You’re my I.T.

By C. N. Holmberg

If you’re looking for a cute nerdy non traditional romance then this is it!

Synopsis

The first guy Blaine ever confessed her feelings to dismissed her. The second made her friendless. The third, a viral internet sensation.

And Blaine is praying the fourth will be different.

After two years of pining for the aloof and secretly hilarious IT guy at work, roller-derby-warrior Blaine creates a master plan: after Lysander returns from his transfer in California, she’s going to spill everything. And why not? She’s got a killer undercut, thighs of steel, and shares his love for superheroes. In her book, they’re a match made in heaven.

Lysander has enough self-esteem to fill a thimble and has always struggled with his place in the world. When his father has a health scare, Lysander takes charge of his own, and consequentially loses fifty pounds. Suddenly the people around him think he’s worth his space—especially the women. And when Lysander fishes the literally shallow waters of dating and returns with a girl on his arm, Blaine fears she may have lost her chance with him entirely.

Thoughts

This book was really cute. The characters felt genuine and real. They definitely weren’t your typical romance couple. Blaine plays roller derby and Lysander loves Dungeons and Dragons. Nerds of the reading world unite!

I really liked the slow burn friends to lovers in this one. They were vulnerable, but still strong. There was also an emphasis on body positivity that I really liked. Lysander leaves and comes back with a bit of makeover, he loses some weight, and the focus on his mental health was a really important conversation. The struggles he faced were spot on.

I also really enjoyed the descriptions of the office jobs. I think being a technical writer would be an interesting job. The workplace banter was fun and I always love an office romance.

This is the perfect fun summer read that is absolutely adorable. Nerds fall in love too and when they do it’s utterly heartwarming.

Happy Reading

Xoxo Tricia

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

If National Treasure were a Wild West film then it would be called Something Wilder. Lily runs a fake treasure hunting business with her friend Nicole, they take city kids on the adventure of their dreams, horseback with no cell phones out in the wilds of Utah.

The daughter of famous treasure Hunter, Duke Wilder, Lily has a past full of adventure, but after her father’s death she is left struggling to make ends meet with her small business. When Leo shows up with a group of his friends to be her next client she is thrown back into their past reliving the hurt and love they shared.

What follows is a series of twists and hilarious turns that made me swoon. The rekindled love between Lily and Leo was a slow burn romance that had every inch of sweetness my heart needed. Lily is tough, rough, and doesn’t let anyone boss her around while Leo is sweet, smart and surprisingly the exact opposite of her.

The side characters in this story were some of my favorites. Nicole is Lily’s friend and business partner and she packs a punch, literally. Her tough and funny personality gave this story some much needed comic relief. Things get pretty intense as their fake search for treasure turns into a real life and death hunt for lost gold.

Duke Wilder left behind a treasure hunt that includes puzzles and codes galore. I couldn’t get enough of the mystery in this story. It was mystery adventure meets romance and I need more of it. The reveal was perfect and the unexpected love story between Lily and her father gave this book some serious heart.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy, I already preordered my own physical copy to reread and tab. Something Wilder comes out May 17, 2022 and you need it! I’ll be shouting from the roof tops about this one for quite a while.

Happy Reading

Xoxo Tricia

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

Overall this book was a cute love story. I thought the two main characters were sweet. Kahi was a great male character who was learning his way around a relationship while Esme was a bit naive and I just couldn’t root for her the way the author wanted us to.

I did appreciate the representation of autism. Kahi was a great character and I felt his anguish and struggles. His character ARC was amazing! I was really rooting for him, and it made me appreciate the struggles someone with autism might face on a daily basis.

The story takes place over the summer so the romance moves fast. It started out slow which I wanted, but soon snowballed into Instalove. It’s a fast read which is nice, I think it would be a great summer vacation book. I gave it 3 stars, cute but not my favorite love story.

I received an eArc of this book from First to Read for my review. All my opinions are my own.

Synopsis

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.