The Love Dare by Abiola Bello

Welcome Back, Booklovers! At this point I've read a few Abiola Bello books and The Love Dare was the one that intrigued me most with a mention of Notting Hill Carnival in the synopsis. And I'll say Ms. Bello has surprised me by improving every book so keep reading for my review of what I think is her best romance yet. 

Eva has been playing the flirtation game with Jayden for awhile now but he still hasn't made any real moves. During Notting Hill Carnival her friends get her to dance with a random guy and she meets Saint, a cute quiet comic book junkie. Later after a party ends with her father's car getting wrecked, her friend dares her to get Saint to fall in love with her and she'll give her the money for the car. 

This one had the right balance of teen drama sprinkled in with the budding romance. It was evenly paced, the teens felt like real people rather than tropes to fit the story.  Eva is quite confident and an extrovert which was refreshing in a sea of quiet bookish girl main characters. Then you have Saint who is a gamer and an avid comic reader. He's very laid back and comfortable in his own skin. Saint and Eva have great chemistry and there's a callback that Love in Winter Wonderland readers will enjoy. There's a distinct cast of characters from Eva's friends from school to her older brother to her Gran. 

The romance slowly developed outside of the initial Carnival premise and there was a good representation of Black British culture on display without over explaining to the audience. With Love in Winter Wonderland it felt like the Bello was trying too hard to appeal to the US YA market and not enough of the uniqueness of Black British teen life was on display which was something she remedied in Only for the Holidays. In The Love Dare it finally felt like she found the right voice and style in this easy flowing romance. I listened to the audiobook which had a narrator who captured the vibes perfectly. 

My Thoughts About Book Events

Since this has been a hot button discussion on social media this year with book events not delivering what they promised, newer events popping up, our worsening economy I've had a lot of discussions with author friends and reader friends alike.

I saw a discussion on Threads recently that I felt was misconstrued asking if some of these book festivals are just a money grab or if people are actually trying to curate experiences outside of author signings and panels. When it comes to my favorite authors I watch/listen to/read many of their interviews. And often they get asked the same questions over and over again. There's only so many times you can make the same answer sound fresh. And to my authors of color the questions they are asked usually center around diversity. So what are the people planning these events doing to constantly bring fresh discussions and perspectives to these spaces? Are the activities apart of the festival in any way connected to the books or are they just the activities that everyone else is doing at their festival?

Let's talk about the COSTS. It's important to note there's a difference between the free to attend book festivals that are filled with many locals vs the larger ticketed events. These book events are not cheap. If you don't live in a major city near an airport those costs increase even more. And these tickets are usually sold a year in advance and often sell out quickly. So attendees have to decide is this book festival that they want to attend giving them the most for their money. Are their enough activities that create a unique experience to justify day passes costs, transportation costs, food and drink costs, and miscellaneous purchases? Because those costs can easily run someone upwards of thousands of dollars.

As someone who prefers more personal experience, if I'm going to spend thousands of dollars on a book event I would rather spend it on a more intimate reading retreat where I have the chance to connect with other readers or writers. And it doesn't necessarily have to be people with people who read exactly like me either. I went on a reading retreat with people who came from different countries and backgrounds and sometimes we still send messages to each other to this day. Some of us have even been able to meet with each other after the retreat. 

I've spoken with authors who have said much of the traveling they've done to promote their book has been paid for themselves. Even those with a big publisher behind them have to opt out of events when they're publisher isn't willing to cover the costs. Which is why sometimes you'll only see your faves come to the bigger cities and more popular events.

Some festivals stagger releasing the names of the authors attending and what types of panels are being offered which also makes it hard to decide whether to buy tickets or not when the tickets for some events are in high demand and sell out immediately. 

Is the main focus of the festivals just panels and book signings? What should repeat attendees look forward to? What is it about this festival that separates it from the main others that also feature similar lineups? Is there any type of local presence/involvement? How are the festival planners including local authors and vendors in the mix? 

As we continue to see mass layoffs and a struggling job market it will be interesting to see if some of the events last. Especially with creators saying these events haven't generated a profit for them yet to balance off the spending. As someone who used to work in events I'd love to see people rewarded for their labor. If a ticketed event is not generating profit it's not going to be a long running event because eventually the costs to put on the event will be too much.

Ultimately it's up to the individual person to decide person to decide which events are worth their wild. A pro-tip I've been given is to find events close by and attend those first. Or to find events held in places you're interested in visiting and exploring. That way if the event sucks at least you have backup plans.

Love Spells Trouble by Nia Davenport

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I haven't been reading as much YA this year so It was very interesting to pick up a YA contemporary for the first time in awhile. I received Love Spells Trouble from Bloomsbury, keep reading for my review.

Cayden is a teen who lives a relatively normal life in Texas. She volunteers at an animal shelter and at her father's bakery. Lately business has been slow and other businesses in the area have been pushed out.  Cayden is also a witch but because her mother married a human they aren't attached to witch society which is fine by Caden. That is until one day she meets Khy Carter, who is basically royalty in Coven society. When being spotted together on a date leads to a flood of new patrons at her father's bakery, Cayden decides to fake date Khy to bring publicity to an event she and her cousin Mercedes are organizing.

The coven system is comparable to a magical version of sororities and fraternities that wield political power. Most of the conversation around them centers on classism. Magic is present but light here. Cayden is spunky and knows how to hold her own. Khy is a sweet guy and understanding guy who I would've loved to see a little more personality from but they do have an easy chemistry from the start. The magical aspect could've been explored more. While the witches are present readers are told little about their powers. The message about the importance of family and community is echoed throughout this book. A quick read, this is perfect for the fans of paranormal rom-coms rather than the fantasy romance crowd.

Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell by Taj McCoy

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Sometimes you preorder a book, are super excited to read it then it ends up on your shelf not being read for a few years. Such was the case with Savvy Sheldon Feels As Hell. But with the excitement surrounding the upcoming movie I decided to finally open my copy.

Savvanah "Savvy" Sheldon works a high-stress job and has a high-maintenance boyfriend. She also helps contribute to her grandmother's former home that her uncle currently lives in. While Savvy is trying to balance it all her boyfriend decides she's too fat for him and doesn't represent his perfect trophy wife. Her breaks up with her and it's the push she needs to finally make a change. She wants to show him much better off she is without him starting with achieving her revenge body by making some lifestyle changes. She starts taking tennis again, a sport she loved in her younger years. She cuts her hair off despite her mother's objections, gets a new wardrobe, and vows to eat healthier. 

While she's working on a new Savvy, her home is in need of some renovations and she discovers the cute guy she's seen around the neighborhood is actually a contractor. As Savvy starts to bond with Spencer she starts to see what a relationship looks like with a man who loves her "flaws" and all. Over time as she rebuilds her confidence she becomes less concerned with revenge bodies and getting back at her ex and more excepting of herself.

Savvy has a great set of girlfriends who are supportive and ready to kick someone's ass for her when necessary. Her love of food shines on page as she shares recipes and special meals with friends and family. It's one of many hobbies she spent less time on trying to achieve her career goals and decided to reembrace. 

Some of the more repetitive scenes could've been cut down like the play by plays of the fitness classes Savvy was taking. Initial scenes provided some comic relief but some scenes could've been condensed. The foodies will love that Savvy's love language is food and there's food mentions in here to rival a food magazine. 

At it's core this is a story about a woman's self-love journey with some romance splashed in. And it's a light read that will make for a breezy adaptation. 

Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria

Welcome Back, Booklovers! The Primas of Power series has come to an end. I read You Had Me at Hola back when it first came out in 2020 which feels like forever ago but not long ago at the same time. Along Came Amor is the final book in the series and it's been a few years since the last release.

Ava Rodriguez, is a school teacher and a divorcee who comes from a big family that puts a lot of pressure on her. In her family's mind she's the responsible one and peacemaker. But this year she's decided to embrace the New Ava. New Ava is open to new experiences and a one night stand while away on a conference is a very new experience for her. When she meets Roman Vazquez, a CEO who recently acquired the hotel she's staying at, she decides to let loose for the first time since her divorce. And she does her best to keep a no strings attached situation going until she finds out Roman is friends with Ashton, her cousin's soon to be husband. With both of them in the same wedding party it's hard to keep what's between them under wraps especially since Ava isn't sure how to define it for herself.

As with the other books in this series there's plenty of interaction between the primas as they prepare for Jasmine's wedding. Ava's family is lot and she often finds herself feeling like the odd one out when it comes to her father and stepmother. Her recent divorce hit her extended family hard because her husband's family became intertwined with hers. So there's a lot of insecurity she's working through and readers see her learning to assert herself. 

Alexis Daria shines when it comes to very sensual scenes with a great blend of dirty talk and loving caresses. Roman has money and he likes to spend it on the people he cares about most so there's a few times he goes above and beyond for Ava including a fun trip to Puerto Rico. 

This time in the series there's not story within a story element like the last two books but you don't even realize it's missing because the book feels like its own story rather than a copy of the previous books. A little lengthy there were some repetitive chapters that could've been trimmed towards the end but this is a fitting conclusion to the series to wrap up the Prima's adventures.