[28] Technically Yours by Denise Williams
Fiction / Romance / Multicultural & Interracial, saw at a bookstore, audio
Synopsis: When Pearl Harris becomes acting director of a coding nonprofit rocked by scandal, the last person she expects to see on the board is Cord Matthews – the man she hasn’t stopped thinking about in seven years. As old sparks reignite, their growing connection threatens to complicate both Pearl’s career and Cord’s no-strings rule.
Review: Meh. I appreciated what the author was going for – a strong, capable female lead who prioritizes her family and career over romance – but it didn’t land for me. The focus on the nonprofit storyline dragged, and the flashbacks to Pearl and Cord’s initial connection didn’t spark much interest. Overall, it felt slow, with a strange and frustrating dark moment that left me more annoyed than invested.
Recommend? No
[29] Follow Me by Elizabeth Rose Quinn
Fiction / Psychological, saw on Amazon ad, Kindle
Synopsis: A year after her twin sister Chiara vanished during a mom-fluencer retreat, Adrienne Shaw is done waiting for answers. Determined to find the truth, she goes undercover at the same remote, cult-like influencer ranch in Northern California. As she digs deeper, Adrienne must keep up the facade while uncovering dark secrets, before the too-perfect women running the retreat realize she’s not one of them.
Review: What a random pick for me – but I was surprisingly into it! The whole book is dripping with snark (love it!), and I had to find out what happened to Chiara. I was especially impressed with how the author got me to totally turn on Adrienne. At first, through Chiara’s eyes, she comes off like a complete trainwreck. But by the end I was absolutely rooting for her! And holy cow, those mom-fluencers are CRAZY.
Recommend? Sure!
[30] Leather & Lark (The Ruinous Love Trilogy #2) by Brynne Weaver
Fiction / Romance / New Adult, Part 2 in the series, audio
Synopsis: Contract killer Lachlan Kane wants out of the underworld, and indie pop star Lark Montague wants to convince her family that Lachlan isn’t behind their family’s murders, since Lachlan’s brother is married to her best friend. Her solution is a fake marriage and a contract deal that ends with him retired. Lachlan and Lark can’t stand each other, until sparks start flying and the line between fake and real begins to blur.
Review: This is a “dark romance,” and Lachlan and Lark are both killers and they’re being hunted. I was anxious the entire time I listened to it because I kept waiting for the killer to finally catch up with Lachlan and Lark. It was entertaining overall though. I enjoyed listening to Lachlan’s Irish accent, liked Lark’s sass, and believed in the connection between them. There were some annoying parts – like me not remembering the first book enough to get that these were two “new” characters until chapter 3 (that’s on me), and the cheesy laughing they did anytime it was mentioned a character laughed (gawd, make it stop), and having to listen to Lark sing her songs. So while I recommend it on audio (especially since they voice their characters for the entire book, not just their chapters), get ready for some cringe moments.
Recommend? Yes
