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Practice Makes Perfect // Book Review

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About The Book
Annie Walker seeks love in her small town, Rome, Kentucky, but struggles to find the right match. Enter Will Griffin, a sexy, tattooed bodyguard tasked with helping her find love. Despite his reluctance, they embark on practice dates, blurring the lines of friendship. Annie learns that perfection isn’t necessary, only real connection.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3Uwubjs

My Rating

This book was an anticipated five-star read for me, but unfortunately, it didn’t meet my expectations, as you can see from my rating. It serves as the companion novel to Sarah Adams’s ‘When In Rome,’ which I’ve also read. This time, the story focuses on Annie, the youngest sister of Noah, the male lead in the first book, and her love story.

Annie, as the youngest Walker sibling, feels like something is missing from her life, and she believes getting married will fill that void. She seeks the help of Will Griffin, the bodyguard of Annie’s celebrity friend Amelia Rose, as her relationship tutor. While tutor-teacher romances are usually enjoyable for me, this one fell flat.

Annie as the main character is kind of average. She’s like your typical nice girl, a bit awkward, but secretly into romance novels. Will, well, he’s that classic brooding type that romance fans can’t resist. Even though their interactions were fun to read, I was hoping for a bit more depth in the romance department.

“But the thing about quiet people is, we’re only quiet because our brains are so busy overthinking everything.”

The story, similar to the first book, unfolds in the small town of Rome, Kentucky, aiming to capture the cozy atmosphere of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. It’s evident that the author took cues from the show, particularly evident in Will’s striking resemblance to Jess Mariano. And to top it off, there’s a town meeting solely devoted to hashing out Annie and Will’s relationship, much like the ones about Luke and Lorelei’s relationship in the show.

One aspect I did appreciate was the character development of Annie and Will throughout the book. Seeing them help each other grow and understand what they want in life was satisfying. However, in terms of spice level, this is mostly a closed-door romance, rating a 1/5 on the spicy scale.

Overall, my main issue was the book’s inability to keep me engaged. The story felt slow at times, making me question if the author’s writing style was for me. Nevertheless, it’s a sweet closed-door small-town romance that many readers may enjoy, even though it didn’t work for me. If the author continues the series with the other Walker sisters, I’ll likely give them a try.

Feel free to share your thoughts on the ‘When In Rome’ series in the comments. Your support by sharing and liking this post would mean a lot to me. Don’t forget to hit the follow button before you go.

Until the next chapter,
Bunny

How To Plot A Payback | Book Review

- Bunny 1 Comment

About The Book
Finn Masters, a screenwriter, lands his dream job working on the sitcom Neighbors, but there’s a catch: he’ll be working alongside Lavender Rhodes, the show’s beloved star who inadvertently ruined his acting career and relationship. Determined to exact payback, Finn plots to sabotage Lavender’s character, but when all his plans backfire spectacularly, he starts to reconsider his feelings towards the women he’s blamed for all his misfortunes.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/4d8QLHI

My Rating

The book is a fast-paced romcom that delivers on its promises. Set against the backdrop of Hollywood, it combines grumpy sunshine dynamics with the beloved enemies-to-lovers trope. Ferguson crafts a fun and engaging story that revolves around a writer and actress, bringing a touch of glamour to the narrative.

This is a dual narrative story, so we get the perspectives of both Finn and Lavender. It was interesting to view Lavender from Finn’s eyes knowing that he has held her accountable for most of his hardships in life. Especially since, in Lavender’s chapters we get to see her real personality shine through. The book is the perfect example of how people aren’t always who you think they are.

The strength of the book truly lies with Finn and Lavender, who drive the story forward with their chemistry and personal growth. Despite the lack of many side characters, the protagonists shine brightly, making the reader invested in their journey. Ferguson’s writing is fantastic, seamlessly weaving together humor, romance, and character development.

“You deserve someone who just wants to see you happy.”

Throughout the book, the connection between the main characters is palpable, and their evolving relationship keeps the reader hooked until the end. The miscommunication trope, often overused and usually irritating, is executed masterfully. The trope is used with such maturity that if more books handled it this way it wouldn’t be one of the most infuriating plot devices.

Overall, I believe that fans of Ali Hazelwood’s works will find much to enjoy in not only the storyline, but also the author’s writing style and storytelling. This is simply a delightful read from start to finish. However, this is a closed-door romance and if memory serves me, the book doesn’t go beyond kissing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and eagerly anticipate reading more from the author.

In the comments, please let me know if you have read the book. Also, I would like to thank Netgalley for letting me receive an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Don’t forget to like and share this post with other readers. If you are a fan of book reviews, hit the follow button, so that you will never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny