Where Fiction and Reality Meet
Title: Season's Change Series: Trade Season: Book One Author: Cait Nary Publisher: Carina Press Length: 377 Pages Category: Contemporary, Hockey Romance Rating: 2 Stars At a Glance: My lukewarm feelings for Season’s Change are, obviously, my own, and the possibility exists that if I’d read this book, say, ten years ago, my experience with it... Continue Reading →
Title: Jay's Gay Agenda Author: Jason June Publisher: HarperTeen Length: 368 Pages Category: YA/Teen Contemporary Rating: 5 Stars At a Glance: Jason June's absolute gem of a debut novel is gloriously heartwarming, genuinely sincere, and quintessentially charming from beginning to end. Reviewed By: Lisa Blurb: There’s one thing Jay Collier knows for sure—he’s a statistical... Continue Reading →
Title: Date Me, Bryson Keller Author: Kevin van Whye Publisher: Penguin/Random House Length: 336 Pages Category: Young Adult Romance At a Glance: Date Me, Bryson Keller is one of the finest Young Adult novels I've read in quite some time. It's funny, poignant, heartfelt and genuine. I loved it all the more for its honesty... Continue Reading →
Title: You Could Make a Life Author: Taylor Fitzpatrick Publisher: Self-Published Length: 202 Pages Category: Contemporary Romance, New Adult At a Glance: This New Adult romance is sincere, its emotional quotient is substantial, and the heart and humor Fitzpatrick infuses throughout is abundant. Her storytelling is so natural, never feeling forced, and her dialogue is... Continue Reading →
Title: A Boyfriend for Christmas Author: Jay Northcote Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 218 Pages Category: Contemporary, Holiday Romance At a Glance: I know tons of readers will love this one, even though it wasn’t necessarily my favorite. But, at the end of the day, A Boyfriend for Christmas is another heartwarming Christmas story from Jay... Continue Reading →
Title: We Are Lost and Found Author: Helene Dunbar Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire Length: 304 Pages Category: Young Adult At a Glance: We Are Lost and Found is not a teen romance. It is wholly character driven, deals with myriad heavy subjects that make it less than a light read, and I was so drawn in... Continue Reading →
Title: That Feeling When Series: #lovehim: Book One Author: S.M. James Publisher: May Books Length: 343 Pages Category: Young Adult Romance At a Glance: That Feeling When is a boy meets boy-boy loses boy-boy gets boy back story. It’s the parts around and in between those occurrences that make this such a sweet and angsty... Continue Reading →
Title: Out of the Shade Author: S.A. McAuley Publisher: Self-Published Length: 368 Pages Category: Contemporary At a Glance: S.A. McAuley has written an amazing, honest, touching book that you should all go and check out for yourselves! Reviewed By: Jules Blurb: The hardest battle is the fight to be yourself.... Jesse Solomona has always tried... Continue Reading →
Title: Off the Ice Series: Hat Trick: Book One Authors: Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn Narrator: Kirt Graves Publisher: Riptide Publishing Run Time: 7 hours and 53 minutes Category: Contemporary At a Glance: While the story itself may have a few flaws, Kirt Graves' narration lifted it to a whole other level and saved it... Continue Reading →
Title: Jordan vs. All the Boys Author: John Goode Publisher: Harmony Ink Press Length: 180 Pages Category: Contemporary, Teen Fiction At a Glance: I have said this before but it bears repeating: John Goode is able to tap into the emotions, fears, and dreams of teenagers like no other Young Adult novelist. Reviewed By: Sammy... Continue Reading →
Title: To Be Honest Series: #lovehim: Book Three Author: S. M. James Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 412 Pages Category: Contemporary, Teen Fiction At a Glance: While there are some problems with the story, the message it tries to convey is an important one, and the story, overall, is entertaining. Reviewed By: Sammy Blurb: Angus Reid... Continue Reading →
Title: Game Changer Author: Rachel Reid Publisher: Carina Press Length: 334 Pages Category: Contemporary At a Glance: Rachel Reid is a talented writer, and I look forward to reading more from her. This novel has some really good bones but just needed a bit more story to hold them together. Reviewed By: Sammy Blurb: New... Continue Reading →
Title: The Story of Us Author: Barbara Elsborg Publisher: Self-Published Length: 435 Pages Category: Contemporary, New Adult At a Glance: The Story of Us is a beautiful story, one that you will not be able to put down, a glorious victory of love over despair, of happiness over pain. I highly recommend it to you.... Continue Reading →
Title: Honeymoon for One Author: Keira Andrews Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 243 Pages Category: Contemporary At a Glance: Keira Andrews took a potentially sappy love story and made it a coming out/first time experience that was realistically crafted and sweetly presented. Reviewed By: Sammy Blurb: Betrayed the night before his wedding by the supposed boy... Continue Reading →
Title: Looking Forward Author: Michael Bailey Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 258 Pages Category: Contemporary At a Glance: Looking Forward is rather like two novels in one. While the second half of the book was a bit disjointed, the first half was emotionally devastating and so very well done. Reviewed By: Sammy Blurb: Owen Hannity was... Continue Reading →
Title: Hard Truths Author: Alex Whitehall Publisher: Riptide Publishing Length: 248 Pages Category: Contemporary At a Glance: Hard Truths had a solid plot that could have really been taken to the next level, emotionally, had the author chosen to knock sense into their main character long before the final chapters. Reviewed By: Sammy Blurb: Isaac... Continue Reading →
Title: The Academy Author: Quinn Anderson Publisher: Riptide Publishing Length: 366 Pages Category: Contemporary, New Adult At a Glance: The Academy was a bit muddled and slightly overworked, but I enjoyed getting to know the various characters, and the author managed to pull it off in the end. Reviewed By: Sammy Blurb: True love stabs... Continue Reading →
Title: The Second Time Around Author: Rowan McAllister Publisher: Dreamspinner Press Length: 200 Pages Category: Contemporary At a Glance: The Second Time Around will absolutely fulfill any itch a reader who is in search of a solid cowboy romance might have. It just lacked a bit of in depth character development that would have pushed... Continue Reading →
Title: Jay Bird Author: Thomas Grant Bruso Publisher: JMS Books Length: 23k Words Category: Contemporary At a Glance: Jay Bird had some very nice moments with some beautifully realistic characters and just a touch of romance, but the structural flaws in the timeline and how it affected the plot could not be easily dismissed. Reviewed... Continue Reading →
Title: Tender Mercies Series: The Men of Lancaster County: Book Two Author: Eli Easton Narrator: Will Tulin Publisher: Dreamspinner Press Run Time: 8 hours and 28 minutes Category: Contemporary At a Glance: There were so many moments in Eli Easton’s Tender Mercies that stand out when reading this novel, and I felt that most of... Continue Reading →
Title: Cinderella Boy Author: Kristina Meister Publisher: Riptide Publishing Length: 346 Pages Category: Contemporary, Teen Fiction At a Glance: This story was just gorgeous in its attempt to give a tiny window into the life that a non-binary/genderfluid person lives. Reviewed By: Sammy Blurb: Sixteen-year-old Declan is the perfect son . . . except for... Continue Reading →
Title: The Alcove Series: Lavender Shores: Book Seven Author: Rosalind Abel Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 312 Pages Category: Contemporary At a Glance: The Alcove is a sweet romance between two men who overcome a hurtful past to embrace a future full of possibilities and love. Reviewed By: Sammy Blurb: Jasper Getty is living his dream... Continue Reading →
Title: Watching and Wanting Series: Housemates: Book Four Author: Jay Northcote Narrator: Lewis Carter Publisher: Self-Published Run Time: 5 hours and 17 minutes Category: Contemporary At a Glance: I can’t say this narrator was my favorite, but there wasn’t anything in particular that bothered me. He did a good job; he is articulate and his... Continue Reading →
Title: Imperfect Match Author: Jordan Castillo Price Publisher: JCP Books Length: 162 Pages Category: Futuristic/Dystopian At a Glance: This isn’t a story of two people building a relationship; it’s the story of a man realizing he’s not imprisoned by circumstance and then constructing a new life where there’s now the potential for a relationship, and... Continue Reading →
The Novel Approach Reviews 