2021 Physical Activity – Dance, Health, and Fitness

by in Rachel Barnard and tagged , , , , ,

How do you work out?

Pole Dancing Highlights for 2021
2. I took 63 aerial classes total
3. I spent $852.46 total (I have some credit as an ambassador that I used towards some classes)
4. I spent 89.25 hours in class
5. I worked with 14 different instructors

Lifetime money spent (just for aerial classes): $7992.41
2014 – $90
2015 – $422.21
2016 – $1777
2017 – $2594
2018 – $1465.74
2019 – $566
2020 – $225
2021 – $852.46

Lifetime total pole classes: 508
2014 – 6
2015 – 19
2016 – 109
2017 – 139
2018 – 92
2019 – 37
2020 – 35
2021 – 63

Total time spent poling: 792.5 hours (33 days)
2014 – 10.5 hours
2015 – 37.5 hours
2016 – 173.5 hours
2017 – 226 hours
2018 – 144.5 hours
2019 – 55.5 hours
2020 – 55.75 hours
2021 – 89.25 hours

Class Breakdown at different studios for 2021
Divine – 32/63 = 51%
Ascendance – 30/63= 48%
Pole Fitness Seattle – 1/63= 1%

 

In other fitness accomplishments:

  • I biked 260.2 (bringing the total miles biked on my e-bike to 650)
  • I went to 3 pole jams
  • I took 13 stretch and flexibility classes
  • I took 3 conditioning classes
  • Of my classes – 23 were VOD or online/Live
  • I started taking Lyra (aerial hoop) classes again at Ascendance and have really loved the challenge of this new aerial apparatus
  • I’ve done some rowing on my partner’s Water Rower

My favorite fitness photos from the year!

 

2020 Physical Activity Blog Post Breakdown

2019 Physical Activity Blog Post Breakdown

2018 Physical Activity Blog Post Breakdown

2017 Physical Activity Blog Post Breakdown

2016 Physical Activity Blog Post Breakdown

2015 Physical Activity Blog Post Breakdown

2021: AMC A-List – Watched and Recommended Movies for the Year

by in Rachel Barnard and tagged , , , ,

Total cost paid for movies watched in 2021 in theatres: $253.55… total value for movies watched =$1,019.57 ; Favorite movie of the year: CODA

Total cost paid for movies watched in 2020 in theatres and VOD: $112.7… total value for movies watched =$327.34 + VOD ; Favorite movie of the year: Soul

Total cost paid for movies watched in 2019 in theatres: $278.15… total value for movies watched = $1,281.67

Total cost paid for movies watched in 2018 in theatres: $297.42… total value for movies watched = $839.45

“*” indicates a movie I particularly enjoyed and would recommend.

 

January: $0 value… paid $0

February: $85.93 value… paid $23.05

  • *Nomadland ($18.99)
  • *The Little Things ($19.99)
  • Monster Hunter ($13.49)
  • *News of the World ($13.49)
  • Tom & Jerry ($19.99)

March: $80.45 value… paid $23.05

  • Raya and the Last Dragon ($19.99)
  • Chaos Walking ($13.49)
  • The Father ($13.49)
  • Boogie ($13.49)
  • Nobody ($19.99)

April: $80.45 value… paid $23.05

  • Godzilla Vs. Kong ($19.99)
  • Voyagers ($13.49)
  • Mortal Kombat ($18.99)
  • Scott Pilgrim vs. The World ($19.99)

May: $72.46 value… paid $23.05

  • Wrath Of Man ($19.99)
  • Top Gun ($19.99)
  • Spiral ($13.49)

June: $100.44 value… paid $23.05

  • *Cruella ($13.49)
  • The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It ($19.99)
  • A Quiet Place Part II ($13.49)
  • The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard ($17.49)
  • F9 The Fast Saga ($18.49)
  • *In The Heights ($17.49)

July: $104.44 value… paid $23.05

  • The Forever Purge ($13.49)
  • The Boss Baby: Family Business ($17.49)
  • *Black Widow ($19.99)
  • Space Jam: A New Legacy ($13.49)
  • Snake Eyes ($18.49)
  • Old ($18.49)
  • Escape Room: Tournament of Champions ($3)
  • *Jungle Cruise ($14.39)

August: $120.82 value… paid $23.05

  • The Suicide Squad ($17.49)
  • The Green Knight ($13.49)
  • *Free Guy ($18.49)
  • *Stillwater ($13.49)
  • Don’t Breathe 2 ($9.39)
  • Reminiscence ($17.49)
  • Candyman ($17.49)
  • The Protege ($13.49)

September: $90.94 value… paid $23.05

  • *Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ($18.49)
  • Malignant ($13.49)
  • The Card Counter ($13.49)
  • *Cry Macho ($13.49)
  • *Blue Bayou ($13.49)
  • Venom: Let There Be Carnage ($18.49)

October: $111.24 value… paid $23.05

  • Casino Royale ($5)
  • Skyfall ($5)
  • Halloween Kills ($19.29)
  • No Time To Die ($14.49)
  • *The Last Duel ($14.29)
  • *Last Night In Soho ($19.59)
  • Ron’s Gone Wrong ($14.29)
  • Dune ($19.29)

November: $99.54 value… paid $23.05

  • Eternals ($18.69)
  • Ghostbusters: Afterlife ($19.29)
  • *The French Dispatch ($13.69)
  • Antlers ($14.29)
  • Spencer ($14.29)
  • *House Of Gucci ($19.29)

December: $53.57 value… paid $23.05

  • Encanto ($19.29)
  • *West Side Story ($19.29)
  • The Matrix Resurrections ($14.99)
  • *Spider-Man: No Way Home ($72.86)

Book Review: Please Fall for Me (The Brotherhood Series) by M. W. McKinley

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Please Fall for Me (The Brotherhood Series) by M. W. McKinley

A NA Romance Novel published by M.W. McKinley (11/16/21)

Summary:

“A brilliant smile takes over his face right before he leans in and kisses me with so much emotion, I can taste each unspoken word of love he sends my way.” (Kindle 78%).

Lei has decided to follow his band Brotherhood to NYC but he’s worried that this was the wrong decision. He has to leave behind his grandmother just as he finds out she has a heart condition. Brotherhood is without a drummer and the guy filling in, Felix refuses to join the band. Lei and Felix both feel an instant attraction for each other before Lei arrives in the states, but Felix doesn’t want to disappoint one more person in his life.

Keywords:

Love, Band, Bassist, Artist, NYC, England, Farewell, Bandmates, Best Friends, Brothers, Family, M/M, Disappointment, Addiction, Drummer, College

My Review:

First Reviewed through Reedsy Discovery.

I really appreciate it when an author creates a world in a series where, over the course of multiple novels, multiple characters’ stories are told. The common thread between the books in this series is the band: Brotherhood. I love reading multiple stories and multiple narratives in a linear timeline throughout the series. I also really love reading the dueling POVs between Lei and Felix in this book.

Much like book one of the series, Please Fall for Me features two main characters with very compelling backstories that will pull you in emotionally. Both Lei and Felix have complex personal lives apart from each other before they meet. I love all the little details about each of their pasts and personalities. There are many rare small glimpses into the personal lives of the characters that one would miss in real life but the author is able to highlight. These subtle insights through setting, dialogue, and actions reel you in as a reader as if you’ve been invited to watch something private and amazing going on between and within Lei and Felix.

Each scene is carefully crafted using all the senses so much so that I felt fully immersed as I read. The details about music, musicianship, and addiction felt so real to me. I empathized and rallied behind the characters.

The relationship – friends to lovers – was very touching. Brotherhood and its members are so wholesome and loving to each other. I absolutely loved every interaction between roommates and band members Rob and Lei.

I often forgot that Lei was also a student in college while everything else is going on as there aren’t as many details or day-to-day insights into his time in classes or as a student.

Overall this book features beautiful writing and beautiful storytelling. If you’re a fan of wholesome and sweet romances, you will love this book. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series or any other book by M.W. McKinley.

This novel was published by M.W. McKinley on 11/16/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

M. W. McKinley’s Website

Goodreads

Book Review: A Cemetery for Zooey by Ashe Woodward

by in Book Review and tagged , ,

Hollow City by Beth Connor

A YA Dystopia Novel published by FriesenPress (09/08/21)

First reviewed through Reedsy Discovery as an ARC

Summary:

“She too was a monument of sorts; the lurking Beast that roamed the cemetery at nights and was enough to keep any of the curious kids from wandering in.” Page 8.

Zooey, as a Beast, has a natural talent for digging graves. She lives at the cemetery, away from human prying eyes, safe though not glamorous work. She’s good at her job but when a slew of monsters need to be buried, Zooey can’t keep up with the digging. She will get swept up in the mystery of why all the monsters are suddenly dropping dead.

Keywords:

Middle Grade, Monsters, Cemetery, Death, Race, Class, Gender, Authentic Self, grave-digging

My Review:

I absolutely loved the idea behind this story and thought the execution was excellent. The main character is a grave-digging Beast. She lives at the cemetery because humans are scared of monsters and Zooey is a monster. Most monsters who live amongst humans cover their monster features with a cosmetic product such that humans don’t even know there are monsters living amongst them. There are different classes of monsters: Beasts, Ghosts, Ghouls, Scales, and Plasmas.

The cover is unusual and immediately grabbed my attention. It’s just as quirky and interesting as the novella itself. The author walked a tight balance of tone, not growing too dark while still telling a fascinating story of the main character’s quick self-discovery amidst a pandemic-esque setting. In this world, only the monsters living amongst the humans are dropping dead and nobody knows why. The yuck factor of the imaginative types of monsters was kept at bay with the lack of gore, which helped keep the tone lighter; however, lurking behind this fun story is a heavy allegory on class, race, and gender.

This book would be an amazing read for younger readers who want a good story and an even greater post-reading conversation. If you liked The Addams Family movies but wanted something with more depth then you’ll enjoy this novella. As an adult reader, much like the way Animal Farm is an allegory, this novella too has a lot to say about contemporary topics like skin whitening, living as your authentic self, accepting others and others who are different, critical race theory, and more. If you just want to read this as a fun story with monsters, you don’t have to read too much into the heavier underlying topics.

The ending, though, drives home the lessons to be learned, reminding me that the target audience is a younger one. Until the ending big speech and moral of the story moment, this story reads as a sophisticated novella. The last chapter was short and abrupt. I wanted just a little bit more about Zooey.

This novel was published by FriesenPress on 09/08/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Book Review: The Apotheon Awakening (The Apotheon Trials Book 1) By Arya White

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The Apotheon Awakening (The Apotheon Trials Book 1) By Arya White

A Young Adult Dystopian Novel published by Swift Readers Publishing (01/29/21)

First reviewed through Reedsy Discovery as an ARC

Summary:

“I know and understand these rules far better than I understand the chaos inside my own mind.” (Kindle Edition, 16%).

Debrael can’t wait to get her Powers and live peacefully as a Beastsoother in the outer ring of society. But her Powers just don’t come and the Trial at the end of training looms closer. Without her Power, she will be Banished. The Powerless have no voice and are of no worth to society. Deb will uncover a great secret about the society and the Powers, but will it be enough to pass her Trial?

Keywords:

Dystopian, Power, Faction, Friendship, Suppressed, Control, Secrets, Dictatorship, Betrayal, Caste Society, Worth, Powerless, Survival, Rebellion

My Review:

When I pick up a YA dystopian, I want it to be different. With so many good books out there, it’s difficult to stand out. The Apotheon Awakening was a slight twist of the YA dystopian chosen one trope and I was there for it. I liked the characters, I rooted for the underdog main character Debrael, and I enjoyed the overall writing style in this book.

Debrael is Powerless in a society that places the highest importance on power (and is prejudiced against level and type of power). Without Power, Deb will be cast out of society because the society is built on the ironclad rules and notions that without order and power, the society could and would fall. I loved the character development that took place with Deb over the course of the novel. She wasn’t the only character that grew and changed though. Both Ela and Mosiah also went through transformations of their own.

For teens that are going through puberty and their own changes, reading a book where the main character is struggling with her development and her place in society is the best kind of comfort. For readers who get a thrill reading teen dystopians like Divergent, this book will satisfy that craving.

While the book is slow to start, the anxiety Deb feels for the Trials and the increasing inevitability of Banishment looming closer upstages most of the action scenes. The plot is formulaic for a YA dystopian and the pacing is slow and measured. I had a good guess as to what would happen in the end but was still pleasantly surprised by the ending. I really enjoyed reading Deb’s story and can’t wait to read the rest of the series and to find out what happens to the Five Rings and the rest of the Powerless.

I really liked the integration of the aspect of magic in this book and the world-building in general. I loved the premise for the dystopic event and how it ties into the genetics and the strength of Powers.

I thought the author did a great job at balancing the element of survival of the fittest with genetic evolution and Powers as well as the subconscious and conscious prejudices towards certain Powers. There are definitely parallels the reader can draw between Powers and human characteristics like IQ in our own society.

This novel was published by Swift Readers Publishing on 01/29/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.5

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Book Review: The Finest Lies by David J. Naiman

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The Finest Lies by David J. Naiman

A Young Adult Novel published by Empire Old Line Media (10/14/21)

First reviewed through Reedsy Discovery as an ARC

Summary:

Given the opportunity, Nicole would gladly trade her brother Jay with a robot. When a mysterious mirror man makes her this offer, she accepts immediately. But Jaybot isn’t Jay and mirror man keeps playing games with her.

Keywords:

Teenagers, Young Adult, Siblings, Sibling Relationship, FAmily, Friends, Lies, Past, Confrontation, Bully, Rape, Games

My Review:

This holesome story reminded me of the fun and wacky Willy Wonka combined with the Spirits of A Christmas Carol. If you like a story about personal growth and lessons learned, then you’ll pick up a thing or two reading this story.

There are so many great pearls of wisdom from the author, the Dad of the story, and the characters themselves as they learn and grow. These lessons are also articulated through the story as well. “You either change with somebody or you change without them.” (65%, Kindle Edition). “You can never change what you’ve done, but you can always be a better person.” (95%, Kindle Edition).

I loved the fun use of words and language. Phin, especially, loves to talk in alliterations and elaborate phrasings. Like, “I am the Grand Poobah of Grandiose Pontifications.” (18%, Kindle Edition). The writing is very cheeky, especially the way Jay jokes with Phin and his dad about alternate realities while one is in the library and the way the bots are humorous. The dad even says, “I guess there’s a certain magic to being transported into an alternate reality with high stakes.” (42%, Kindle Edition). while there’s a Nicbot at the table!

Nicole is forced to see some of the times when she was the most horrible and when her perception of events was skewed. She falls through interdimensional holes and into these scenes as view-only. No editing. At first, she doesn’t think about changing the scene. Eventually, she sees that she often jumps to the worst possible conclusions, letting her insecurities get the better of her, and lashing out with the intent to hurt those like she herself was hurt. At the time she saw her actions as necessary, at the moment she did what she had to and had no other choice, but through the re-viewing, with the holes, she gains a new perspective. She can see the disheartening, destructive theme of herself as a freshman. Gradually she sees the errors of her ways and wishes desperately to interact with the past and make better decisions.

Nicole wants a brother to say nothing to upset her and do whatever she wants. Both Nicole and Jay make assumptions about the other because they stopped talking to each other, stopped sharing their lives, stopped being a family. Phin intervenes just in time for Nic and Jay to halt this path and move in the opposite direction, closer to one another. The book itself is divided into Jay’s perspective and Nic’s perspective. I really enjoyed reading each of their stories.

This novel was published by Empire Old Line Media on 10/14/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information:

Goodreads

David J. Naiman’s Website

Book Review: Vanish (Seahaven’s Orphan Mystery Book 1) by Victoria Bastedo

by in Author Tuesdays, Book Review, Free Valley Publishing, Local Authors and tagged , , , , , ,

Vanish (Seahaven’s Orphan Mystery Book 1) by Victoria Bastedo

An Inspirational Mystery novel published by Amazon Digital Services (9/8/2021)

Summary:

“If you let Him, He’ll bring adventure into life you weren’t expecting.” (71% Kindle Edition).

Lowtown in 1905 isn’t safe for young men. They are oftentimes snatched. Michael’s father creates a disguise so Michael won’t vanish. As Vanish, over the years, many crimes are attributed to Michael in this disguise, growing the legend. After his father passes, Michael will either have to take up his father’s occupation of fishing or find something else to support himself. The promise of money paid to help solve a kidnapping is too good for Michael to pass up since he doesn’t want to be a fisherman. As Vanish, he has the perfect disguise to sneak around and solve the mystery.

Keywords:

Religious, Inspirational, Mystery, Historical, Young Adult, 1905, Docks, Sea Town, Caste, Kidnapping, Rich, Poor, Family, Crimes

My Review:

I don’t often read inspirational, religious, or Christian fiction. I was unsure how the subgenre would present in this historical fiction mystery novel. Bastedo ties in an element of Christian awakening and finding one’s path to God as a form of Coming-of-Age in this young adult novel. The Coming-to-God revelation could have been fleshed out more in the scene that it occurred but it did tie into the plot nicely and makes a lot more sense in the early 1900’s in a small town near the sea. The people, almost all of them Christians, openly talk about God and his influence in their lives. The characters reference God and the Spirit as a positive influence, giving the book a very wholesome feel. It was nice to read a Christian fiction novel without religious controversy, to have religion be more of a theme and influence, than anything else.

I really liked Michael as both Michael and as Vanish. He is a wholesome young character without a lot of teen angst. He, like many young people, doesn’t know what he wants to do or be when he grows up but is thrust into the world to fend for himself after his father dies. Instead of resigning himself to a life he doesn’t want as a fisherman, he instead takes to wandering the streets in his grief, curious about the world and open to other options.

I enjoyed how the mystery played out. It was simple enough to visualize but complex enough to keep the plot moving. This book was nicely paced overall, seemed realistic for 1905, and played out in an interesting way up through the moderate climax and ending.

Like other Bastedo books, this one features a feel-good message and a happy ending.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services 9/8/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TLDR Star Rating: 4.00

Links for more information:

Goodreads

FreeValleyPublishing

Victoria Bastedo WordPress

Book Review: The Dogs Who Play Baseball by Thomas Louis Carroll

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The Dogs Who Play Baseball by Thomas Louis Carroll

A Humorous Middle-Grade Novel published by Almanor & Loraque Press (08/18/21)

First reviewed through Reedsy Discovery as an ARC

Summary:

“Something about Louie and Sally said baseball. Even without their hats and beat-up gloves, their Louisville Sluggers with marks on the bat for every home run, and the raggedy baseballs, people knew they were baseball kids.” (4% Kindle Edition).

Louie and the neighborhood kids just want to play baseball but after getting kicked out of their own field, they’ll come up with a way to challenge the older kids to win back the rights to the field. Teaching the dogs to play baseball won’t be too hard but it will be difficult to convince everyone that dogs can play against the best of them!

Keywords:

Middle Grade, Humor, Dogs, Animals, Sports, Baseball, Team, Disabled, Wheelchair, Yankees, Bronx, Unbelievable, Yankees Stadium

My Review:

If you love both dogs and baseball, you will get a kick out of this book. It goes from silly can’t-believe-it good-humored fun to serious on-the-edge-of-your-seat baseball action… with dogs of course. As this book goes on it does get more ridiculous (it’s funny how the adults can’t believe how ridiculous everything is). Throughout the hilarity, a love of everything baseball comes through clearly.

Even if you don’t love or completely understand the mechanics of baseball, you will enjoy this warm-hearted book full of great life lessons. Carroll does get into the mechanics and techniques that the kids use to get the dogs to play baseball, but not too in-depth. You will have to suspend your disbelief a little and get creative imagining dogs with bats and baskets attached to their tails. How do they run the bases with those bats attached? How does a dog slide through to home? It did seem a little too easy to get the dogs to play baseball but this just adds to the comedic element of the book.

The fun repeated refrains the author uses, like “You can say that again,” and “There’s no barking in baseball,” made me smile each time they repeated.

I especially liked how the author gave the main character Louie a greater purpose for teaching the dogs to play baseball and to get them to play against real baseball teams and win. One of the minor characters, Louie’s mom Mimi, is in a wheelchair and can’t walk due to a car accident some years ago. It’s neat the author included the normalization of a character with this disability. I learned that there’s a special viewing location at Yankee Stadium for people in wheelchairs. I’ve never thought about accessibility at stadiums before.

I can imagine that this would be a really fun book to read out loud to your kids or to listen to as an audiobook on long drives with the family. If you’re a young reader (or have a kid who is reading middle-grade novels), then they could enjoy reading this one on their own as the target audience. They could really relate to this book if they are also participating in a Little League or have a Labrador, Collie, Bulldog, Whippet, Basset Hound, or a Scotty dog. Chester the Labrador, though, is the star (Most Valuable Dog) of the book.

This novel was published by Almanor & Loraque Press on 08/18/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.25

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Thomas Louis Carroll’s Website

Book Review: The Big Score By Og Maciel

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The Big Score By Og Maciel

A Young Adult Action/Adventure Novel published by Og Maciel (10/12/21)

First reviewed through Reedsy Discovery as an ARC

Summary:

Kate won’t let being new in town stop her from trying to fit in as soon as possible. She joins the local underground car emblem stealing contest to prove herself worthy but tensions are high as rivals Torres and Abby are tied with a few more emblems to go to win the race. One big score could determine the King or Queen of the emblems.

Keywords:

Car Emblem, High School, Competition, Stealing, Friendship, Thieves, New in Town, Skateboarding

My Review:

Maciel has a clean and efficient writing style that is easy and fun to read. This particular book proceeds immediately to the main plot and intrigue of the story. The book is on the shorter side, which didn’t leave much room for subplot development or deviation from the main plot. The core idea of this book, a contest where teens steal car emblems was fresh and interesting.

The characters are in high school and they act like they are teenagers, but the length of the story and the simple aspect of the plot, the stereotypically bad guy villain, and lessons learned make it seem like it’s intended for a younger audience. It’s as if this is a book written for middle schoolers wanting to read about kids older than themselves.

Kate is agonizingly outgoing. She is all in for excitement. She participates in a talent contest the day after she arrives in a new town. As an introvert myself, I wish I was more like Kate. To me, she seems fearless.

I love how we get the range of communication types of the teens. Kate has been taught by her software QA mother how to have an open dialogue and communication using communication techniques. While Abby is so blinded by her emotional reaction to something that happened last year that she won’t even talk to the person she’s upset with about it.

The big showdown climax was super exciting and the last chapter “Closing Time” reminded me of the way movies end with some text on the screen saying what happened to the characters after the movie ended. In general, this book, full of action and dialogue between the characters reminded me of a teenage TV drama show or PG movie that is interesting enough to watch as a teenager or adult.

If you enjoy over-the-top teen action movies or books, you will get a kick out of this fast YA read.

This novel was published by Og Maciel on 10/12/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.25

Links for more information:

Og Maciel’s Website

Book Review: Highland Games (Kinloch Series, #1) by Evie Alexander

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Highland Games (Kinloch Series, #1) by Evie Alexander

A Comedic Romance Novel published by Emlin Press (10/15/21)

Summary:

“Zoe had never seen such perfection before. He was made by mountains, forged by fire, washed by oceans and blessed by the gods.” (Kindle Edition, 31%).

Zoe suddenly inherits a cabin in the woods near a small town in the Scottish Highlands when her great-Uncle dies. Without hesitation, Zoe leaves behind her safe life as an accountant in London as soon as her lease is up. Her childhood summer with her Great Uncle was the greatest, happiest time of her life. But the cabin isn’t the same as it was back then. It’s in less habitable shape than she remembered, with no electricity, water, and no toilet. Not to be deterred, Zoe won’t let anything or anyone get in her way of fixing it up. Rory thought the cabin would be his and his plans to fix it up before the end of the year come to a halt when he finds a surprise city woman claiming it as her own. What can he do to get her to leave?

Keywords:

British Humor, Comedy, Romance, Scotland, Castle, Earl, Sex Scenes, Steamy, Renovation, Cabin, Family, Enemies-to-Lovers, happy Ending, Dual POV

My Review:

I love books where the heroine is out of place, new, and facing a big project when she unintentionally meets the love interest in a surprising meet-cute. The odds are stacked against her succeeding and problems seem to crop up right and left (along with the handsome hunk). Highland Games really delivers exceptionally on some tried and true rom-com tropes such as Fantasy Location, Monetary Leaps of Faith, Kindly Townspeople, Shirtless Hero, Almost Losing it All, and the Central Project is a Metaphor for Their Love. This book reminded me of the Netflix movie rom-com Falling Inn Love. It’s a steamy feel-good casual beach read.

The romantic element is what makes this book so good, especially the slow buildup of the enemies-to-lovers romance that makes the eventual romance so very satisfying. After at least half the book waiting in suspense for the first kiss, the first touch, you will be rewarded with quite a few steamy sex scenes. These scenes were well written and held my attention throughout (I’m known to skim through sex scenes).

The author has the romance beat structure down solid and the pacing is excellent. Every scene was satisfying from beginning to end. The climax felt real and well integrated into the plot of the story and the ending was very satisfying.

I loved all the characters. They were all so well written. The main characters, Zoe and Rory, seemed like such amazing people, but still relatable as humans. I couldn’t get enough of both Rory’s POV and Zoe’s POV and I really enjoyed the switching POV between Rory and Zoe as they each told their side of the story. The way Zoe describes Rory, especially at first, is hilarious.

Both Zoe and Rory have a purpose outside of the slowly building romance. They each also had their own backstory that made them very compelling. I really liked how both main characters were completely independent people and didn’t need the other to complete themselves, which made their love even more compelling.

This novel was published by Emlin Press on 10/15/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Author Bio:

Evie Alexander is the author of sexy romantic comedies with a very British sense of humor. She takes a method-approach to her work, believing her capacity to repeatedly fail at life and love is what has given her such a rich supply of material for her writing.

Her interests include reading, eating, saving the world, and fantasizing about people who only exist between the pages of her books. She lives in the West Country with her family.

Links for more information: