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Bella Heartwood Book Reviews
š Bookish thoughts, cozy vibes, and honest feelings — all in one place. I mostly review romance and romantasy books, from sweet to steamy (and all the messy feelings in between!), but I also like to explore other genres. I hope my reviews help you discover your next favorite read! šāØ
The Rain I Couldn't Let You Walk In
4/5 āļø
Author: Kayne Ellis
Spoiler-free ARC Review
The Rain I Couldn't Let You Walk In is a short literary romance based on a true story and real conversations, which made for a very unique reading experienceāone that I genuinely enjoyed.
I was intrigued throughout the entire book. Its fast-read nature means that a lot happens in a relatively short amount of time, with something unfolding on nearly every page. While there are a few slower moments, for the most part this felt like a fast-paced read.
This is a character-focused story, where we follow the personal and romantic journey primarily through Kaiās point of view (POV). Kai and Elenaās story is told entirely through online conversations, which was an interesting concept for me and may not be for everyone. Keeping in mind that this book is based on a true story also makes the format easier to understand and process, adding a sense of authenticity to the storytelling.
There were a few moments where I felt slightly confused, particularly around certain situations or why some things happened. I also occasionally found myself unsure about the meaning of some abbreviations. However, none of this took away from my overall enjoyment or the intrigue of the story.
I recommend this short literary romance to readers looking for an emotional, character-driven story with a strong slow-burn element.
Thank you to Kayne Ellis for the opportunity to read and review The Rain I Couldn't Let You Walk In. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Author: Kayne Ellis
Spoiler-free ARC Review
The Rain I Couldn't Let You Walk In is a short literary romance based on a true story and real conversations, which made for a very unique reading experienceāone that I genuinely enjoyed.
I was intrigued throughout the entire book. Its fast-read nature means that a lot happens in a relatively short amount of time, with something unfolding on nearly every page. While there are a few slower moments, for the most part this felt like a fast-paced read.
This is a character-focused story, where we follow the personal and romantic journey primarily through Kaiās point of view (POV). Kai and Elenaās story is told entirely through online conversations, which was an interesting concept for me and may not be for everyone. Keeping in mind that this book is based on a true story also makes the format easier to understand and process, adding a sense of authenticity to the storytelling.
There were a few moments where I felt slightly confused, particularly around certain situations or why some things happened. I also occasionally found myself unsure about the meaning of some abbreviations. However, none of this took away from my overall enjoyment or the intrigue of the story.
I recommend this short literary romance to readers looking for an emotional, character-driven story with a strong slow-burn element.
Thank you to Kayne Ellis for the opportunity to read and review The Rain I Couldn't Let You Walk In. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Between the Lines
4.5 āļø
Author: Tracey Magruder
Spoiler-free ARC review
I loved this book from beginning to end, and I felt so good reading it and getting to know its main charactersāwho, by the way, were wonderfully written. I was engaged the entire time with the story and found myself looking forward to each chapter, eager to see what would come next.
Our female main character is Sadie Reed, an American writer and editor who hasnāt written in a long time and is quietly hoping to find her way back to that part of herself. Fresh out of a long and very toxic relationship, she is looking for a new beginning while still dealing with things from her past that wonāt simply go away. She gets assigned an editing project in England to help a very grumpy and difficult-to-work-with author. Meet bestselling author Corbyn Pearce, our main male character.
At the beginning of the assignment, Corbyn is definitely not happy, but he doesnāt exactly have a choice after missing several deadlines for his next book. He lives in a small town near London, filled with kind and lovely people he once spent time withāuntil a tragedy changed his life. After that, Corbyn chose to avoid people and places altogether. As Corbyn and Sadie spend time together, we not only get to see how they navigate their working relationshipāthe give and takeābut also the funny and cute moments (mostly thanks to Riley the dog), as well as the possibility that fate may have played a role in bringing their lives together.
Not only is the character development for both main characters wonderful, but the secondary characters are also funny and add so much to the story. And honestly, who wouldnāt love a goofy dog that truly shines in this cozy yet emotionally deep story?
This is a very slow-burn romance, and while that may not be for everyone, I personally felt it was perfectly suited to the story and allowed the emotional connection between the characters to develop in a natural and meaningful way.
This book is perfect for readers who enjoy a cozy contemporary romance filled with warmth, while also appreciating characters who must navigate their feelings, past trauma, and insecurities in order to grow and be open to new experiences (including romantic ones).
Genres: Romance | Contemporary Romance | Contemporary | Emotional Romance
Tropes: Very slow-burn romance | Found family | Emotional safety | Grumpy x sunshine | Healing journey | Small-town setting
Content note: This story touches on heavier emotional themes and past experiences that may be sensitive for some readers. Please check content warnings.
Thank you to author Tracey Magruder for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Author: Tracey Magruder
Spoiler-free ARC review
I loved this book from beginning to end, and I felt so good reading it and getting to know its main charactersāwho, by the way, were wonderfully written. I was engaged the entire time with the story and found myself looking forward to each chapter, eager to see what would come next.
Our female main character is Sadie Reed, an American writer and editor who hasnāt written in a long time and is quietly hoping to find her way back to that part of herself. Fresh out of a long and very toxic relationship, she is looking for a new beginning while still dealing with things from her past that wonāt simply go away. She gets assigned an editing project in England to help a very grumpy and difficult-to-work-with author. Meet bestselling author Corbyn Pearce, our main male character.
At the beginning of the assignment, Corbyn is definitely not happy, but he doesnāt exactly have a choice after missing several deadlines for his next book. He lives in a small town near London, filled with kind and lovely people he once spent time withāuntil a tragedy changed his life. After that, Corbyn chose to avoid people and places altogether. As Corbyn and Sadie spend time together, we not only get to see how they navigate their working relationshipāthe give and takeābut also the funny and cute moments (mostly thanks to Riley the dog), as well as the possibility that fate may have played a role in bringing their lives together.
Not only is the character development for both main characters wonderful, but the secondary characters are also funny and add so much to the story. And honestly, who wouldnāt love a goofy dog that truly shines in this cozy yet emotionally deep story?
This is a very slow-burn romance, and while that may not be for everyone, I personally felt it was perfectly suited to the story and allowed the emotional connection between the characters to develop in a natural and meaningful way.
This book is perfect for readers who enjoy a cozy contemporary romance filled with warmth, while also appreciating characters who must navigate their feelings, past trauma, and insecurities in order to grow and be open to new experiences (including romantic ones).
Genres: Romance | Contemporary Romance | Contemporary | Emotional Romance
Tropes: Very slow-burn romance | Found family | Emotional safety | Grumpy x sunshine | Healing journey | Small-town setting
Content note: This story touches on heavier emotional themes and past experiences that may be sensitive for some readers. Please check content warnings.
Thank you to author Tracey Magruder for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Love on the Brain
ā 4.75/5 stars
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
Release date: August 23, 2022
Genre: Romance | Contemporary | Contemporary Romance | Enemies to Lovers | Fiction | Adult | Workplace Romance
Wow, what a fun and enjoyable book Love on the Brain was to read! š¤© I had this book on my TBR for a while, and Iām so happy I finally picked it up :)
Iāve read Ali Hazelwoodās books before and I love her writing, but I have to admit that I wasnāt totally sure about this one in the first couple of chaptersāmainly because, from what I knew, STEM and science play a big role in it. But that little āfearā went away very quickly, because I got hooked on Bee and Leviās story so fast! š¤ Thereās definitely plenty of technical terminology, but itās embedded so well into the story that I was completely here for it!
Bee Kƶnigswasser, our main female characterāabsolutely and hilariously obsessed with āWhat would Marie Curie do?āāis fresh out of a painful love situation that also impacted her work as a neuroscientist. Sheās now stepping into an amazing opportunity at NASAā¦ but thereās a catch. Sheāll be co-leading a project with her long-time nemesis, Levi Ward (our male main character). Yikes.
Her first days working at the NASA lab donāt go quite how she expects, and Levi doesnāt exactly seem interested in making things easier. But as the story progresses, we learn that Leviās ābad bloodā with Bee isnāt quite what she thinks it is. Bee and Leviās interactionsāand even just Beeās inner monologueāare so wonderfully written, so entertaining, and I genuinely couldnāt stop myself from rooting for herā¦ and for them.
There were a couple of surprises toward the end that made it even more fun!
This contemporary romance was everything I wanted, and once again, Iām confirming that Ali Hazelwood is my favorite author š¤š©·
If youāre looking for a super fun, entertaining (and also steamy!) love story with an at-times awkward boss lady main characterāand youāre open to a science-heavy setting and terminologyāthen I highly recommend giving Love on the Brain a try š¤
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
Release date: August 23, 2022
Genre: Romance | Contemporary | Contemporary Romance | Enemies to Lovers | Fiction | Adult | Workplace Romance
Wow, what a fun and enjoyable book Love on the Brain was to read! š¤© I had this book on my TBR for a while, and Iām so happy I finally picked it up :)
Iāve read Ali Hazelwoodās books before and I love her writing, but I have to admit that I wasnāt totally sure about this one in the first couple of chaptersāmainly because, from what I knew, STEM and science play a big role in it. But that little āfearā went away very quickly, because I got hooked on Bee and Leviās story so fast! š¤ Thereās definitely plenty of technical terminology, but itās embedded so well into the story that I was completely here for it!
Bee Kƶnigswasser, our main female characterāabsolutely and hilariously obsessed with āWhat would Marie Curie do?āāis fresh out of a painful love situation that also impacted her work as a neuroscientist. Sheās now stepping into an amazing opportunity at NASAā¦ but thereās a catch. Sheāll be co-leading a project with her long-time nemesis, Levi Ward (our male main character). Yikes.
Her first days working at the NASA lab donāt go quite how she expects, and Levi doesnāt exactly seem interested in making things easier. But as the story progresses, we learn that Leviās ābad bloodā with Bee isnāt quite what she thinks it is. Bee and Leviās interactionsāand even just Beeās inner monologueāare so wonderfully written, so entertaining, and I genuinely couldnāt stop myself from rooting for herā¦ and for them.
There were a couple of surprises toward the end that made it even more fun!
This contemporary romance was everything I wanted, and once again, Iām confirming that Ali Hazelwood is my favorite author š¤š©·
If youāre looking for a super fun, entertaining (and also steamy!) love story with an at-times awkward boss lady main characterāand youāre open to a science-heavy setting and terminologyāthen I highly recommend giving Love on the Brain a try š¤
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