Netgalley review: Curves For Days by Laura Moher

Summary of the book:

Alice Rose Barnes, who chooses to go by Rose, has a history of trauma that has made her wary of trusting others. She wins the lottery, which leads to a sudden influx of people trying to connect with her due to her newfound wealth. Feeling overwhelmed and unsafe, she decides to escape her old life and start fresh in Galway, NC, under a new identity.

In Galway, she manages to build a new life for herself, forming friendships and integrating into the community while keeping her lottery winnings a secret. Her interactions with the grumpy carpenter she hired to reno her new house, Angus Drummond, lead to an unexpected relationship. Angus is someone who values honesty and authenticity, which attracts Rose despite her decision to hide her millionaire status.

As the story unfolds, Angus helps Rose open up about her past trauma, and their relationship gradually evolves from initial tension to a more romantic connection. At the same time, Angus’s own challenges, particularly related to his experiences as a military veteran, are explored, adding depth to his character.

The novel addresses themes of trust, healing from past wounds, the impact of personal history on relationships, and the importance of authenticity in forming meaningful connections. The “slow burn” of their relationship suggests a realistic development of their feelings over time, while the gradual revelation of their secrets adds intrigue and emotional depth to the plot.

General Review:

This book was so amazing.  I have read other books by this publisher, and they have not hit me like his. I loved the setup. I loved the setting. I loved the main characters so much. I love the secondary characters. It was impossible for me to find major fault with this one. It is a cozy, charming read with deep issues addressed and dealt with in ways that seem realistic and sweet. Can’t wait t read more from this debut author.

Characters:

Rose’s trauma is believable and relatable.  As a plus-size woman and someone bullied in school, I found myself cheering her on so hard.  I wanted to see her move past her trauma and find the connections she was looking for. While I understood why she was so leery to disclose her lottery winnings, I knew that it would be the downfall of her relationship with Angus.  I loved Angus; he is my perfect book MMC. But Angus has some culpability here as well. He is so blinded by his own issues that he is not as forthcoming with Rose as he needs to be for her to see how important the absolute truth is to him.

As for secondary characters, I hate the ones Moher wants me to hate and love the ones that are so refreshingly kind and sweet and accepting of Rose.

Tropes and Triggers:

Slow burn, small town. Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Grumpy/sunshine, Forced Proximity

fatphobia, death, sexual assault/rape, bullying, PTSD, suicide (mentioned).

Quotes:

“Kissing Angus was… a lovely way of getting to know my sweet friend better. How can a man who could break me in half with his hands be so incredibly gentle? He tasted like… security and spice. And he held me like I was treasure. Wanted you to feel safe. Lordy.”

“There’s not a damn thing missing from you, Rosie. You’re one of the most complete people I know.”

Stars:

5

Netgalley Review: The Book Proposal by K.J. Micciche

Summary of book: Gracie Landing, a romance writer, is going through a difficult time with a recent breakup and writer’s block. To cheer herself up, she turns to alcohol and ends up emailing her high-school crush, Colin Yarmouth. To her surprise, Colin responds with a friendly and flirty message, sparking an unlikely friendship between the two. As they get to know each other, Gracie becomes inspired by Colin’s own experiences with heartbreak and with his encouragement incorporates his story into her work-in-progress. However, she has no idea that borrowing Colin’s story could have negative consequences on her life, career, and chances at finding love. How this impacts Gracie’s relationship with Colin and how her use of his story affects her writing and personal life is the crux of the story. Will she be able to navigate these challenges and find happiness, or will her actions lead to further complications?

General Review: For me, this book would have been better if there had been more of our couple and less of the secondary plots and characters. In the beginning I really didn’t like Gracie and I think that in trying to make her relatable Micciche made her a TMI mess. As the story progresses and you get less of that and more insight into her career development and Colin’s family life the better the story gets. I also wish there had been more focus on developing their relationship before they were lovers. As the story progresses you begin to root for them more and more and I really liked the third act resolution was not immediate.

Characters: Everyone is a hot mess. Gracie grows on you as the focus is less on her TMI screw ups and more on the character flaws. Colin is pitiable and pretty much from the start you want him to walk away from his friends and family. Which leads me to my biggest complaint about this book. I hated all the secondary characters. Not in the good way but in the “I wanted to skip over pages that included Dom and Colin’s Dad and the rest” kind of way.

Plot: I liked the plot of the story, struggling writer finds story with her childhood crush and it leads to romance and chaos. Literary plots are a favorite of mine, but I would have liked more of this and less flashbacks and softball.

Tropes and Triggers: Second chance (sort of), Divorce, cheating (not MCs), bullying, emetophobia warning

Quotes:
“He laughs. ‘You’re ridiculous.’
‘You love it,’ I say.
‘I just might,’ he says.”

“All I’m trying to say is that I really care about you, Gracie. I feel like I screwed up the chance to get to know you in high school, and I don’t want to screw it up now.”
“That’s the thing, Gracie.” He looks deep into my eyes. I’m hoping it never ends.”

Stars:

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC review opportunity.

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2023 Reading Challenge

2023 Reading Challenge
Carrie has read 16 books toward her goal of 365 books.
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Current Reads

Carrie's 2023 book montage

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The Proposal
The Heir Apparent's Rejected Mate
It Starts with Us
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