8.19.2025

Audiobook Review: The Makeup Girl by Eddy Twice

The Makeup Girl: Crash On YouThe Makeup Girl: Crash On You by Eddy Twice
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ivy lost it all, her boyfriend, her home, her furniture, even her bed. And when she's forced to get a job after not having had one for a while, she lands a job at a makeup company. I found it hard to believe that Ivy just landed a job based on a friend's recommendation with no skill set at all. And to have found an apartment as quickly as she did seems to be a little unusual too.

While the banter was good in this book, I found it very difficult to keep my focus. The ending was satisfying, but was sped up so quickly that I felt like I missed some of what happened in the interim.

Bonnie Walsh and Daniel Rosenberg did an okay job with the narration.

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

View all my reviews

8.18.2025

Audiobook Review: The Code for Love by Anne Marsh

Title
: The Code for Love

Author: Anne Marsh
 
Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:
 
A software engineer convinced that algorithms and romance don’t mix takes a work road trip with her surfer-boy nemesis in this swoon-worthy enemies-to-lovers romance.

Her perfect plan has a gorgeous glitch…

Software engineer Pandora Fyffe is known for being prickly. The same can’t be said for world-famous surfer Ozzy Wylde, Pandora’s neighbor, a social media star beloved for his relaxed charm. The eight-pack abs and angelic face don’t hurt, either. Everyone likes Ozzy, while Pandora’s boss can barely remember her name.

But Pandora’s aiming to change all that with a new app that predicts a user’s ideal travel partner. Sure, there are bugs—the demo identified Ozzy as her perfect match! Now her boss wants them to take a romantic Mexican road trip filled with fake-dating posts to build their brand. At the end of it, one of them will win Pandora’s dream job.

Soon they’re rumbling through the beaches, deserts and fishing villages of Baja, letting their guards down, confessing fears, falling deeper. Nothing prepared her for sharing close quarters with the force of nature that is Ozzy—or for what will happen to her heart when the journey ends…


Review:

Pandora got fired for kissing surf god Ozzy and the face of the new campaign at work. Not a good day.

Fast forward, and Pandora sees someone climbing up the wall to the condo she lives in, and she rightfully calls the cops. But you'll never guess who was climbing the wall... Ozzy, of course.

When Pandora is in a pickle at work because of the ongoing prank war going on between her and Ozzy, he comes to her rescue and matches with her on the app she is building to find road trip buddies. Will they be able to live in a small camper van in Mexico while they try to enjoy their trip? Only time will tell.

I had a very hard time getting into this book, though I really wanted to. There was something about it that just seemed to drag on and on. And while there is an enemies to lovers trope, this seemed like an impossible gap to bridge. I give the book 3.5 stars, but have rounded up.

Mooreghan Martin read this book, and I think that's what saved the book for me. I could listen to her read just about anything.

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

************ I received this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this fact. I NEVER charge for a review.

8.17.2025

Audiobook Review: The Ex Effect by Dana Hawkins

Title
: The Ex Effect

Author: Dana Hawkins
 
Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:
 

Morgan Rose has always been the girl with the plan. Color-coded calendars, backup plans for her backup plans, and a wedding business that’s her entire world. Only one woman ever managed to derail Morgan’s organized life and shatter her heart in the process. But Morgan doesn’t think about Frankie Lee anymore.

Until Morgan meets the photographer hand-picked by her latest clients and discovers that Frankie is not miles away in New York like she thought. She's back in Spring Harbors, looking infuriatingly good, and Morgan's carefully ordered world descends into chaos.

Morgan has just 87 days to pull off the wedding of her career and she’s not going to let Frankie derail this opportunity. She will not be distracted by Frankie’s new haircut or the shadowy dips between her shoulders and biceps. And she won’t care about Frankie’s unfairly salty attitude when she left Morgan.

But some sparks never die, and as the wedding approaches and the tension between Morgan and Frankie grows, can they face up to the mistakes that pulled them apart, or risk it happening all over again?

A perfectly spiced romance about learning that the best love stories are worth fighting for… twice. The next unputdownable read for fans of Ashley Herring Blake, Alexandria Bellefleur and Haley Cass.


Review:

Second-chance romances... step aside! Dana Hawkins has given us a winner.

Morgan is type A and slightly anal retentive, but she gets her job done. When a wedding comes along that has to be ready in 87 days, she panics. She's without a venue, but she has a plan. But first, she has to meet up with the photographer for the wedding, Frankie. But little does she know, Frankie's not who Morgan is assuming; she's her ex.

Frankie, the one who got away, the one who is the barrier to getting the venue for this wedding. The owners of the property give the go ahead to start renovations, but there's one stipulation... Frankie has to be there every step of the way to approve of what's going on. And with Frankie's help, Morgan thinks she's got a chance at pulling this off.

Katie Beudert did an exceptional job narrating this book and I can say I'd love to listen to more books she reads.

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

************ I received this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this fact. I NEVER charge for a review.

8.15.2025

Audiobook ARC Review: Writing Mr. Right by Alina Khawaja

Title
: Writing Mr. Right

Author: Alina Khawaja
 
Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:
 
In this charming, delightfully original rom-com, a struggling writer’s muse suddenly comes to life, but can they create their own happily-ever-after?

Legal secretary by day, aspiring novelist by night, Ziya Khan pours herself into writing stories featuring the kinds of diverse characters she loves. In exchange, she’s got a growing pile of rejection letters. When yet another “thanks but no thanks” arrives on the eve of her thirtieth birthday, Ziya decides to throw her novel and her dreams in the trash. End of story.

Except that when Ziya wakes up, there’s a flesh-and-blood version of her muse standing in her kitchen. His name is Aashiq, and it’s his job to inspire Ziya to write again. From singing karaoke to standing up for herself at work, he’s pushing Ziya out of the sidelines and into the world, showing her how to live and love fully.

Even more impossibly, something starts to blossom between them. But as Ziya rediscovers the joy of writing, Aashiq starts to disappear. His job is almost done. And it seems soon Ziya will have to choose: Her art…or her heart?

Review:

As an author, I can relate to the problems that Ziya had in this book. She was pouring her heart out only to have people tell her that what she wrote wasn't good enough. Then the worst happened... she gave up. That is until she made an unintentional wish that brought her muse to life. And what happened next is nothing short of magic.

Aashiq, the muse, shows her that life and writing is not all about sitting down and putting pen to paper. I found such joy in this book. So many lessons that Aashiq told Ziya pertain to my life as well. So not only was this book a work of fiction, but it worked to light a fire under me in the form of a self-help book.

Then... Alina did it... she made me cry. If a book can make me cry, it is automatically a 5-star review, so Alina... thank you for providing this wonderful work of fiction and self help even if that's not how you envisioned it to be.

Mayuri Bhandari did an excellent job reading this book! <3

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

************ I received this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this fact. I NEVER charge for a review.