Review: On Dancer

On Dancer by Annabeth Albert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5*
Alexander (not Alex, he doesn't do nicknames) is a famous ballet dancer. He's been rehabbing a knee injury for the past year and it's been a slow process. He is 34 and is starting to think about what comes after as ballet and nothing else has been his life since he was a kid. Rudy is 10 years younger and works as his mother's assistant. He was there for her when she got cancer and supported her through her treatment. Rudy has had a massive crush on Alexander for forever.
They meet again when Alexander is in town to star in their small town holiday production of The Nutcracker. The local ballet company has always had a funding issue and they hope to revive interest. Rudy had good ideas about cross promoting through local schools and the local news.
Alexander definitly starts out as kinda rude. He is a bit stunted emotionally and is a bit too blunt. Their romance starts out slow, but builds. I liked the game nights with friends and realized there is more than ballet. Appreciated the epilogue too.

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Review: The Trouble with Mistletoe

The Trouble with Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Willa owns a pet shop and loves animals. Keane needs help; his aunt left him her cat. He is not a cat person.
Sweet story of 2 people who didn't have the best childhoods who fall for each other. I did like Willa letting Keane know why she was angry with him early on instead of dragging it out. I did think the friend group was too present in this one (lots of opinions). And it was frustrating in the 2nd half the whole neither one committing to a commitment.
Petunia was the best part.

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Review: Big Witch Energy

Big Witch Energy by Molly Harper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is Caroline's story. Her family is cursed; they can not leave Starfall Point for more than a day. If they do, they die. Her coven (and friends) Alice and Riley continue to figure out their shared magic. They continue to look for the "locks" that were hidden by the Wellings. Ben and his kids, Mina and Josh, are introduced.
Ben was Caroline's Big Love and she broke up with him as a teenager so he could be free to go off to college and experience life. They quickly slip back into a relationship and knowing their shared history makes it believable. His kids Mina and Josh (both teenagers) find their own abilities too. They were pretty enjoyable (and freaking awesome!). I'd be cool with a Mina and/or Josh story!
Anyway, more is learned about the Wilton curse (and origins). Things are revealed and learned. I thought the whole thing with Cole (the end of it) was abrupt (I'm assuming the authorities were notified?). Cliffhanger with Clark (the lawyer who had a bigger part in book 1 and is working for a certain family) that sets up the next book.

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Review: The Love Hypothesis

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I plan on watching the movie this weekend.
Olive is a PhD candidate who needs to convince her best friend Anh is it okay to date her ex (I use this term loosly; they went out a few times). So, that's fake a relationship! That someone is Adam, who is a professor, grumpy, hot, (and big).
I liked the STEM representation. I thought this had good banter.
I didn't care much for the professor/student relationship (I like fake dating, but not the student-teacher trope). It's also noted the Olive is demi sexual, but rather than acknowledge, except, and realize that is okay and she is who she is; it's instead presentated as "weird" and "not normal." I would have liked to see more of a discussion related to this.
For two highly intelligent people, there was also a lot of "miscommunications". I found this so frustrating and these things keep this from being rated higher. I do think the 3 is generous. And did I mention Adam is big?

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Review: In the Middle of Somewhere

In the Middle of Somewhere by Roan Parrish
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 rounded up.
Daniel is the first in his family to go to college. He also happens to be heavily tattooed, with a tough guy persona, and gay. Needless to say, his family has absolutely not been supportive of him growing up, to the point of being neglectful and emotionally abusive.
Rex is tall, shy, and lonely. He never knew his dad and growing up with a single mom, they were also moving, so he never put roots down or made friends. He mother is now deceased. His first love was murdered (that's how he came to MI, Jamie was from there).
Daniel and Rex meet when Daniel accidentally hits a dog. He is in town for a job interview at the local community college. They reconnect later once Daniel is living there as a newly minted prof.
I did enjoy this story of 2 broken people who find a connection in each other. They bring light to each's individual darkness. I did like that there was not a big "misunderstanding." Rather, they slowly learn how to communicate with each other. It's not always the best or most effective, but they do (eventually) learn from their mistakes.
I also liked the secondary characters; Daniel's best friend Ginger who did all his tattoos, Leo; a teenager they befriend in their small town, and Will; Rex's ex turned friend. Daniel also gets a surprise in regards to Colin, one of his brothers that tortmented him (probably the most).
What keeps this from being a 4 star read is it does get repetitive and rambles on at times. Daniel also reads as younger to me, but I think that could be reflective of his horrible childhood and not feeling love.

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Review: Partners in Crime

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mira is looking for a husband. Naveen is someone she first matched with, but she was worried about getting too close and hurt. So she ditched him. A handful of year later they meet again. Her aunt has died and he is the lawyer representing her will. Shocker!
The current Mira is a little but more mature and willing to admit when she was wrong, She still has fears related to her past. Her dad was a con-man, hustler. Her sister appears to be the same (or at least similar). Naveen is also more mature and has done some work on himself (went to rehab for alcoholism).
This was both romance, mystery, and action. Some individuals from Mira's past may not be really dead. Fun. I also appreciated the glimpse of Mira and Naveen a year later (and again 7 months later).

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Review: Woof at the Door

Woof at the Door by Laura Morrigan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Grace is an animal behaviorist who can also sense their thoughts/emotions.  She's always had the psychic ability and has learned how to manage it to her advantage.  She trained as a vet, but her ability made it impossible for her to practice.  She's in demand and has helped animals and their caretakers.  

She gets involved in a murder when she is called to assist with the victim's dog Jax.  Jax witnessed his owner's murder and has trauma related to that.  Jax also has to be quarantined for a period of time before he can be adopted and as a vet, Grace is able to do that.

I really liked this.  Grace and her ability.  She's has a very small circle of people (her sister and best friend) who knows about her ability and don't judge her for it.  They love her just as she is.  By the end her circle is a little larger and she is more open about "hey this is what I can do, deal with it."  (My quotes).  There may be a romance with a certain someone too; that knows what she can do and didn't handle it well when she told him, but has since realized he fucked up.  I did think the mystery, the who done it was rushed at the end.   

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