Claus and Effect

Claus and Effect by Piper Rayne Website | Twitter | Instagram Publication Date: November 14, 2023 Publisher: Indie Pages: 253 ISBN: 9798887142371 Genre: Romance | Contemporary Source: ARC Add to Goodreads

Synopsis: Tessa and Tre are complete opposites. Tre is trying to get home to Portland to see his family for Christmas. Tessa has no family but sets off across the US in the hopes of finding true love and her forever family. When a series of mishaps put a wrench into their plans, the duo are forced to rent a car together in the hopes of driving to Portland. It seems like everything that can go wrong does or maybe it’s just the universe working to keep these two together long enough so they go from strangers to lovers.

Review: I love a cheesy holiday romance! Toss in a strangers-to-lovers trope and a road trip to get home for the holidays, and I am hooked. I could see this playing out in my head like a Hallmark Christmas movie and there were a lot of hilarious parts that made me chuckle.

What I liked the most: I loved the witty banter between the main characters. Tessa was a very lovable character. It was impossible not to root for her and wish for that happy ever after.

What I didn’t like: The ending felt very rushed. It started with the scene of them together in Portland at the hotel and then sped up fast. I wish it was a bit slower with more details and background. It seemed to take forever to get to Portland but then suddenly when they made it, everything went fast.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Ciao, Bella

Ciao, Bella (Love Always, #3) by Belinda Mary Website | Twitter | Instagram Publication Date: November 01, 2023 Publisher: H&J Publishing Pages: 261 ISBN: 9780645694246 Genre: Romance | Contemporary Source: ARC Add to Goodreads

Synopsis: Bella is in search of new adventures so she moves from her small town in Italy to Melbourne, where her brother is. When she shows up at her brother's house to surprise him, she finds out that he is away on vacation and instead, she is left alone with his grumpy roommate Daniel.

Daniel is still grieving the death of his mother and has no interest in romance or dating. Scared to let anyone get too close to him for fear that they too will leave, he puts up walls to keep Bella at a distance but she is determined to make Daniel like her and break down those walls.

Review: I was so excited when this book was announced! I loved the first two books in the series (though these can all be read as stand-alones) and I couldn’t wait to dive into Bella and Daniel’s story.

I loved both of these characters. Bella is a ball of sunshine who just radiates happiness and joy wherever she goes. She wants to experience everything the world has to offer. And then there is Daniel. Oh sweet broken Daniel. I couldn’t help but have so much affection and empathy for him. I just wanted to wrap him up in a hug and tell him everything was going to be okay. He has no surviving family members but finds refuge in his friendship group and then with Bella’s family.

This book also mentions Formula 1 racing several times. Everyone that knows me knows that I am a huge F1 fan, specifically Ferrari, and seeing as Bella is from Italy, she is a die-hard Ferrari fan as well. I loved the references and discussions around the sport and laughed at Bella yelling at the TV during a race. That part felt 100% relatable.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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