"This is a risk. The idea of loving him, of losing him, scares me to death But living safe hasn't made me happy. Hasn't brought me joy. We're on the path. Now we have to keep going. Day by day. Step by step. That's how we'll climb the mountain. That's how we'll get to the top."

GENRE: Romance RATING: 4.75/5 FORMAT: eBook Arc Tropes: Grumpy x Sunshine, Found Family, Only one Tenet, City Girl x Country Boy, Dislike to Lovers

Review: If you've been around for a while, you know I love grumpy x sunshine and the reason is that we get to see beneath BOTH of these type of personalities. While they're both on the opposite end of personality types, they stem from the same thing: hiding the vulnerabilities of who we are and eventually, really, it becomes who we are.

Walk this Way focuses on both Angus and Rowan as they meet during their hike that they both need as a breather from life and just stepping away from everything else. These two individuals are looking to heal in this walk set in the highlands in Scotland with beautiful views.

We dive deep in this book in a lot of themes, including grief, mental health, struggling to fit in and accepting who you are and finding your place in the world. There is also discussion of family, how they shape us and how unconditional love may not be so unconditional or at least, it never truly feels that way.

The author does an amazing job of diving into these themes, showing us how heavy some things are in life and how we cope with them. Some of us (Rowan) cope by putting up a front, wearing clothes that are bright and trying to bring them brightness into our lives through that means. Others (Angus) go back home and reclaim the space we always called home, while trying to make it our own.

Essentially, this is a journey of two characters finding each other, learning more about themselves and making their way back to each other when they are both ready, rather than rushing into it. I think it was a lovely book and the fact that it's set in Scotland is a bonus point with a Scottish hiking trip and beautiful description of the Highlands. Oh and the found family/friends they make along the way? So wholesome! I think we get a little insight into all of their lives in a way that doesnt take anything out of Angus & Rowan's story and I enjoyed that so much!

Thank you to the author for the Arc copy in the exchange for my honest opinion.

"To those readers, I simply say, look closer. The path to happily ever after is rarely a straight line. And every love story - no matter how predictable - is always earned."

GENRE: Romance RATING: 4.25/5 FORMAT: eBook Arc Tropes: This one is in the book cover as given by the title (love this!)

Review: Tropesick was an interesting (in the best of ways) read, one that is filled with emotions and sadness. I'll admit it definitely broke my heart and fixed it, only to have it broken again throughout reading the book.

This is a SAD Romance with a HEA. It's sad because it's true, love stories aren't always easy. Not everyone finds their person and hits it off immediately without life getting in the way and oh, how life got in the way for these two. When it's time to try again, it's difficult because giving anyone a second chance is like saying to them that actually, hey, you hurt me so much the first time but I love you so wholeheartedly that I'll give you another chance so please don't hurt me again

Both Katie and Tyler are hurt and broken from the past, from losing someone close to them and the aftermath of it all. Katie, dressed in all colourful and glitter, is trying so hard to hold it all together and pretending to be normal. She's struggling with grief, loss and so much more after losing her brother. Meanwhile Tyler, who lost his best friend (Katie's brother), has to continue to face his inner demons and we all know those never rest and let us breathe.

And when they come together to ghostwrite for Meredith Bradford? Oh, the sparks that fly. The way they start to be vulnerable and learn who they are again while healing from their past.

There's a lot of emotional heaviness in Tropesick, it's worth ensuring you're in the right headspace before you dive into it and checking the trigger warnings for this book but what's a little Romance and love story if it doesnt hurt in the process, especially if it has a little bit of magic in it?

I will say that while I really enjoyed reading the story, I think the main thing that brought the rating down a bit for me was that the connections between the tropes, the story that Katie & Tyler were writing and their own story was a bit all over the place. We have dual-pov, timeline jumps and two stories happening at once so it was a tad bit a lot at times to keep up but it was a well worth journey at the end of it, to see how their love story folded out.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy in the exchange for my honest opinion.

"In a world without discernment, in the attempt to give everything a chance, you could die without tasting chocolate. I was not sorry."

GENRE: Lit Fic/Romance RATING: 5/5 FORMAT: eBook Arc

Overall Impression: WHAT A BOOK!!! This is the type of book that will linger long after I've finished it, as it breaks down in my head in the best of ways.

Review: WHAT A BOOK!!!! Okay, I repeat, what a book.

Bad Words is a tale in which we have two different people who come together with all the intentions of hating one another and we watch it blossom into a love story. It's a story in which we meet Parker, the chronic people pleaser as he argues with Selina, our critic who wants to preserve art, criticism and staying honest to oneself.

This book delivers a commentary on two different parts of the Book world: an author and a critic while being witty, funny and just bluntly honest about the reasons humans do the things we do. It shows how criticism is important, and yet with the world we live in today, everyone can comment on anything that's been said and done.

At the same time, Bad Words dives into what it means to be a human and to want to be loved. It delves into the fact that Parker, a people pleaser and a peace chaser, has never felt seen before Selina. He goes through life with a way of fitting in between people, wanting to be loved AND yet, when all is said and done, he cant help but feel that he did a disservice to himself. This results in him realising that people never understood his work and the themes he wanted to deliver with his book.

Selina defies this by sticking to her principles, by being that one corner in the literature world that is honest. There was a beauty in her perspective, the way she loved what she did and was honest to it. The way that she wouldn't sacrifice this just to appeal to people or more accurately, to please them.

We also dive into the affect of social media and how, at all times, if something goes wrong or viral, everyone is going to have an input and without barriers in place, you can get stuck in there and never come out of it. None of us can ever truly know the people we interact with on social media and more importantly, we get to see that anyone who writes (Authors, critics...etc.) put their soul into their work but the interpretation of it is left upon us readers to look into.

I dont know if this review can do justice to how much I enjoyed this book, how I flew through it and how funny yet powerful & emotional it was. Its a beautiful blend of Literary fiction with Romance together in a way that shows us all we really want is someone to rise up to who we are and to see us truly rather than someone who wishes to change us.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy in the exchange for my honest opinion.