Hi everyone! I hope your February went well! This month I read eight books, which was way more than I expected! I was reading or listening to audiobooks whenever I wasn’t at work or busy doing other projects. It was a month filled with romance books and rereads! I reread The Lightning Thief, and then after reading the new Ali Hazelwood book, Bride, I decided to reread my two favorite books of hers! I listened to A Winter in New York and most of Part of Your World on audiobook. And read two books from my Winter TBR. I thoroughly enjoyed every book I read this month with almost every book having a 4.5 or 5 star rating! For my February Mini Review, I’m reviewing three romance books! Honestly, this post is mostly about Ali Hazelwood’s books!

Synopsis: “Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again. Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was…. Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she’s ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.” (goodreads.com)

Anything Ali Hazelwood writes, I will read! To be honest, I didn’t even fully know what this book was about before I bought it. And let me tell you, this book was the perfect paranormal spicy romance! Vampyres, Werewolves, an arranged marriage, forced proximity, enemies to lovers; it has it all! It is an omega verse story, which I knew of, but had to look up more about it while I was reading the book. I don’t think this book is for everyone, but I highly enjoyed it and loved the romance and the Vampyre/Werewolf storyline! If you want to give this book a read, maybe check out what the omega verse is, or just go in blind like I did because I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book!

Playlist listened to on Spotify: bride – ali hazelwood

Synopsis: “As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships, but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding… six-pack abs. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.” (goodreads.com)

I love this book!! This is one of the books that got me into spicy romance books. Plus it ignited my love of Ali Hazelwood’s books! I loooveee the fake dating troupe because usually, they end up catching real feelings and it’s so cute! The spicy scenes are also a plus! If you’re looking for a fake dating, grumpy sunshine, academic science romance, I highly recommend this book and to be honest, all of Ali Hazelwood’s books!

Playlist listened to on Spotify: the love hypothesis

If you’d like to read my review of Love, Theoretically check out my June Mini Review from 2023.

Synopsis: “After a wild bet, a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, and cuddling with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable. While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people. Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?” (goodreads.com)

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the storyline and the storybook feel. This is the first book I’ve read by Abby Jimenez. After I finished it I knew I wanted to read more by her, so I went to the library to borrow Yours Truly! I know pretty much every romance book is predictable in the sense that the two main characters make it work and end up together. However, I honestly didn’t know how it was going to happen in this book and it kept me hooked! I absolutely loved the ending and how Alexis and Daniel’s story came together! I also enjoyed how the spicy scenes were written. It starts with closed-door scenes, but then as their relationship progresses so do the scenes. Otherwise, there would have been a lot of spicy scenes, which I don’t mind, but I loved this storyline so much that I’m glad it was written that way!

TW: emotional and physical abuse

I mostly listened to this book on audiobook, so there is no playlist recommendation.

I hope you enjoyed my February Mini Review! Leave me a comment below if you’ve read any of these books! What did you read in February? Check out the Books category on my home page for more book reviews and recommendations. Please give me a follow on Instagram or Facebook to stay updated about when I post! I’ve been consistently posting on Instagram with new reels and growing what has now become a bookstagram! I’m absolutely loving it and would love for you to check it out! As always, thank you for your continued support!

Take care and stay safe,

Renée