Childhood Crush – Page 2 – The Smut Report

Holly got an ARC of Something Fabulous for herself, and Erin was like, “You got that for me, right?” Obviously, that meant we had to review this book together. It’s time for a Dueling Review!

Something Fabulous, Book #1

Erin’s Take

Heat Factor: I don’t think I’ve ever read (highly enthusiastic) rimming as the first interlude, and it was a refreshing change of pace

Character Chemistry: In its essentials, the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one. Or, rather, the rigid one is soft for the free spirited one.

Plot: A very bad proposal of marriage leads to a road trip of personal discovery

Overall: I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more, and then I sighed with happiness

Holly’s Take

Heat Factor: Unexpectedly explicit about arseholes

Character Chemistry: Utterly irritating, utterly captivated

Plot: Valentine finds himself the villain in a gothic novel

Overall: I found the silly first half a slog, but my heart went pitter-pat in the end

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Review: At Attention by Annabeth Albert (2017)

December 30, 2021December 29, 2021 Erin

Out of Uniform, Book #2

Heat Factor: It’s sexy – they get up to all kinds of things when they get some privacy – but it’s mostly yearning

Character Chemistry: Oh my word, the pining!

Plot: Widower is goaded (jealousy is such an instigator!) into helping out his bestie by letting the little brother room with his family over the summer in exchange for childcare.

Overall: This book was so charming but it was also delightfully thrilling

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Review

Review: Promising Love by Sara Ohlin (2021)

December 29, 2021December 28, 2021 Ingrid

Rescue Me, Book #3

Heat Factor: It’s pretty steamy. There’s a lot of whoopie going on.

Character Chemistry: They start out, without exaggeration, from the first page.

Plot: Lachlan has been in love with Ruby since he was 12—and when she finally makes a move, he jumps to conclusions while also dealing with shady happenings in the neighborhood.

Overall: I don’t think it’s a grumpy/sunshine, and I am gobsmacked to say that I think I don’t like flowery talk in my romance novels?

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Review

Review: The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer (2021)

November 9, 2021November 14, 2021 Holly

Heat Factor: Kisses in the snow

Character Chemistry: Soulmates, in the “you fill in my missing pieces” sense of the word

Plot: Rachel needs to write a Hanukkah romance and is feeling uninspired—so she tries to get a ticket to the Matzah Ball, a huge party being planned by none other than her first love.

Overall: I have very mixed feelings

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