 I loved this series. I had read Conventionally Yours and I remembered I really enjoyed reading it but I forgot how addictive Annabeth Albert’s writing is! She writes so seamlessly—all I can say is #goals to that. These MM military romances are not for those that like a modest story — these books have an extra spicy 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ content level. I read a book a day until I was done with the entire series and if you enjoy MM romance, I highly recommend these books. Each book touches on issues with sensitive topics including PTSD, so be sure to read the content warnings in the introductions. #🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈  I read the entire series in a few days. 🌶️  — 5 alarm spice — do not read if you do not enjoy explicit intimacy  🏷️ trigger warning: PTSD #ContemporaryRomance #romcom #ExMilitaryRomance #LGBTQ+ #ExtraSpicyRomCom

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...

  Another page-turner from Savannah Lee - I could not put this book down. It helped that I was anticipating book two in the Clover Pack Series since the moment I finished Midnight Mated.   Book two finds half-ling (shifter-fae) Rowan learning more about herself and her past - and becoming more powerful in the process. No spoilers here but if you are back to find out if the romance between Rowan and the brooding shifter Callan is going to progress - you will not be disappointed. The story delves more deeply into the faerie realm and there are more character introductions along the way. It was fast paced with in-depth world building while keeping the action moving on the conflict between Rowan and her enemies.  The book was entertaining, spicy, and I definitely recommend it and the series. I particularly appreciate a fantasy romance that is not so complicated with overblown world building that I cannot keep track of who is who. It is just the right balance of telling the st...

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake My rating: 4 of 5 stars A repressed and anxious interior designer falls for the lead carpenter/client’s granddaughter in this sapphic tale of enemies to lovers. The second in a series (the first of which I have not read yet/ADHD oops), this very steamy FF Romance was an enjoyable read overall. Both MC’s are jettisoned from horrible breakups which were very steeped in the drama, and I was totally here for it, TBH. It did seem that the backstory of why it was hard for Astrid to come to accept her feelings did drag on a bit. Also the other MC, Jordan, has a twin, Simon, who was a bit underdeveloped and just came off as an annoying side character whose motivations I did not really understand. Overall it was a fun read, with a few twists and turns along the way. Both MC’s were characters I was rooting for and it is a book I would recommend. ⏰ very quick read 🌶️ very very very spicy ⚠️ mommy dearest ...

I loved this book! This was a series I read out of order, which was fine. Here we have Rosaline who is looking for an escape from her financial challenges but on her way finds romance and then love and most of all her voice. The love in question led to my favorite line, as she found “someone who cared about who she was rather than who she should be.”  I absolutely recommend this book. There were so many hilarious moments that had me replaying the audible to listen through it again. There were, as I have come to expect from Alexis Hall, some quite serious moments as well. All in all, it was funny, heartwarming and thought provoking.  The audible was ready by Fiona Hardingham, who was fantastic. ⏰ listened to in 1 week but also kept replaying parts i enjoyed (which was multiple) 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ fairly explicit. At first basic sex but also some more authentic moments of intimacy. Well written for sure. It was a fair amount but not unpleasant, except the scene described below.  ...

  First of all, I did receive this ARC for free, and I am submitting this review voluntarily. I really enjoyed reading this book! The characters were intriguing - on first glance I thought I had all the MC’s figured out, however, there were many layers to each as well as plot twists and surprises. It was really entertaining getting to know each of the characters and how it was all going to turn out. The outcome was not a given, and I really could not put it down for the last half of the book. The sex scenes were well written (and very spicy) - sometimes when reading peoples work, it seems there’s so many euphemisms it’s kind of hard to tell what’s going on. This was all very clear and full of passion without being garish. So well done. One of the MC’s, (Jacob), his inner dialogue was so identifiable, he made me laugh out loud so many times.  Again, I really could not put this down the last half of the book and definitely recommend it. Just know that the sex scenes are explicit...

Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall My rating: 5 of 5 stars So this will tell you more about me and about some of the people in my life, but I really loved this book. Paris presents as a whiny prat as he is full of anxiety. Or more like ANXIETY. I see him. I get it. I also see why some reviewers found this book exhausting and Paris unbearable as a MC but as someone with ADHD and Anxiety, among other things, I was just wondering how Alexis Hall saw into my teenage/20 something brain. In fairness, it may be exhausting to read about but it is more exhausting to live with it for sure. The self doubt, the anxieties, the what if’s, the imposter syndrome, not getting social cues, the inability to communicate in a way that makes relationships work and healthy. I felt all of it as someone who has lived all of it.  From this perspective I found this book so relatable, and I laughed out loud so many times. Mostly because I have learned to...

The Emma Project by Sonali Dev My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews The last of the Rajes books (#4) and….I loved this book. Here again we have a Jane Austen retelling, this time of Emma, and rather than an enemies to lovers story, we have a friends to friends-with-benefits to....maybe-we-are-something-more. This book ticked all the boxes for me. Once again, Dev brings back characters from other books but seen through the eyes of the featured characters, and not always in the most flattering light.  In an overarching way, putting all the books characters together, it is interesting to see the real-life difference between how I may see and experience the world around me from my own perspective compared to how others may see and perceive me. Going back to this particular story, I will not say it is the truest to the original Austen retelling, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It went from slow burn to extra spicy about m...

 First of all, let me say I did receive this ARC for free; I am writing a review voluntarily. Okay, to get right to it, I really enjoyed this book! Our protagonist may have been down on her luck, but it has made her stronger than she knows and I enjoyed her wit and sarcasm, both of which are a cover for a deeply loyal person (once trust is earned).  The descriptions of transformation - shifting, heightened senses - were very well written - it was almost like being there.  I appreciate being able to visualize the scene and the characters in this way, especially the fantastical and magical aspects of the story. (#ADHDreaderandreviewer) Some of the dialogue, however, seemed clipped or rushed and I wished for some more of the eloquence put into the prose.   🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ The intimacy scenes are very spicy and had some different aspects - without giving anything away - that I found surprising. Nothing over the top, by my standards, but I will not be recommendinnng this to ...

This 3rd installment has been my absolute favorite of the Rajes series. This one was much closer to the spirit and plot of the original Jane Austen tale. In a modern twist - as has been previously discussed in the first 2 books - so if you have not read them spoiler here - the main male character is a survivor of a sexual assault. If you have not read the book, consider watching one of the mini series rather than the movie for the original flavor. . ⏰I read it in a few days despite #adhd 🌶️Spice level is low. I mean there is virtually no explicit content however, the romance has plenty of steam without it. ⚠️trigger warning - history of sexual assault 🏷️ #romance #misunderstandingsleadtoDRAMA #charactersthatneedtheapy #LGBTQsideromance🌈 . . #iamanUnapologeticNerd #adhdfriendlybookreviews #bookloverandreviewer #ADHDismysuperpower

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon My rating: 4 of 5 stars 1/28/2023...First note on the audible, and I do not mean to be ageist because I am no spring chicken but does the narrator have to sound like she is an 95-year-old great-grandmother? It is really a turn off for the more intimate scenes. It is like having my mom read it to me. Ew. 3/15/2023 My G-d this book is overly long. Reading in pieces because I just cannot.  Do I need to hear every detail about every mundane life activity? No, not really. It is like going to a 5 week family reunion. I love my family, but who would do that....? 5/22/23...Still reading and listening to the audible, #adhd style. I feel like I am doing starship logs for this review. 

Pseudo-spoilers ahead…. Okay, admittedly, at first I was confused about how this was akin to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice . It took a few chapters for me to sort out that this was being told from Darcy’s rather than Elizabeth’s perspective, in the voice of Dr Trisha Raje.  Once I sorted out who was whom, I mostly enjoyed the book. I especially was entertained by the alterations made to Wickham’s character; there is no vagueness about this particular Wickham’s motives; this one is as bad as they come. All in all I thought this captured the spirit of the original story and yet had enough originality to be engaging. This was very much a difficult-to-put-down book for me.  What I didn’t always enjoy, however, was being in Trisha’s head. She has a difficult personality that I had a hard time sympathizing with, particularly her tendency towards self pity. The one real difficulty I had with this book was the toxic relationship with her father and the gaslighting by her family. W...

Okay so, I love love love the characters - especially Nicholas Bell  - he such a wonderful messy ADHD teen angst with BIG FEELINGS character. I love how Seth and he compliment each other in all the ways. I am also totally here for this type of super hero story - diverse, queer - with supporting roles filled by cis-straight parents - may we all go live in that better universe soon. I also appreciated the way Nick has to wrestle with conflicting feelings about his father and the police, although in this universe the ***spoiler*** police are distinctly moving away from being on the hero side and moving to the villain side. It is all very no-shades-of-grey, as one expects from a Hero Genre story. I did find Nick to be a bit drawn out with his anger towards his dad, but he is in high school, so that tracks. I also felt it maybe took too long to build up to ***spoiler*** Nick’s powers and the big reveal at the end, which kind of made the prom scene and a few others more predictable becau...

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser My rating: 5 of 5 stars In short: All the claps for this book. I am (not) sorry but I would love to see more books with a mature woman lead. More please. Beyond that, I love the whole Mr. Darcy vibe I am getting here: "the curmudgeonly exterior turns out to be a loyal and dedicated love underneath it all and totally worth cracking that shell" Mr. Darcy type, not the "he broke my sister's heart and I love to hate him" type. So, it is my 2nd time reading this book and it is going to be a go-to for me when I need a reliable romance that will not let me down. I cannot quite put my finger on it but I really adore the book - well written, interesting characters and overall  it is just a new favorite of book of mine.  As I said, I absolutely am rooting for the the age demographic of the book's main characters, if I did not already make that clear. Beyond that, I love the book shop a...

Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is one book of an adorable series about a group of friends and relations whose lives intersect via the Renaissance Faire circuit. I have read each book of the series - this is the 4th instillation. The book, just as the others are, is well written and the story is sweet without being too saccharine. Just as with the other books in this series, there are plenty of laugh out loud moments. The books do contain sexual encounters, but are not overly explicit, by my standards. What I primarily enjoyed about Well Traveled, is that the main character, Louisa, has a personal internal journey that is really the focus, rather than her encounters with Dex, the love interest. She is fast approaching middle age, is very single, overworked and driven to succeed. Think of Cameron Diaz's character in The Holiday, if you have seen it. I found her (maybe a bit too) relatable and watching what happens when she...