Where I Left Off
Welcome to Where I Left Off, a bookish podcast. I'm your host, Kristen Bahls. Join me to hear my recommendations of a mix of young adult, new adult, romance, mystery, and thriller novels.
In each episode, I dive into the intricate worlds crafted by talented authors, exploring the characters, plots, and the emotions that make you want to throw your television out the window, because we both know the book is always better than the movie. Whether you carry a book everywhere you go and already have your own Bookstagram, or are just trying to make your Goodreads goal, Where I Left Off is the podcast for you.
From heartwarming romances to spine-tingling mysteries, I cover it all. Sometimes, I'll delve deep into a single novel, and other times, I'm filling your TBR with multiple reads.
Join me biweekly for new episodes.
Where I Left Off
Sports Romance Recs (Closed Door) with MaKayla
Thanks to MaKayla, known as @Makslibrary for joining me to talk about sport's romance.
Kristen's Picks:
- Desire or Defense by Leah Brunner
- The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
- The Fake Out Flex by Ash Kelly
- Best Friend Power Play by Ash Kelly
- The Crossover by Sarah Ward
- The One with the Kiss Cam by Cindy Steel
Mak's Picks:
- The Hard Way Home by CW Farnsworth and The Easy Way Out CW Farnsworth (open door)
- Rival Darling by Alexandra Moody
- Shut Out
- Nothing Like th
For links to the books discussed in this episode, click the link here to take you to the Google Doc to view the list.
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Welcome to when I Left Off a bookish podcast. I'm Kristen Balls, and today I am joined by Michaela, better known as at Max Library, on Instagram, and you've probably, if you're on Instagram, you've definitely seen us because we constantly do buddy reads and read each other's recommendations. So thank you, mac, for being on the podcast today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, of course. Thanks for having me. I'm excited.
Speaker 1:Well, we are talking about closed door sports romance and when I decided to do a whole sports romance episode, I knew I wanted to split it up and closed door and open door, so it wasn't like a weird mix of closed door and then open door. But I was like, you know, let me get someone who's actually kind of an expert and has read a lot more closed door books than me, so I thought of you first. Thank you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I read so many closed door romances specifically sports. It's my go to for sure. I love sports, it's so fun. Oh, me too, I know, don't play any sports, but we live vicariously through the books.
Speaker 1:Exactly Okay. So what are you currently reading right now and can you tell us a little bit about your whole like Kindle Unlimited journey right now?
Speaker 2:I tend to. I get Kindle Unlimited a couple of times a year just because I like to stockpile all the books I'm going to read. So then I'm not just waiting, you know, with nothing to read. So I decided to get KU and I am plowing through the books because I had a massive list, massive list, and I actually just finished a book this morning. Have not started a new one yet, not for sure what I'm starting next actually, but currently just finished Holiday Hostilities by Katie Bailey, which I want to read it.
Speaker 1:So bad, it was so good.
Speaker 2:Kristen. It was so cute, which Katie Bailey can do no wrong in my eyes. True, all of her books are just so good. I am officially caught up on her backlist now. That's a lot of books it is. There are a lot of them. It has taken me, it's taken me a hot minute, but I got through all of them and I'm a little sad now, you know, I'm just kind of like I don't have any more Katie Bailey's to read that I haven't already read. Yes, love KU. I have read many, many lately. I've read a lot of different kinds. I've read some angsty. I've read a lot of different kinds. I've read some angsty. I've read some sports. I've read some Christmas. I've read all the things, and so I'm just kind of doing all the things. I've read some of your recs, um, which is great. I have a whole list of just Kristen recs that I'm trying to get through while I have KU.
Speaker 1:But that is amazing. I have a list of Michaela recs as well. I feel like I've gotten through actually a lot of your recs.
Speaker 2:I think you have yeah, yeah, I recommend books to you all the time. I'm so sorry, the list is probably never ending no, it's good.
Speaker 1:Because then I know, like you know, whenever you've kind of gotten a couple like misses or some that just aren't quite hitting right and you're like I need something that's going to be good, then I know that if I pick a Mac rec I'm at least going to really like it. If not love it, it's going to be in one of those areas.
Speaker 2:I'm so glad there's going to come a time, Kristen, where you're going to hate something I recommend to you. I know now I'm just riding on that high that you've liked everything I've recommended so far.
Speaker 1:I like that our reading taste is very similar. That helps a lot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that does help a lot. Generally, I think we, because our taste is the same. A lot of things even you recommend to me. I'm like, yeah, that's a good time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I enjoy that We'll see how the Cruel Prince goes. I kind of feel like I'm going to like it. I don't know why I feel like I'm going to like it, but I do. But, like I said, I've heard people either love it or they hate it, like I've had just as many people tell me you have to read it as they've said I hated this series.
Speaker 2:I don't, I don't like it. No, I. Maybe I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I feel like I need to give it another shot. I'm genuinely curious to know what you think about it, though, because if you also hate it, I may not give it another shot, because in my mind, we have similar tastes. So if I really didn't like it and you really don't like it, it may not be worth my time, but some of my best friends it's like their favorite series, and it's every time it gets brought up. I'm like oh, not a battle I'm choosing to fight.
Speaker 1:I have a couple books like that for sure, and I mean, can anything really compare to shatter me? No, it can't never it shouldn't even try.
Speaker 2:I know that'll always be and it's a very specific audience, for sure. But gosh, I love that series with my whole heart, truly. I know you got me into it.
Speaker 2:I know I'm so sorry I sucked you into the world that is shatter me. I think that's the cool thing about it the world building. You literally get like sucked into it. It just feels like you're reading it and it's an experience. You know, not all books are like that. That's a good way to describe it. Yeah, it's like a whole experience. When I'm reading those books, I'm going on an adventure.
Speaker 1:I agree and, again, like it was one of those things where I read the first one and I thought I don't know, but Michaela said I need to keep reading it, so I'm just gonna give it a shot, and then it really got good. So if you didn't have someone to tell you, hey, you need to keep reading. I feel like that's why a lot of people, if they stopped that series, I feel like it's in the first or second book that they stopped. It's not as if they got to the third and said not for me most people don't go past the first one and I get it.
Speaker 2:The first one's rough, um, and it's kind of depressing. You know not the vibe you're like. Am I really going into this kind of series? But it does get better. But if you don't have someone to tell you that, like I had someone to tell me that and I told you that, but some people don't have that, and so really unfortunate, really unfortunate well, even with uh, better than the movies.
Speaker 1:I wasn't into it for probably the first 50 pages and had you not told me to a tandem read those extra bonus chapters of wes's pov, yeah, and that it was going to get better, I probably would have just dnf'd it and thought I don't think this is for me. But again, someone to say this is going to get better and this is how you need to read it is just life-changing.
Speaker 2:It makes all the difference. The first part of Better Than the Movies. It's a slow start. It takes a little bit. Normally when I reread I not gonna lie sometimes I start 60 pages in. That's smart Because I already know what happens.
Speaker 1:I just want to get to the good part of the story. So basically in this episode, if you don't have anyone that you can talk about closed door sports romance with, let us be those people for you. We can tell you what it's going to get good and when you need to keep reading it and if it's actually really about that sport or not so much and kind of what the good and bad things can be. Yeah, yeah, so do you want to go first or do you want me to go first?
Speaker 2:on rec number one I'll let you go first.
Speaker 1:Okay. So I kind of had to start with the Holy Grail, and I know that I might be setting myself up for failure doing it this way, but if you read closed door, if you read open door, no matter what you read, you're going to like these books door. If you read open door, no matter what you read, you're going to like these books. I have not heard of anyone who has tried this series who has not liked them. So it's hockey. A lot of the closed door suggestions, at least that I found, are hockey. So just get ready for a lot of hockey. A lot of mine are too. Sorry guys, they are, they're just hockey. So if you've been watching and you're like I don't want to read icebreaker, it's way too. I don't want to read some of these really insane hockey books, but you still kind of wanted that sports atmosphere, the hockey-ness of it all. It's a new word that I just made up. It's a good one. We love that one Exactly, then you should start with this.
Speaker 1:Okay, leah Bruner. So this series has three books. Currently she's working on book number four and then there's a prequel, so there's like a half and a half prequel before. I'm not saying I didn't like the prequel, but I didn't love it quite as much as the other. So I would recommend starting at book one and then you can go back to the prequel. If you don't have any context for the characters, I don't know that you're going to love the prequel. If you don't have any context for the characters, I don't know that you're going to love the prequel and going to want to continue the series. But yeah, but like once you get to know them, then I wanted to go back and go with the prequel.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I read the prequel after, like, I think the second book is when I read the prequel. So that's what I did too.
Speaker 1:That's exactly what I did, yeah. So that's kind of the way that we will both suggest. But it's the DC Eagle series by Leah Bruner. So first book is Desire or Defense. Second book is Flirtation or Face Off, and then third book is Betrothal or Breakaway, and the novella is called Passion or Penalty and it's this hockey team and it's different players' stories. It follows the different players, yeah, it follows the different players in each book, but you get a lot of banter, you get a lot of humor, you get a lot of steam no spice, but you do get a lot of steam, especially in Patrol or Breakaway. I felt like that was kind of a lot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I felt that way too, because I was reading it and I was like dang Leah, like this is like. I was like oh my, gosh, I agree.
Speaker 1:So now I'm really interested to see what Secret or Shutout is going to be. Is it going to be even more? Is it going to kind of take a step back?
Speaker 2:I don't know, I'm so excited for that book. I don't think you understand. I was reading Betrothal or Breakaway and I was reading it and I was like you know, I really hope that he gets his own book and then she announced it and I was like, absolutely, this is going to be great.
Speaker 1:I kind of want her to continue the series and take some of the younger guys on the team and like almost do kind of a whole Elle Kennedy situation and just do like the next generation. That would be amazing, it really would be. I should tell her to do that. You totally should?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Because I just I'm kind of sad. The series is like coming to an end, Like I've read all of them and I love the characters so much. And I think what's cool about the series itself is you see all of the characters as the books continue. You get to see the couples from the books before and you get to watch them grow and it's just the sweetest thing ever and it's like the found family of the guys and the locker room scenes which I realized.
Speaker 1:I love all the locker room scenes that she includes. She has a lot of them. But then also there's the female friendships and you get a lot of them, and then they also have a lot of different. But then also there's the female friendships and you get a lot of them, and then they also have a lot of different parties and stuff. So I feel like in this book you get as much of the girls as you do of the guys and then also their couple stories.
Speaker 1:Well, yes, yeah, I agree for sure and as far as sports, this one, yes, I feel like all of them. Maybe Patroller Breakway might be the least of all as far as like actual gameplay, but overall I feel like there are a lot of locker room scenes. There's a lot of gameplay. Leah actually does love hockey and you can tell by the way that she describes it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can just tell when you're reading it, you can tell when an author writes a hockey romance and truly loves hockey versus like hopping on the trend of writing a hockey romance.
Speaker 1:It's very, very evident in the way it's written yeah, yeah, like they'll say um stuff like hockey jersey instead of hockey sweater or stuff like that, and you're like they don't even watch hockey. But leah, you can tell that you don't know what you're talking about.
Speaker 2:I feel like I've learned so much from hockey romances Like the extent of my knowledge of hockey is from hockey romances, and what does that say about me?
Speaker 1:I know I feel like I've realized that I read more sports romance books for sports I barely know anything about than the sports that I could actually follow and understand everything that's going on Literally me I do the same thing.
Speaker 2:I'm glad it's not just me, no, it's not just you, because literally I don't know about a ton of sports. I know a ton about baseball, a little bit about basketball. I read the least sports romances about those, why?
Speaker 1:We don't know. I was gonna say you're a huge baseball fan. I'm shocked that you don't have like a million baseball recs.
Speaker 2:No well, it's hard to find good ones. I've read quite a few, a lot of them. It's like I read one. I bought one, sight unseen, you know, I just ordered it and I was like this sounds I know that's a horrible start to the story and I had been waiting to read this for so long and as I started to read it supposed to be a baseball romance and I realized how little the author knew about baseball immediately and it was one of those I was like, oh my goodness. I was like I could not wait for the book to be done, but I bought it. So I was like I feel like I need to finish it and it was still one of the worst books I've ever read, which is saying something oh, it's kind of like whenever they put teachers in books and I'm like, no, no, if you weren't no don't, yeah, because like that's like your niche thing, right, you know, like you, you understand that, so you can see through when it's like being bluffed in the writing.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, anything journalism related to. I'm like no, I can tell if you have a journalism degree or not, if your characters are journalists. There have been a lot of authors that I've actually talked to that have journalism degrees. So it's kind of funny because you can tell, and then we'll start talking about stuff or I'll start saying something and they're like wait a minute, I think you know what you're talking about. I'm like, yeah, so it's it is actually I do.
Speaker 1:So it's kind of the same thing on sports, like you can just tell if someone actually enjoys it versus they don't. So, yes, leah Bruner series, dc Eagles, that is just the creme de la creme. You're probably not going to find one as good as that.
Speaker 2:As far as, like banter found family Each book is so completely different, but you still feel like you're in the same universe.
Speaker 1:So and they're just not regurgitated stories, yeah, they're consistently good, which is really hard to find every book is great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know it's really hard to find where it's like there's not a skip on this one. Guys, what's your favorite in that series? Do you have a favorite?
Speaker 1:I really toss up between desire defense and flirt and Flirtation or Face Off because I don't know. So I actually had a friend that read it and they really liked Desire or Defense and they thought Flirtation or Face Off was okay. So it's kind of funny how I know I know the ones you're facing, that's wild, yeah. So I don't know, I go back and forth. I like them both for different reasons, like I love Andy and Mitch and kind of that brother guardian element in Desire Defense, but then I also love like in Flirtation or Face Off. Just their banter between each other is so cute.
Speaker 2:I am just a sucker for like the dating coach trope or like fake dating, like that whole concept and so easily, easily flirtation or face off, but also like Colby, I mean super solid MMC. So true yeah.
Speaker 1:And not to underestimate Ford and Amber in Patrolo Breakaway. I feel like that's one that I forget about, how much I like it. And then I started thinking about it and I'm like, oh no, now I really don't know which one's a favorite.
Speaker 2:I know that one. That one's probably my second favorite, just because I just love the whole the side of him that you get to see in that book, cause it's kind of it's different from the side you see in the other books and it's just so cute. I'm normally not a huge like single mom trope, yeah person, yep. Um, not that I have anything against it, I just typically don't go for it.
Speaker 1:Well, we don't relate to it because that's not really where we are in our life.
Speaker 2:So I think that's mainly what it is for me yeah, most of the people I know that love that trope in some way, shape or form. They at least have kids or something, so they can kind of relate. But like. For me that's more of like a like. I'll read about it, but it's not gonna be my first pick. But in that book it's just so well done and it's just so cute it is, it is.
Speaker 1:Oh, I know it's so hard to pick. Okay, I'll do one more and then I'll let you do so second this one is the cheat sheet by Sarah Adams, so this one is a little bit less about the football. It was definitely more like Sarah wanted to write a football book instead of she studied every single play and call and did a lot of gameplay. Like there's almost no gameplay in this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there weren't really specifics in this one.
Speaker 1:So it's definitely more like it's in a football atmosphere, but it's not. Actually, is the Super Bowl the only game that they're at?
Speaker 2:In the book. I think there's a few others mentioned. I don't think that we see them go to any others. Yeah, I think you're you they that we like see them go to any others though. Yeah, I think it's. I think you're right.
Speaker 1:That makes sense. But yeah, so the cheat sheet by Sarah Adams. It has fake dating which is a bonus and I think that this is probably one of the best friends to lovers I've ever read.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would say so. It's a comfort read for me. I've read it so many times. I actually read it for the very first time. I buddy read it with one of my best friends and it was. I read it and I was like this is a masterpiece, like I love this so much. Once again, I'm a sucker for sports romance, but like a really well executed friends to lovers is hard to find, this one does it so, so well.
Speaker 1:it really just oh, it's just the best and I think I found that, like I actually really like childhood friends to lovers, and that's what this it makes it more relatable, realistic something, it adds something and there's something about like they've grown up together, right, they normally know a lot more about each other and like their backgrounds.
Speaker 2:And then all of a sudden it's like, oh, these platonic lovey feelings I'm feeling are not so platonic and it is and I think that this one Okay.
Speaker 1:So a lot of people describe it as cheesy, so I would say it's definitely way cheesier than than Leah Bruner. But like cheesy in a fun way, not cheesy in a fun way, not cheesy in a bad way, like I think that this is really kind of crossing the line of cheesy done well for me. I thought it was done really well no, I agree it is.
Speaker 2:If you're looking for like an angsty read or something, this is not it. No, this is. This is like cutesy, fun. Like kristen said cheesy. That's not everyone's cup of tea.
Speaker 2:That's my cup of tea, I love that love it and I just think in this case it fits the characters really well and their personalities and so I think because of that it actually it works in their favor. You know, sometimes it's cheesy and the characters it doesn't really fit them and you're like this is weird, but they're both kind of like cheesy individuals, you know yeah, and they're self-aware.
Speaker 1:I think that's the other thing is that they're not as yeah. Yeah, they're both aware that they're kind of weirdos, you know we love that, we love that, and I feel like, okay, a, I think this needs to be a movie right now, this book, but also, yeah, it would really translate to film. Well, but that whiteboard scene, I could just see that in a movie. It was so cute. I could too.
Speaker 2:I, I think I actually I don't remember what book it was. I want to say I've read another book that had a similar scene and I was like this just doesn't do it like the cheat sheet does it. You know it's just oh, I, I just thought it was like really well written. In a way that could have been a weird scene, you know, like it could have not played out well, yeah, but the way it was written is just so freaking funny.
Speaker 1:It just every time every time and if you have not read the book. So basically what happens is the whole football team. They're making a literal cheat sheet to help nathan understand how he's going to turn his best friend brie from being in the friend zone to something more and seeing him as true boyfriend potential. So you know, they're literally in his living room with like a football whiteboard and they're planning out having a game plan yeah, they have an actual game plan slash cheat sheet of, legitimately, how he is going to win her over and it's like really funny because you just like picture it like this team of like grown men just like sitting in a living room just planning out on a whiteboard how one of them's gonna win over the girl.
Speaker 2:That's just comical. You can't act like it isn't it's just funny.
Speaker 1:It is, and I feel like I just have to point this out, because if I have a chance to talk about jamal, I'm going to take a chance to talk about jamal. He is the unsung hero of this series. Why did he not get his book? Why did sarah adams make him already married to his girlfriend? Okay, so?
Speaker 2:I actually was really confused by that because, like we could have made that into a book we could have, instead of just skimming over it. Like I wanted him to get his book to. Honestly, any of them, like they're all really funny, like I would have read any book about any of them.
Speaker 1:So I was kind of bummed about that, not gonna lie I know they all just walked in married and I'm like what is it? Well, I mean, still you could do second chance or marriage in crisis.
Speaker 2:I mean, I guess you could do like a flashback kind of. Look, you know, like it just wouldn't be like order, I don't know. It was kind of a bummer, though I was like I would have loved to see. I want to see every relationship that is formed, I want to read every page and I want to know exactly how it happened.
Speaker 1:Price all of them. There's someone else that I'm forgetting. Okay, it's Price Jamal. Nathan Derek already has his book in the rule book. There's Lawrence. Lawrence is who I'm forgetting. I always forget about Lawrence.
Speaker 2:Sorry, Lawrence, I know Poor guy it's okay For a second there. I was like who's the other one? Yeah, Forgot about him too.
Speaker 1:You haven't read the rule book, have you? I have actually.
Speaker 2:Oh, I forgot. Oh yeah, so this was. I read it over the summer while I was actually waiting for Reckless to come in, because I was like I need a filler read right now. So I didn't love it as much as the cheat sheet.
Speaker 1:I don't think anything can beat the cheat sheet, but I agree I didn't love it as much.
Speaker 2:Yeah, was it good? Yeah, I mean it was good, even the tropes not my typical cup of tea, but I'm committed to the characters. So it's like I kind of had to read. You know, kind of became a non-option second chance. Romance is iffy for me, but I feel like it was well written. Um, given I am a, I tried to avoid open door books. It's just my cup of tea, you know don't prefer them, right, and this one did. I appreciated it had the modifications in the beginning, yeah, the modifications. Um, so that was nice because I was able to read it as though it was like closed door. But I don't know, I really liked it, but I just I feel like maybe my expectations were too high because of the cheat sheet. You know, that's fair.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if jamal had his book then it would have been fine. Sorry, I just have to harp on that a little bit more. So yeah, I mean I liked again, I liked it. I really enjoyed it when I was in it, I wanted to keep reading it. I had a hard time putting it down. Was it at the? Yeah, but was it at the level of the cheat sheet? No, um, but again, this one was just, it was kind of different. Derrick and nora it was a little bit more sports heavy because she was an agent, but again, like not actual gameplay, more like the logistics behind everything it's talked about a lot more.
Speaker 2:You hear mention of sporty things, if you will, throughout the book, way more yeah.
Speaker 1:So I mean, I really enjoyed it, but was it my all-time favorite? No, but it's definitely worth a read and it does have those modifications in the beginning which I feel like a lot of people didn't know and they didn't read it because they thought that they couldn't.
Speaker 2:Yeah, which I really appreciated because, like I love Sarah Adams, I've read most of her books and so when I saw she was doing an open door book, I was like dang it. And then when she was like, heck, yeah, and I feel like that's just a really good way to maintain your audience you know what I mean, because then you can Especially in the middle of a series, I thought that was interesting. That was an interesting turn to make, considering it was like the first book was closed door. It was pretty, it was pretty steamy, but it was closed door right.
Speaker 1:And then to just shift to open door in the same series. I was like, oh choice. But you know well, I mean she did the same thing now in rome, kentucky, with uh, beg, borrow, steal. But again it has the modifications at the beginning. But whoa, whoa, that one is, it is open door. I was just a little bit taken aback because you know, you're used to her style and it is, it is spicy I feel like that series itself got progressively.
Speaker 2:It was like a stepladder, you know, because the first one was the first one wasn't winning rome, right? Yeah it was, yeah, it was okay winning rome. And then practice makes perfect. Yes, which? That one was kind of that one toggled the line that one toggled the line for sure I had recommended it to a couple friends that also read closed door and after they read it they were like whoa, that was uh and I was like, but it was still closed door by definition.
Speaker 2:It was still closed door then she stares dead, which I appreciate. It's like she was slowly adapting us, almost you know, to a new environment that is open door.
Speaker 1:But with with modifications. So you know, it's all fine as long as she includes those modifications. If she ever stopped, then I would be like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, wait.
Speaker 2:Write open door all you want. Just give me the modifications, because I love her writing and I would be so sad if she, just if I. Honestly, I would probably just have to like read and just like reach the scene and skip, you know, because I don't think I could go without reading another Sarah Adams book. I think that'd be really sad.
Speaker 1:I was gonna say, you know, I would modify it for you and I would have already read it, so it would work. I'll just be like, hey, kristen, can you read this? For me exactly, then I'll just modify it for you. I need to do that with some of the other books, but I appreciate all the mods. We could talk about modifications all day. We literally could. Okay, what is your recommendation?
Speaker 2:Oh, there's so many, I tried to narrow it down to a few. No, okay, it's so hard. So this one we I believe we both read the Hard Way Home by Charlotte Farnsworth. So this book is. It follows Caleb and Lennon. It's a baseball romance, big shocker. It is one of my favorite books. It's kind of a comfort read and I can't really identify why. I think the banter in it is something that I haven't found in a lot of other books. It is academic rivals to lovers, kind of vibes. Also kind of enemies to lovers, if you will.
Speaker 1:This one might actually be more true enemies. I think it could classify yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like they genuinely like, they really don't like each other, which makes the payoff even better. It does. Charlotte Farnsworth is. Her writing style is just my favorite. I don't know what it is. I think it's because her characters just feel very real and she writes in a way her stories are really realistic, minus there's one of them that's this whole like a princess is undercover at a college. That was a ride. I read that one and was like what is this Charlotte? What is this? But for the most part her writing is really easy to connect with and the characters, and so I love that book so much. I always recommend it to people. Baseball is not a huge part of it. It's obviously. The MMC is a part of the. Is he captain of the baseball team?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm almost positive he was the captain.
Speaker 2:I'm pretty sure he's captain of the baseball team. This is a YA, so, like high school, they're in high school. Right Spans over a couple years, but mainly their senior year. We do get a little bit of baseball action, but it's more so for theatrics. That he's on the baseball team is how I would explain it.
Speaker 1:That's a good way to put it, and Lennon knows next to nothing about baseball, and so whenever she has to interview him for the paper, she's asking him really stupid questions, that's so funny.
Speaker 2:I had to laugh because it's like you could tell Charlotte her audience. She was trying to like appease those who like baseball and those who have no clue what's happening. You know, because I have friends who read it that know not a thing about baseball and they're like, oh my gosh, I love this. And then there's me who knows quite a bit and I was like, oh my gosh, I love this. So it was just I loved the dynamic between the characters.
Speaker 2:It also has a lot of depth. I don't know if you would agree, but I feel like the characters themselves are just really there's a lot of depth to them Very multifaceted, really there's a lot of depth to them, very multifaceted. There's a like an underlying story happening there. Very angsty too, oh, very angsty. Yeah, keep, yeah, probably should have said that. No, this is not like a super cutesy fun read per se. There's a lot of drama and angst, we lots of back and forth, but it's part of a duology. So you kind of get to see some of the payoff in the second book too, which is nice.
Speaker 1:And I feel like we also need to call out that. Okay, so this book, like you said, is a duology. It's the hard way home and then the easy way out. But Charlotte is putting those two books together, publishing them as one like open door spicy book called left field Love, I think. So if you're reading Left Field Love, it's technically the same story, but you're going to get spice, whereas these are not. So we did pick right. We knew what we were talking about. It's just not the same thing.
Speaker 2:Yes, so I actually had, I think it was earlier this year. I was like I'm going to read Left Field Love because I was curious. You know was earlier this year. I was like I'm going to read left field love Cause I was curious you know is it the exact same.
Speaker 1:Oh no.
Speaker 2:And I was just flipping through just to see, just get an idea before I started, when I tell you, I flipped to the most spicy thing ever and I was like where did this come from? I was like I know this was not in the original book and so if you're wanting a more because the second book is technically open door, right, oh yeah, you're right. You're right, it is. It is, the second book in the duology is technically open door. I believe it's just one scene Could be wrong.
Speaker 1:I'm almost positive.
Speaker 2:It's one scene that sounds right, Maybe two but and they're not super there it's nothing too too crazy. But by definition it is not closed door. So if you're wanting closed door, you can read the first one. The story does complete itself. You can read it as a standalone. You just get more of the relationship in the second one. But avoid left field love.
Speaker 1:If you, uh, aren't wanting spice, fyi, learn the hard way and book two um, it's probably like more of an Emily Henry spice level, so it's really really tame and really low. So if you did feel like you wanted to skim it, it would be very skimmable without traumatizing yourself too much. Yes, yeah, I feel like that's important to call out, because if you read closed door, you're probably used to skimming open door books and also still sometimes being traumatized, and this is not going to do that to you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, it's not. It's not that bad, it's easily skimmable, skippable, and it's not like you miss the plot when you skip it, it's just kind of kind of there, so you can easily easily move past.
Speaker 1:What is your next rec?
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, I just finished this one the other day and I don't know what it was, but I loved it with every fiber of my being. Rival Darling by Alexandra Moody. This is hockey. Back to hockey. I love hockey. Yes, back to hockey. Actually, I think a couple of my other ones are also hockey. Mine are too. Mine are too. You know we love hockey around here. You know we love hockey around here. So this book is, first of all.
Speaker 2:Alexandra Moody is the author of one of my other favorite series. She writes really good YA. Her books are very rom-com-y kind of style. The characters are lovable. Like I had been waiting to read this book for so freaking long. It has been on my TBR literally since before it came out. I like I will read this book and I was not disappointed. It was so cute. It has so the tropes. It's fake dating, I would say, trying to decide. I don't know that it's not not enemies to lovers, but like, more of like she really does not like him and but he likes her and so they're trying to navigate that Right. And rival towns, rivals, so they go to rival schools. Oh, that's cool. Yeah, that's. It's a solid trope. It's not used very much, but like it should be used more. Long story short she uses him to get back at her ex be used more long story short.
Speaker 2:She uses him to get back at her ex. Ah, okay, yeah, that's where the fake dating comes in. Okay, yes, yeah, and she uses him to get back at her ex and through the fake dating, he is determined to show her that, like, because there's a lot of rumors about this guy, and he's determined to show her that he's not what everyone says he is and it is the cutest thing ever.
Speaker 1:Dang it Now. I'm going to have to add it to my TBR.
Speaker 2:It's so good. It's kind of angsty. It's relatively long I think that was one thing. I was like this could have been a little bit shorter. It felt a little dragged out, but some of the side characters really liked them. I am so excited for the other. So it's a series and it's called the Darling Devils and it follows these brothers that they're known as the Darling Devils. Their last name is Darling and they go to a school that's the Devils. And I am so excited for some of their books because, just as side characters, I loved them so much and I think that can honestly make a book for me. The side characters, if they're good, um, but yeah, this book had. It had all sorts of just like. It was cutesy, right, but there were also some themes of just like growth and healing and like all those things. And i't know, maybe I was in the right place at the right time, but this book absolutely gripped me.
Speaker 1:And is this book one in the series?
Speaker 2:Yes, this was book one. Rival Darling is book one, I believe the second one is called Grumpy Darling, but I don't believe it's out yet. I think it comes out in February, but don't quote me on that, okay good to know.
Speaker 1:Well, you just added to my tbr, so thank you, you're welcome. I, like I said, I was running out of mckayla rex so I needed to add another one. Anyway, I would do.
Speaker 2:It is very why I keep that in mind. If you're looking for like super mature read, this is not it like this is cheesy kind of high school romance thing but that's so fun. You know, I love, I love it. I just feel like you need it every once in a while. You know life is hard enough. Read a cute cheesy high school rom-com while you're at it, okay coming up with, kind of on that cute cheesy line.
Speaker 1:I cannot decide, michaela, if I think you would like this or not. I liked it so much that I want you to read it, but I don't. I can't decide if you're actually gonna like it, like if it was just me liking it for the sake of. I don't know if it just hit a chord or what. It's one of those that's like hard to tell, so okay, anyway, it is called the Fake Out Flex by Ash Kelly. This book it is. I love, love, love this. I was going to say you love this book.
Speaker 2:We've talked about this.
Speaker 1:I really love it. Yeah, it is hockey. This was actually her debut novel and, okay, this one has a lot of hockey. Book one I've read book one and book two and I'll talk about book one first, the fake out flex. It has a lot of actual hockey because Evie, the female main character, her dad is a famous hockey coach and so she grew up around hockey and she has a genuine love for hockey and she I'm trying to remember what her actual day job is. I can't remember what her day job is by the beginning, but by the ending she's by the end she's actually doing something related to hockey for, like her day job. So she, she will, literally she will tell the male main character things that he could have fixed and kind of coach that's funny, we love that trope. She is that good, like she's that into it where she gives him feedback of what she thinks that he should have fixed and she legitimately wants to be like a hockey coach, like that is how much she loves it.
Speaker 2:You don't see that trope very often.
Speaker 1:No, no. So because he's playing hockey and she loves hockey, this one is very hockey centric. You get a lot of gameplay, you get a lot of practices, locker rooms and like her even talking about like stats and details and positions and all that kind of stuff. So if you wanted like a very, very hockey book, I would say that the Fake Out Flex is definitely one for you. This one is just I mean this in the best way. It is very closed door to where it's like sweet and happy and just joyful and it's not super steamy really at all. But I kind of like like it was refreshing in a way.
Speaker 2:It just felt different, I think to just a sweet wholesome, because a book can be like closed door but it's just not that wholesome feeling. You know there, sometimes you need to read like that this one is definitely wholesome.
Speaker 1:The banter between the friend group is hilarious, her friend group. They have this whole little walking group and so as they're going on walks they talk about like issues and stuff. And one of them owns a bookstore which her story is already out. I just haven't read it yet. So there are kind of like a lot of little facets to it. But anyway, with Evie it's just, it's so good.
Speaker 1:The only thing is I'm trying not to spoil how do I not spoil these two things? There are two parts that made me a little bit like okay, if you don't like it, I think it's gonna stem from one of these two parts, but I liked the rest of it so much I just honestly did not care, disregarded it. Yeah, because he is so sweet and there's fake dating. It's brother's best friend. He comes in to like help her and the brother is hilarious. The sibling banter is hilarious. Everything about it is so funny that I loved it so much that the third act conflict is not. It's not my favorite.
Speaker 1:I don't like the way that they reacted to it felt a little bit hypocritical because they said one thing and they did another thing. But again, we're all kind of hypocritical. We're not perfect. So was it realistic? Yes. Was it frustrating? Yes. So I think that that could work. And then there's another piece that again, I can't. These are like the two most spoiler things, so I'm trying not to say what they are, but it's towards the end of the book and it's something that he does. That was supposed to be a romantic gesture, but I didn't feel like like I didn't, it didn't make sense and I didn't know why. And she hadn't said anything about liking that particular thing, and so when he did it, I was just kind of thrown off, like where did this come from? What is this actually? And I heard other people say that too. But again, everything else was so strong that I don't care. I honestly don't care. I just looked forward to being able to read it.
Speaker 2:But if you don't like it, then that would probably those two things I honestly, you kind of had me sold at brother's best friend, not gonna lie, fake dating and brother's best, that's just the best. Um, I wish that trope was done well more often, actually, because there is just something about it. There is just something about it, I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 1:I agree. I agree. It's really, really, really good. Uh, so the fake out flex by ash kelly. I feel like I have to say that one more time just to make sure that you remember the title.
Speaker 2:Make sure I understand what you need to read.
Speaker 1:Read it, yeah. And then the Best Friend Power Play is book two. So this whole story takes place in the off season and so it's about Culver's time off and he is injured, so it's a lot more about his physical therapy, him being on the off season, that kind of thing. So there's almost if not, I don't know that there's any gameplay like actual gameplay, but it's just when the first book is so hockey centric, the second book is not. But it didn't feel like weird or anything.
Speaker 2:It's just that wasn't the characters and that wasn't their relationship yeah, if it fits the characters, though I'm probably not gonna mind. Now if the author does something weird and you're like, what is this? This is not, this is not the characters. That's when I'm more likely to be like, um, what are we doing?
Speaker 1:what are we doing here? Yeah, and this one, they deny, deny, deny, deny, they deny that there's anything between them. They, they just will not. They're friends. So it's friends to lovers, always just friends. Yeah, it's friends to lovers. They are just so, they're in denial and everyone else is just like, come on and they just, they can't admit it Exactly. And Culver comes to stay with Hannah because he's been off, you know, playing hockey, and so he comes to stay with her for the summer during his off season, and so they're living, they're kind of roommates for the summer, and so, yeah, and it's friends to lovers, so it is. Yeah, it's really really cute, it's really cute.
Speaker 2:Something that's different about the roommate trope when it is friends to lovers, because it's like it took them living together to like figure out that maybe, that, maybe, maybe we're not just friends, you know, and so those are. Those are solid tropes to be used together and hannah is the guardian for her brother.
Speaker 1:So he is there and I'm pretty sure he's a teenager, if I remember correctly. So he's kind of there to keep everything pg2. So again, he's appreciate another one. Yeah, he's just another one that's kind of like to keep everything PG too. So again, he's just another one. Yeah, he's just another one. That's kind of like I think something's going on between you guys and they're like no, no, no, no, and it's like, yeah, it is yeah.
Speaker 2:I that that series is on my TBR you hyped it up. Enough for me, it's, it's, it's coming up real soon, if not the next read for me. Okay, good, yes yes, okay, awesome.
Speaker 1:The third book is out the enemy face off, I think but I haven't read it yet. I keep meaning to read it, but you know how authors they just they release so many books at once and you're trying to keep up with them and you think you're gonna read it right now and then you just you can't, so you can't. That's where I'm at. Yeah, you just have to give up and say, well, but I love Ash Kelly's writing style. She's an auto buy author for me. She's one I hadn't really heard of. I found her on Instagram, I think. So if you have not read Ash Kelly, give her a shot. It's so. She's really, really good. I like her writing.
Speaker 2:I can't wait to read it. I feel like I'm gonna love it.
Speaker 1:Okay, what is your next rec?
Speaker 2:Okay, so this is actually it's part of a series. I have read all three books in the series. I arc read two of the books. This specific book was my favorite. It is hockey again, but I've read so much hockey this year Like, genuinely, that's my most read sport, and I don't know when that shift happened because I genuinely, as of last year, said I was not a hockey romance girly and then look what happened. So now you are. Now it's all I read.
Speaker 2:But this book is Shut Out by Marie Loyal, I think is how you say it. She is a pretty small indie author and I actually came across her, I think, on like threads or something, and I was like, well, her books look good, and so I just signed up to arc read randomly and I fell in love with just her writing style and the characters and just, oh, so this book specifically, instead of going on a whole rant, this book shut out is a childhood best friends to strangers, to friends, to lovers. Oh, okay, I like that. Yes, so their childhood best friends. They grew up together, in fact, because this is the last book in the series.
Speaker 2:In the first two books you see their friendship like when they were little, and so that's super cool. But they have a misunderstanding of falling out, if you will, and they kind of just don't speak to each other for a couple years and then, as fate would have it, they run back into each other and a series of events unfolds and basically it's brooklyn and olivia, I think, is their names. It's been it's been a minute since I read this one, but his name is brooklyn. Yes, his name is brooklyn. Her name is olivia, um, olive, olivia, one of the two. That's my bad, I can't fully remember it's one of the two.
Speaker 2:Close enough, you're close enough close enough yeah, and he is trying to basically show her that he's not, he's not a bad guy, right, and trying to mend the gap between them because, like he's really missed their friendship. She really has to. But it's basically their story of you know, they went from like best friends to not knowing each other to slowly being forced to be in each other's presence again. Two slowly being forced to be in each other's presence again. And the side characters are just hilarious. Their family, olivia's family, is the funniest we see them. Obviously the other books follow her. Let's see, is it her brother? I think the second book follows her brother and then the first book follows. I want to say it's her sister. I could be wrong, but I think there's quite a bit of hockey play in this one. Actually, and because I remember thinking when I read it you can tell the author knows a decent amount about hockey based off of the amount of hockey that was in it and it was. It's kind of angsty. Her books are kind of angsty.
Speaker 1:I was going to say this sounds a little bit more like depth mature angsty.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes for sure, All of her books in this series. What is this series called For? The life of me I cannot remember.
Speaker 1:Well, it's so hard to remember both the title of the books and then also whatever the series is called.
Speaker 2:Yes, but it follows three siblings and they're obviously spaced out. Books are angsty. They are very steamy. They are very steamy, um, but they are closed door. There's quite a bit of hockey, if you like hockey, and that's kind of like the central theme. Someone in the book like genuinely plays hockey and loves it. Most of them are like trying to get into the nhl or whatever. So I I just loved the characters in this one. They were like a lot of fun. Brooklyn was very golden retriever. It was like black cat cat golden retriever. The girl's just very standoffish and he's just. You know, it was just. It was a lot of fun to read and, once again, maybe right place, right time, but I devoured this book in less than 24 hours and I was busy that day. I remember I was busy and I devoured it.
Speaker 1:This kind of sounds like the closed door version of Unsteady. To be honest, really, yeah, oh yeah, heck, yeah. Now I have to read it and Unsteady is open door. So me saying that it is very open door. I have to point that out. I give Michaela modifications and if you too want modifications, you can click the send us a text button on the show notes or you can DM me on Instagram and I will give you my modifications. So, just throwing that out there, cause I don't want you to go, unsteady, that's a closed door book, cause you mentioned it in this episode, let me read no, no, no, it's not. It's really not. You've seen? You've seen the list, michaela, you know that there are a lot of money there's and it's just like a laundry list of pages.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I think that was one of the few that you've sent me that the list was long, it was like more than like two or three, it was like an entire notes page worth of modifications that one and Face Off Face Off probably had the most.
Speaker 1:I'm pretty sure of what I've sent you by Chelsea Curto. Yeah, that one. I think that is the most modifications.
Speaker 2:I think you even said like crap, that's a lot. I think I know, I think you're right. Yeah, I was like oh, that's, that's a lot it is.
Speaker 1:Oh, that sounds really really good. Okay, you're just adding to my tbr. I know I'm so sorry. It's fine, I'm adding to yours too.
Speaker 2:So you know you're right, the tbr is never ending. The tbr just we don't even look at it most days because it's just we're how literally how I know.
Speaker 1:It's like as soon as you have something down and you feel like you're making progress in your tbr, that's when you just get 80 new books to add and you're like no, I thought that it was gonna go down, but no sometimes I just scroll instagram.
Speaker 2:I'm like, oh, that's a good book, I'll add that, I'll add that. And then I've added like 30 books in the span of 10 minutes and I'm like, oh well, that's great.
Speaker 1:I know it is really hard, and especially Instagram ads, whenever you see one that just hits and you're like I would abandon everything for this random book I saw it's this random book, just like a single sentence quote, typically, typically, you know, yeah, I've done that several times in the past couple weeks actually Like that's the one and it either goes really really well and you love it, or you absolutely hate it and it is total garbage.
Speaker 2:I was about to say the exact same thing. It's either the best thing that's ever happened to you or you regret wasting your time. It's just there's no in between ever I'm hitting you with a different sport.
Speaker 1:This time I have the crossover by sarah ward. So this is basketball and equestrian. Okay, so it's an interesting combo, okay, so. Okay, that is very interesting. Yeah, so the male main character is a basketball player. The female main character is an equestrian. They both take the same class together in college. Oh, so this is new adult. I forgot to say that this is technically new adult.
Speaker 1:They're in college and they get put in, like she wants to be a physical therapist and he's already a basketball player, so that's kind of his major is, I think, physical therapy or physical education or something of that nature. And so they get put in this class where they basically have to work out together and you get partners, and so they already kind of met before that. So they had a little bit of a meet cute. And now I'm trying to remember what happens in their meet cute. It's oh, they meet each other at the gym.
Speaker 1:They meet each other at the gym. He sees her, he thinks she's cute, he goes over to talk to her. She's like no, and so they already know each other. And then they find out that they're in the same class together and of course he sits by her. Again. It's kind of the golden retriever black cat. She's her again. It's kind of the golden retriever black cat, she's a black cat, he's a golden retriever. So then he sits by her when they're in this class and then they have workout partners and they end up being the same. She typecast him into the player role and he was, but he's not.
Speaker 1:Now he's reformed, so he's trying to prove reform yeah he's a reformed player, so he's trying to prove that that's not him, and so, anyway, they have this workout class together, they constantly have to work out, and so there's a lot of forced proximity from them being in the same class and having all these workouts and they get to look at each other and work out. It's basically like the main thing at first. So, anyway, it does have a decent amount of steam. No spice, it is. Yeah, it's closed door. I had to think about that for a second. Yes, it is, it is closed door. There's a couple things that, a couple scenes that came to my mind that I was like wait a minute, is that closed door? It is, it is, it is, it is. But, um, you know, sometimes it's hard to keep up, like once you've read it and you're done with it.
Speaker 2:yeah, when you read a lot, though it all blends together and romances tend to have a lot of the same tropes, a lot of the same tropes. And so then you're just left like which book was that in? You're like, was that this one, is that this one? And it tends to happen, especially with not spy scenes but, you know, like kisses and stuff like that a lot of them play out very similarly. So trying to remember which book that was in an actual struggle.
Speaker 1:I agree. Okay, two things I need to point out about this one. So and again I'm pointing out these things I don't care. I enjoyed them, both with the fake out, but any any slight critique I give in any of these books, I don't care. I enjoyed them so much that I put them on the list. I would read them again. So much joy.
Speaker 1:But I feel like I need to point this out because I feel like, if I don't that, you're going to read it and be like Kristen what were you thinking? Or why did you? Why this is in there. And so if I tell you I liked it, but there's this thing, then I feel like you're going to walk in prepared and it may not bug you as much, cause I would hate for you to put the book down because of these little, teeny, tiny things that really have no bearing on the book at all.
Speaker 1:But the nicknames in this are really cringy. They're so cringy and I, I just I hate that for it because the book was so joyful, I had so much joy. I was looking forward to being able to read this every night after work, so it was fantastic and I loved the book, but the the nicknames. So are you ready for this? I don't know, am I ready before, but I don't think you remember. Okay, his, it's like hard to say. Okay, his is mr basketball yeah, I'm sorry I know, I know, and hers is superwoman and it.
Speaker 1:It makes it like they give you the context for the nicknames. So when you hear the context it makes a little bit more sense of why. But they don't just slide off the tongue, you know. And more excuse for me to talk about unsteady and unsteady. He calls her gray because her eyes are gray and it's like really cute. So it's like you, you know, like a one-liner, like gray, you know, but with this the nicknames just nicknames.
Speaker 1:They took me out of it a smidge yes, they took me out of it a smidge, but the rest of the book is so good. And he is so sweet. And she literally turns him down and he decides to prove to her and, like, remain friends with her and prove why he should be her boyfriend. And it is just the sweetest thing, yes, and his POV is great and he is so kind to her. He's so sweet, he does so many things for her and he talks about, like, just how much he cares about her, so they have a really strong friendship. It's like strangers will yeah, strangers, they get off on the wrong foot to friends, to lovers, so it it's really great in every other way.
Speaker 2:But the nicknames are just oh man, they're nicknames, they're wow, that is. You know, I'm not super picky about nicknames, but sometimes you hit a nickname that just oh it, it's just not it, and that I can't think of specific instances, but I do know there have been books. I probably just like blocked it from my memory because I hated it so much.
Speaker 2:But there have been books where I'm like oh, I can't even, like I'll just skip. Like anytime I see the nickname I'm like I can't read, like I can't even envision that that is giving me the ick actively, that that is giving me the ick actively. Um, you know, sometimes the literally I just it's true. Yeah, in rival darling the nickname because she's from california originally, so he calls her sunshine and it's the sweetest thing ever.
Speaker 2:And I'm just a sucker for a cute, meaningful nickname you know that's just about their personality or, like you know, something cute about them. But some nicknames just need to not be nicknames, in my humble opinion, I know but it's hard because I'm sure that's such a personal thing like you'll probably have.
Speaker 1:Let's say, you had beta readers reading, you would probably have like five that love the nickname and five that hate the nickname, or maybe they associate something else with the nickname or maybe they were called it by an ex-boyfriend. So it's very, very subjective. Yeah, so personal yeah yeah, yeah, so don't hold that against the book.
Speaker 1:It's really good, it's really cute and it's really sweet and it's really really good yeah, it's really just the nickname, but I had to point that out because I felt like if I didn't and you got to that part, you'd be like can I trust your?
Speaker 2:recommendations. I was going to shoot you a message, Kristen. What is this Exactly? I'd?
Speaker 1:be like no, no, no, just keep going, it's fine. It's good. It's good, but yeah, so that was a crossover by Sarah Ward, and I believe that's her day. I'm almost positive that's her debut as well. That's cool. Okay, Are you ready for a final? What's your final rec? And then I'll go with my final rec, okay.
Speaker 2:So we talked about better than the movies earlier. There's a second book, nothing like the movies. It is a book that exists. Yep, it is a book that exists. Let's talk about that one. So this book if you haven't read better than the movies follows wes and liz, and they're in high school at this point. They're neighbors. There's this whole rivalry, enemies thing happening. Little do we know. There's some secret feelings being harbored and I'm trying to think was there? Oh, yeah? Yeah, we had the whole fake dating thing. Forgot about that for a for a second. I forgot that was one of the tropes. Well, that book ends happily ever after. Right, there was a sequel released called nothing like the movies. We were informed this was a second chance romance, which was automatically trauma, at least we were warned, at least we were warned.
Speaker 2:We were warned, um, but I was already scared going and knowing that, I was like, oh, I was like we got a couple pages of happily ever after and now there's a problem. So this book follows them when they're in college. Um, do you remember how far down the road it is from the end of? Better than the movies it's like okay, so years, right, she and her senior year at college.
Speaker 1:I thought it was June, was it junior year? Because he, okay, so there's that novella, that's the bridge between where they take that road trip and that's right before they start college together, and then, yeah, and then I think they're together for like a year, yes, and then they're broken up for a year. Yeah, I think there's your part. So this, I think this might be junior year, but he's not a junior, he's technically a sophomore because he took a year off, right, I think?
Speaker 2:yeah yeah, but some things happen and they break up, and so this book starts, when they're broken up, devastating and it is, oh, it was rough, like. And we start off like right off the bat, it's just like you're hit with it. You're like, oh, we didn't even get a few pages, like it's just off the bat.
Speaker 1:Enemies to lovers to enemies again. And you're like how did they go back? How?
Speaker 2:did they go? Literally? We just we reverted everything that we had problem solved in the first book, gone useless. It means nothing now, um, but yeah, basically this book is him making his way back into her life. Some circumstances that pulled them apart. The truth about those are are revealed, and it is. It is a wild ride and I'm is the hot take.
Speaker 1:I don't know that we needed this book I have heard that lately I've actually heard that lately we needed it.
Speaker 2:Was it fun at times? Yes, was it cute at times? Yes, was it heartbreaking and stomps on your heart Just like rips it out, stomps on it Also. Yes, but I think I would have been content if we just didn't have the second one. I don't know, and I know that's a hot take, which makes me sad, because I really enjoyed those books, and not that I didn't like it, I think it's more of just the journey that it was. It was really long, it was a really long book and it felt like it was just like drama, angst, drama, drama, a little more angst like. And then the very, very end. The ending was so abrupt. I was like what was it? Three pages from the end or something. Yeah, I think I said, oh, come on. Yeah, literally I was reading it and I flipped and I was like, oh, there's, there's not more, never mind, oh, it was cute. It is more baseball heavy than the first book.
Speaker 2:I would say, yeah, especially because liz works for the film crew yes, yeah, and she's filming for the baseball team and obviously Wes is on the baseball team, hence this being what we're considering a sports romance.
Speaker 1:Loose sports romance, but it counts.
Speaker 2:It still counts, yeah we use the term loosely in this case. There is sports involved in the book in some way, shape or form, but it is. It's a journey. Honestly, I liked how we got to know the characters more and the addition of some of the characters, oh some of the side characters.
Speaker 1:I can't wait for a potential spinoff book, maybe which she said that, okay, so I can't, we can't say the characters, but there's a person on the team and someone else that is related to someone else. And whenever Michaela was like, please, I want to know if there could be a third book, cause it kind of sets itself up as if there could be yeah, so, set up, guys, it could be. Oh, it'd be perfect. So I asked Lynn painter when I met her Cause I, okay, so I met her for this book, nothing like the movies, and I hadn't read it yet, I'd only read, like Simon and Schuster released the first 10 chapters or whatever.
Speaker 1:I had only read up to that before talking to Lynn Painter. And so whenever I went up to get the book signed, I asked her hey, would there be a third book? And she said that she's not contracted right now by her publisher for a third book, but if she was going to write another book it would be these characters. So and she's even said like she didn't think so nothing like the movies wasn't a thing that was supposed to happen until her publisher came and said we need a sequel. So it wasn't as if it was like an original plan to make this two books. Yeah, it came a lot later, after the success of the first book, and her publisher said that yeah, I was gonna say probably the demand, because, like I was even on the train for hey, I want a second book please, uh.
Speaker 2:So I mean rightfully so, because that book blew up. Blew up. I know people who don't even really like to read that have read that book. Everyone read that book.
Speaker 1:True. And she said that she does not like sequels, like she almost will not watch sequels of movies. So she was really nervous on how it was going to be. And what did she say? So she wrote this book like three different ways, and this was the third version, so she had three completely different endings. She said there was one where they get together at like the very beginning of the book.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know, I know, I forgot to tell you that I know we did, and then her publisher was like no, it's so yeah, no, yeah I know her agent said no, never mind.
Speaker 1:So then she had to go back and rewrite it, and then I think she said it was like too sad. And so then her agent was like no, no, you gotta go stop. So she made it in between and I think this book was the in between whoa.
Speaker 2:Yeah, also to be noted. This book is kind of sad, like there are some heavier themes talked about oh uh.
Speaker 1:Trigger warning for suicide and mental health issues.
Speaker 2:Yeah it's, it's a, it's a heavier book and so like. In that regard, it was interesting to watch the characters as they go through some of these things and you kind of we get wes's point of view in this book, which we didn't in the first book, which was so nice because it was like I get to see inside his mind. I'm not trying to figure out why he's doing what he's doing. It all makes sense now, right, but this one's not like a fluffy read, very angsty drama, some heavier stuff, but like it was still wes and liz, you know. So what's?
Speaker 1:not to love there I guess, but I guess I guess, but the thing about okay, maybe this is definitely going to be an unpopular opinion. So with Second Chance, I didn't like it at the start of the year, but I think that several authors have actually kind of changed my mind and I really actually enjoyed the reading experience of this book. I genuinely wanted to know what was going to happen and I was flipping pages super fast. So I feel like it's definitely worth a read. But I see what you're saying as far as like we could have almost done without it. But the reading experience was so fun that I'm glad I got the chance to read it and that it's out in the world. But it is definitely like a heart stomper.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's kind of how I am. I think my problem was I went into it expecting something and it was not what I was expecting, and so that's partially on me. I, that's on me, you know, and it was still. It was Lynn Painter, which I love, like all of Lynn Painter's books, you know. So for me it was more of I hated the fact that they had to break up and we had to watch them go through like heartbreak, you know, like that was just sad, but I do think it was a good read. It wasn't, you know, um and it was realistic.
Speaker 1:I think her reactions were realistic, even if people say they weren't. I think when she lost trust in him, it wasn't going to be an easy flip of a switch no, and I think that it was written in a way that really, like you said, was realistic.
Speaker 2:just kind of it was a side of the characters we didn't see in the first book, which was actually kind of nice yeah.
Speaker 1:So I don't know. You can make the decision for yourself if you think that you want to read this book, but there is a novella on Lynn Painter's website that bridges between the first book and the second book. That's like a road trip when they're going to college that I think they even reference A couple small times In the other, and I've started reading the bonus chapter that's now available for Nothing. Like the Movies. I'm not done with it yet Because I kind of put it down for a second, and that one's also interesting. I can't.
Speaker 2:I've heard some stuff about it.
Speaker 1:I can't spoil everything I can't. I was gonna say I can't even say anything else because I'm gonna spoil something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've heard some stuff about it. I read the first chapter and haven't gotten any further yet because I haven't had a chance. But I've heard supposedly how it ends and I haven't got to that point yet. But I'm like what is everyone talking about?
Speaker 1:I was like I feel like I need to go read it now oh, and that one is on the simon and schuster website, whereas the others are on lynn painter's website, because I couldn't find it for a second, because I didn't realize it was only on.
Speaker 2:I couldn't either. I was like am I crazy? I was like they're always in her like miscellaneous section on her website or whatever, and I was like I swear someone just posted that they read this. Where is?
Speaker 1:this, where is it at? I almost dm'd you again and was like where, where did that go? Am I missing it? But no, I found it like right as I was about.
Speaker 2:I literally was like this, close to one of the girls that had posted about it, I was about to be like, hey, where'd you find this? I was like everyone was posting about it and I was like, guys, where are we finding it?
Speaker 1:it's not there. No, because, yeah, simon and Schuster was like no, we're gonna take this and we're gonna own it I know let me hide it.
Speaker 2:Little scavenger hunt for you and there's um an extra extra.
Speaker 1:Her husband said, like you write fan fiction for your own books. I thought that was hilarious because it's kind of true and she was like I kind of do. But there's an additional, additional scene that's like a christmas thing, of all the characters. I haven't read it yet because I didn't want to spoil anything about the other characters before I read the other books, but I think she said that like this, nothing like the movies epilogue takes place, I think, like the day after the book ends, but then the Christmas one with all the characters takes place like six months after or something like that. So it literally is sequential. It is.
Speaker 2:It's a good read. Yeah, I enjoyed it because, well, I've read all her ways and so I thought it was super cool. It even there's one of hers. We find out one of her characters is related to a character in the other one of the other books, um, and so you kind of get to see them come together in one of the novellas that she wrote and it's really just. It's cool how she tied it all together, because you don't realize it in the books, but seeing all her characters together, I'm like oh, they're all buddies, they're all friends. How cute is that. It's adorable.
Speaker 1:I love that. So once I read, I have to read the others, though, first, but once I read the others I'll go back and like read through, and I know there are several bonus scenes, obviously for the books I haven't read as well, so I need to just read her entire website front to back.
Speaker 2:I know they're, they're, they're all good and I think they add a lot to all of the stories. So, yeah, I'm glad she writes them for sure.
Speaker 1:Me too. Okay, my last rec Hmm, which one am I going to go with? It's so hard to decide. Wait, actually, no, I only have one left. Okay, okay, okay, I got it Okay. So, as you can tell, it's hard to find. It's hard to find closed door romance. That is good. I have read so many closed door sports romances that were not that great, so the list of my open door sports romance is way longer than my closed door list, which stinks. I need more really good closed door romance, but for this, the one with the kiss cam by Cindy Steele. Again, this is another. Like very loosely basketball, like this is really pushing it on calling it basketball.
Speaker 2:This one's probably the one that's the most like. Does this count? We're saying it counts, yeah.
Speaker 1:I just wanted to talk about the book, so you know, I thought why not include it? It takes place in a basketball game, so therefore basketball it counts. The sport is present in the book for at least a couple pages, so exactly like the back half of the book has absolutely nothing to do with basketball at all.
Speaker 2:Yeah, after the first couple chapters, no sports ever.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so yeah, if you're looking for basketball, this is not that book, but if you're looking for a really good book, yeah, and then it is good.
Speaker 1:Cindy Steele is just she's she and Leah Bruner and Katie Bailey, they just don't miss. They don't miss I. That's my opinion, and I literally like everything they come out with. And I'm still reading, still reading through Cindy's backlist. But she makes everything so funny. There's always so much banter, there's so much depth, there's a lot of depth in here. And it's funny because at the first of this book my one complaint, like for the first half, was, oh, I don't know that, it was really that there was that much depth. It was kind of cutesy. But then it's as if she heard me and she put so much depth. In the second half I was like, okay, cindy, you win, you win. I don't know why I ever thought that for a second you got it. So it is angsty. At times there's oh trigger warning, for I can't remember if it's Alzheimer's or dementia, but some kind of advanced form of memory thing, and then just like caretaking of grandparents. So if those things bug you, then this may not be for you.
Speaker 1:But you can check out any of Cindy Steele's other books, because they're all great. Faking Christmas OK, now that I've said Faking Christmas in an episode, I can write it down in the show notes the one with the kiss cam. So basically, um, the main character and I'm totally blanking on her name nora, right, derrick and nora, no, that's no duke and nora, no duke and wait no duke and it's not nork, is it n?
Speaker 2:I feel like it's Nora.
Speaker 1:It may be that may be why I got it confused and said Derek and Nora. I think it might be Duke and Nora, I think it is Duke and Nora that feels right.
Speaker 2:If not, then I'm crazy, because I'm pretty certain that feels right.
Speaker 1:I'm pretty sure. So I'm just going to call them Duke and Nora, like that's the first thing to go are their names. Most of the time, I can remember so many traits about them, but their names don't. Don't ask.
Speaker 2:That goes rather quickly.
Speaker 1:It does. So okay, nora, had I'm calling her Nora, that's right. Okay, the female main character she has a date at a basketball game and she ends up falling for the guy sitting next to her. That is not her date. Her date goes up to get like popcorn or soda or something, and then that kiss cam. That kiss cam just comes by and it is relentless and they won't. She won't kiss this really hot stranger and she just won't kiss him because she's like I'm on a date with this other guy. And then she acquiesces a little bit and they end up kissing for the kiss cam. And then the poor guy comes back and has no idea what just happened. And it's, it is amazing. So the whole thing starts out at a basketball game. So there's your, there's your basketball, and I think she there's her daily dose of sports, for this book Exactly.
Speaker 1:That's literally it. It's a day, that's it.
Speaker 2:But she really likes basketball, so she honestly didn't she only go on the date to watch the basketball game I think I think she, I feel like she did yeah or there was something, because I don't think she actually really wanted to go on the date.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but she's there bless the guy's heart, I know, but the armrest thing, them fighting over the armrest, that was just the start of the most adorable like. That's such a niche small thing that senu just transformed in like the cutest little iconic action, yeah, yeah I.
Speaker 2:I need to reread this book. It has been it's only been like a year, but I've read a lot since then. I adore this book. It has been it's only been like a year, but I've read a lot since then. I adore this book. It was one of the first books I read on KU. When I got it last year for the first time, and when I tell you, I had not been this excited to read a book in so long, I finished it and I was like, yep, this was the book, this was it.
Speaker 1:I loved it so much I agree, I listened to it on audiobook, I forgot, and so the audiobook is actually just as good as the physical version. Well, we love that. That's kind of rare actually.
Speaker 1:I know, I know Well, for some reason, my library like on Hoopla, because you get instant downloads and it's not like Libby. They carry all of Leah Bruner's books and all of Cindy Steele's books Like as soon as they release another one audio book is available. So I listened to all. And Katie Bailey Katie Bailey too. I've not read a Katie Bailey book, I've only listened to a Katie Bailey book to read it.
Speaker 2:Isn't that?
Speaker 1:nice. Yeah, I know, I know they like bought and then, and then they have dark romance and they buy those series, so they really have. You're sitting there looking at the chart and it's literally like desire or defense, rebel summer, and then lights out and you're kind of going oh, I don't think these are in the same playing field actually, yeah, I don't think the ritual and lights out need to be next to these, but they are.
Speaker 1:They literally are on the charts. It's hilarious dating hockey romance, um yeah. So the audiobooks on all of these, oh, and leah bruner's audiobooks are also really good and katie bailey's audiobooks are also really good. They don't sound cheesy over audiobook, which is hard with this specific sub-genre. So the narrators and both do a really good job at keeping all of them from sounding cheesy.
Speaker 2:Really appreciate that Because, like you said, that's really hard to find and I know some books that on paper I would have loved that book, I know for a fact. But I listened to it and I was like man, that was rough, I couldn't handle that, that was just too cheesy. I wouldn't say something coming from me because I'm here for the cheese.
Speaker 1:You know, I know I like the cheese. I like well, I like Sarah Adams cheese. There is a point. Actually there was an author that I just read that it was. It was campy, and I didn't like campy at all. I made it seven pages in and I was done. But again it was supposed to be super spicy. But yeah, it was super campy and I wasn't a fan. But then I don't blame you. Not sports, but the most wonderful crime of the year, which is closed door, by Ali Carter, that one is campy. Done right, that's the only way to do campy. If it's not that book, then it's campy. I don't want it.
Speaker 2:I have seen that everywhere. You're not even the only person that's wrecked that to me. I have several people that have been like, oh my gosh, you got to read this book, like it's so good, and so I might actually have to give it a try.
Speaker 1:Oh, if you do, let me know Again. Do let me know. There again. You're gonna be thinking through the first little bit. This is a mystery book. This is a mystery book. This is a mystery book. But then there's a plot twist and it switches and you understand why it's a romance book and the romance picks up in the second half of the story. If there's romance, I'm down. So I think it's at almost exactly 50 percent where you get that plot twist and you find out why it's classified as a romance novel. So interesting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm going to have to read that one now.
Speaker 1:I don't want to give it away. Some people have actually kind of given it away without giving it away, and I'm like I'm not even going to say what, what. I'm not even going to give you a hint, because I appreciate the non-spoiler Cause. It'll just catch you by surprise and that's the main thing, is it needs to catch you by surprise, because then you're just like fun out of it, if not you know exactly so yeah, it is really, really good.
Speaker 1:And ethan, the main character in that one, because you know, now you got me talking about this. I'm sorry, no, it's, I have to talk about it. I love talking about it, but anyway. So so Ethan the main character, he is again kind of like a reformed player and so, because it annoys the living snot out of her, he will constantly, whenever they're alone, he'll go like hey, want to make out and it just annoys her.
Speaker 2:So much, it's so funny she wants to murder him.
Speaker 1:She literally wants to murder him. She literally wants to like murder him in the beginning. Whenever he says that, and so it's just literally they'll be in the middle and they're like trying to find something or on a reconnaissance mission or something. And then he'll just look at her and be like hey, want to make out. And she's like, oh, my god. She's like are you kidding me? Right now she's like I can't, I can't handle you, I need you to go away. So, yeah, she is very much.
Speaker 1:She's just not like it and he's just and he, wow, um, yeah, I can't even talk more about it, because you find out, like I thought that he was doing it from a self-aware place, but then you find out that they actually kind of had a slight miscommunication, not anything too bad, but like a slight what's not a miscommunication, but it's uh I'm trying to think of how to like a word to describe it it's not really a miscommunication. It's like, uh, they're not perceiving it the same way, like he thinks one thing and she thinks another, because he remembers something that she doesn't. So it's not okay, it's not really that. So she's thinking something, but he remembered something and that was his motivation.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's not quite miscommunication. Yeah, I'm like that's not miscommunication.
Speaker 1:It's like misinformation maybe. Yeah, yeah, because she doesn't have it and he does yeah.
Speaker 2:So it's not Miscommunication is where we get questionable.
Speaker 1:True, so that's why I had to clear that up, that it's not really a miscommunication.
Speaker 2:It's more like I know you could see, when you said miscommunication, I was like oh, oh no.
Speaker 1:It doesn't even really classify, but yeah. So anyway, that book is fantastic and, to be fair with that one too, I started out. So the publisher sent me an e-arc of it and was like, hey, read this. So thank you to HarperCollins. But then I ended up listening to it on Spotify because I was trying to get through all the Christmas books and I wanted to make sure I read it.
Speaker 1:And I had not read this arc for a while. I had it for a really long time and I just hadn't started it because everything kept jumping in the way. So anyway, I started it a little bit on Kindle and the pacing is very unique and it feels kind of like a screenplay movie script, the way that it moves, like you could almost hear it being a movie because the sentences are really like short and quick and the banter is just back and forth and back and forth. But then on audiobook, I didn't want to go to the audiobook because I liked it so much on physical. But actually it's really really good on audiobook and it's kind of just as well done the style of the sentences and the pacing on audiobook as it is physical. So you could really consume it either way and you'd have a good reading experience.
Speaker 2:Well, that's nice. Consume it either way and you'd have a good reading experience. Well, that's nice yeah.
Speaker 1:Now I think I'm going to have to read it. Darn, oh, my gosh, I'm getting you to read the fake out flex, unsteady and the most wonderful crime of the year.
Speaker 2:But they're all really good. I know I've heard great things about all of them. Most, most, I mean a lot of them were introduced to me by you, but I keep. Now I'm seeing them everywhere. They're like all over my For you page and I'm like, oh, thanks, kristen.
Speaker 1:That's happening to me and fantasy books. Oh, and Brandon Sanderson specifically, like now his books are all over my For you page and I'm like, okay, I had romance going on before, but now it like switched to fantasy and I was like, okay, this is interesting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've had. I've had quite a bit of fantasy too lately. Fantasy is not generally my thing, but I have found a few that I'm like, oh, maybe.
Speaker 1:Could that be powerless, shatter me yeah.
Speaker 2:The problem is my standards are too high. After reading some of these like fantasy series, you know nothing compares. I came across a fantasy book one time that was supposed to be compared to powerless, slash, reckless and everything about it, everything I had seen I was like this is gonna be the book. It was not the book, it was. I was so sad I've never been. That is the worst. It is the worst because it's like, especially when it has potential, you know it's like it could be really good, but there's just there's some like genuine things lacking there and it was super long too, which kind of sucked. You know you read like 500 pages and you're like, yeah, that wasn't it. Oh man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you're like, yeah, that wasn't it. Oh man, yeah, fantasy everywhere. I've heard really good things lately about A Study in Drowning and it's YA, so I don't know if it has spice or not, but it's romantic, I believe, as well. So I have it from the library, I'm going to try to slide it in and if it ends up working out the second book I think she's writing it right now or it's coming it's been the cover's been released, so you have to let me know if it's any good. Yeah, it's worth the read. I hope it is, and I've seen a couple that I've taken a screenshot of that said they were well, you haven't read Harry Potter, have you Not? Okay, I?
Speaker 2:thought you were Super hot. Take, you're good.
Speaker 1:And I was like, okay, I'll give it a shot, and then I can't even remember what my house is. I took that test like a million, bajillion years ago or no. I never took it. I had a friend that was so obsessed with it she like diagnosed me of which house, she sorted me into which house I was going to be in, and I didn know yeah, roommates did that with me.
Speaker 2:My roommates were talking about it one day and I was like I have no clue what you're talking about and one of them just started like naming off all the different houses and she's like you could be this, but you also could be this, but I'm leaning more towards this and I was like cool it's like you have no frame of reference.
Speaker 1:I.
Speaker 2:I was like I don't know what you're talking about right now, but okay.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, there was that the Slytherin one, and what was the other one, I don't know. There were a couple that sounded really good, so I'll have to see. But again, with Instagram, who knows what you're really going to get. You never know. Yeah, but if you want some surefire wins, any of our recs will do. You'll love any of them. We have really good book taste. If we do say so ourselves, we are the best. So just take all of our recommendations. Not arrogant of us to say it all. No, well, we tested on each other. So it's like, if you like it and I like it, then it's kind of a case study of we know that maybe the masses would like it too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if we both like it, then you're sure to love it exactly.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for joining me, michaela. If you want to follow uh michaela on instagram, I will have her instagram link down below in the show notes Tune in next time. And if you want Mikayla to be on more episodes, send us a text on the show notes and tell us what episodes you want her to be in.