Sophie Reads YA: August 2023

August

August Summary

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Frenemies with Benefits

Waiting On Wednesday: Frenemies with Benefits by Lydia Sharp

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2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Borrow My Heart (Borrow My Heart #1) by Kasie West

10:00

Borrow My Heart
Series: Borrow My Heart #1
Author: Kasie West
Published June 13th 2023 by Delacorte

Goodreads Synopsis
When a girl overhears a guy getting verbally destroyed by his friends for being catfished, she jumps in to save the day—and pretends to be his online crush. A young adult romance from the critically acclaimed author of Places We've Never Been.

Wren is used to being called a control freak. She doesn’t care; sticking to the list of rules she created for herself helps her navigate life. But when a cute guy named Asher walks through the door of her neighborhood coffee shop, the rulebook goes out the window.

Asher is cute, charming . . . and being catfished by his online crush. So Wren makes an uncharacteristically impulsive decision—she pretends to be the girl he's waiting for to save him from embarrassment. Suddenly she’s fake-dating a boy she knows nothing about. And it’s . . . amazing.

It's not long before Asher has her breaking even more of her own rules. But will he forgive her when he finds out she's not who she says she is? Wren's not so sure. . . . After all, rules exist for a reason.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

After overhearing a cute boy about to be embarrassed on social media after his 'date' catfishes him, Wren does the unthinkable and pretends to be the girl he's waiting for. Wren would never do anything like that, as she has rules upon rules over who she dates, and how, but she can't stand by and see Asher be so embarrassed. But what was intended to just be a one time thing soon spirals out of control when Asher appears at the shelter she volunteers at, even at the Olive Garden she's visiting with her family. As the two spend more time together, she knows she needs to tell him the truth, but she's falling for him too much.

As soon as I saw that Kasie had another book coming out, I immediately requested it. I love her books so much, and the idea of a fake dating romance, where only one of the characters knows it's not real - at least initially - drew me in. I liked Wren, but felt like she was a bit too high strung at times. I understood why she was that way, and when we finally met her mother, she was even worse than I expected. However, the many rules that Wren had were hindering her, rather than protecting her, and it was shown in how the one time she acts impulsively, it leads to Asher. The lying to each other was hard to deal with a little, and I actually thought we'd gotten over the drama at the 2/3 mark, but then it took a turn that I really wasn't expecting. I'm glad that Wren was able to allow Asher to explain, and the scenes with the dogs were so sweet. This is part of a series apparently, and I think book 2 will probably focus on Kamala and Dale, but I'm not sure. Even so, I'll be impatiently waiting for it!

Dates Read:
May 28-29, 2023

Rating
4 Stars

2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Duke's Best Friend (The Duke's Estates #5) by Jane Ashford

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August

Stacking the Shelves: August 26th 2023

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2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Witch Is Back by Sophie H. Morgan

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The Witch Is Back
Series: None
Author: Sophie H. Morgan
Published August 15th 2023 by Mills & Boon

Goodreads Synopsis
…and she spells trouble Born a witch, Emmaline Bluewater’s days of trying to fit in are over—they ended seven years ago when the man she’d hoped to marry left town without a word. She’s much happier now, living a human life and running her own cocktail bar. Until Bastian Truenote walks through the door and announces that he wants her back! Bastian had his reasons for leaving Emma even if he can’t tell her what they are. But now a curse on his family dictates he must marry her. Yet Emma is not the meek witch he remembers, and not easily won over. Magical contracts are not easily broken but they do become even more complicated when you fall in love…
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Emmaline Bluewater may be a witch, but she's never been happier than living in a human town, working in the bar she co-owns with her best friends. When her fiancee left her 7 years ago, she was devastated and embarrassed, and no one in her home town let her forget that she wasn't enough for the perfect Bastian Truenote, especially not her mother. So seeing Bastian walking into her bar, begging her to go through with the marriage to fulfil the betrothal contract before it harms his family. Bastian knows it won't be easy to get Emma's forgiveness, no matter how important the reason he left her was, but he'd do anything to convince her to give him another chance.

I wasn't expecting to be drawn into this book as much as I was, and it's stayed with me so much since reading it. Emma and Bastian were betrothed as children, both from powerful witch families, and uniting the Bluewater and Truenote powers would be unlike anything experienced before. They had grown up as friends, something which Emma needed more than anything, due to her mother's hateful words, and treatment of her only daughter. However, Bastian discovered that the betrothal contract could cause harm to himself if he and Emma married, and not knowing who to trust, he fled, and only returned when it was clear that the contract couldn't be broken. I loved how obvious it was that Bastian cared for Emma, even loved her (though he tried to fight it), but he couldn't be open about why he left due to the magic placed on him. Emma had always been quiet, shy, and introverted, but Bastian had brought her out of his shell. She was overjoyed when she learnt they would marry, and had loved him since early childhood, so the loss of him hurt her more than anything. I do think she gave in a little soon, considering how hurt she'd been, but there were some reasons which sort of explained it. The main villain of the piece was by far and away Emma's mam, who was wicked, and cruel, and Bastian was perfect in standing up for her. Such a lovely witchy read, and Emma and Bastian's romance is one of the best I've recently read!

Dates Read:
July 21-22, 2023

Rating
4 Stars