BookWormin'

Small-town, fake-dating, adorable banter 5 stars  Though this is book 2 of the When in Rome series, I did accidentally read this one first. And I have no regrets - this is a five star read! Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and Sarah Adams has pulled it off flawlessly in this small town romance. Annie Walker has a reputation for being the sweetest girl in town. When she’s trying to date and find the love of her life, she learns the flip side of being “sweet” - it can sometimes mean boring. Enter Will Griffin, adventure seeker and bodyguard for her soon-to-be sister-in-law (and her secret crush), who gets roped into helping her practice being her authentic self and rise above her suffocating reputation.  Annie and Will’s interactions are *chef’s kiss*. Will sees Annie for her true bold self, and Annie does the same, recognizing the vulnerability behind Will’s carefree mask. They banter and have such ease around each other that they don’t feel around anyone else and it’s ...

Young adult, contemporary,  warm & welcoming 5 stars This book is so much fun! I haven’t read many books set in Minnesota, and as a St Paul native with familiarity with the James J Hill house (which at least partially inspired the Jorgensen House), I was having such a fun time imagining the lives of the characters.  Personal connection aside, each of these characters is just so likable! Finn especially, a character who is juggling so much of not only his own issues, but taking on problems in other areas as well. I love the idea of an old mansion being a live-in historical experience and with the characters staging an authentic theater production in an effort to save the Jorgensen House, I was briefly tempted to look into acting myself. (Like Finn, however, I would struggle with memorizing lines.) Though the story focuses on Finn, I do like that we get little stories from everyone who has banded together in this production. Rather than being just names on a page, Kronzer in...

One thing I have noticed about myself is that during the second half of the year, I tend to get nostalgic and start doing a lot more re-reading, either from earlier that year or from years past. I have also noticed that I am very bad at putting ratings in Goodreads once I finish a book, so I had to read a lot of synopses to try and remember which books were my favorites from July-December. (The downside of reading so many books; I often forget what they were all about and if I enjoyed them. Oops!) Don't forget to check out my top reads of the first six months of the year here , and without further ado, let's get into the rest of the best. 5 Star Reads: July - December 2022 1. Beach Read by Emily Henry Enemies-to-lovers, because this list needs as least one book with that trope! Gus and January are just so great. They have a history from back in school and while they're not technically rivals in the literary world, they are authors living next door to each other, so there i...

Enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating, sports romance 5 stars Jasmine Santos knows she has nearly reached the end of her figure-skating career.  After  being  betrayed by her pairs partner years ago and  gaining  a  reputation  for her response, Jas is pretty much retired with nothing to show for her dedication to the sport.  So imagine her surprise when Ivan Lukov - Ivan Lukov who has won multiple championships, Ivan Lukov whose banners taunt her during practice, Ivan Lukov who she has traded  tunes  with over the years, Ivan Lukov whose family owns the complex she skates at - asks to partner with her for a year.  Jasmine has  sacrificed  a lot for figure skating, and she always gave it willingly.  But is this a step she is willing to take if it means a win for her?  And are Jas and Ivan going to be able to work  together  long enough  to  make it to the competitions? What's the point of having an i...

 Well we've made it through six months of the year, and I thought now would be a good time to share my top reads of the year so far.  Below are my 5 star reads from the past six months.  Some are re-reads, some are new to me, all were amazing!  If you would like to follow along with my reading progress, don't be shy - let's connect on Goodreads ! 5 Star Reads: January - June 2022 1. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne I loved the interplay between the characters, and the office enemies-to-lovers was such a good setting.  Very well done with  lovable  characters, amazing details, and a twist that made my heart go pitter-patter! 2. The Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert For the sake of saving space, I'll lump all three together, but make no mistake - each of these books was a five star read on  its  own.  I've re-read them all, and will do so again; they are among my all-time favorites.   The first book, Get a Life, Chloe Brown, feat...