A romantic suspense novel with chronic pain representation - yes, please! It could have done without the suspense element though, which is a stalker story b-plot. Besides that, I really enjoyed the romance and the hurdles the female main character, Autumn, goes through to let someone new into her carefully controlled life.

After an accident ten years ago, Autumn lives with that traumatic memory as well as a body that works against her. She is still high functioning with a job as a concert pianist, but not without being in constant pain. Her routine is turned upside down when handsome Elijah moves into the house she's rented alone for six years, a move set up by her landlord/surrogate uncle. Forced to share her space, Autumn finds herself doing things outside of her comfort zone, and slowly falling for the flirty game developer who likes to go around the house shirtless.

I have severe chronic pain myself (hEDS) so I appreciate the representation a lot. All experiences are different, so I couldn't relate completely but wasn't expecting to either. Overall, I enjoyed seeing a romance develop within the parameters of all that chronic illness entails. The author captured Autumn's hesitancy perfectly, with her being afraid to trust someone to be okay with her limited lifestyle.

The book has a lot of the usual conflicts surrounding forced proximity, as well as great banter between the characters, believable affection and some great side characters. Enough for an enjoyable read for everyone!

What mostly brings down my rating is the suspense sub-plot that felt too clichéd, and some descriptions and arrangements of dialogue that were too simply written at times. The writing overall is above average though and I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute romance with a little bit of spice!

Ms Perfectly Fine is out now. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for sending me an eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I had a hard time getting into this one… it’s not the book, just me. In a reading slump. Overall it was a cute easy read. Spice is life 🔥🔥

It was a nice read but nothing that would make me force my sister to read. Was expecting... More. Felt a lot of "telling" instead of showing.
Don't get me wrong, it's personal opinion.

4.5⭐/ 3🌶️

I really enjoyed this! I got it solely for the cover and the fact that it was forced proximity. I was not disappointed! I was not expected the insight about what it's like living with chronic pain and I was not expecting the stalker mystery! I thought I had it all figured out in the first few chapters and was just on the romance ride, but there was a twist ending that wrapped everything up in a nice little bow.

Anyway, highly recommend <3

UNEXPECTED (BICKERING) ROOMMATES TO LOVERS WITH A DARK SECRET
rating: ★★★★

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC through your website! VERY MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

✩‧₊˚ background ✧.*
Kate Callaghan introduces readers to Autumn Adler, a pianist who unfortunately has to share her home with Elijah Wells, a techy guy who works with game design. Autumn has some trauma inside her after an accident that occurred in her life. She has people around her for support, but there's some secrets out there just waiting to be revealed. As Autumn grows to like Elijah and gets closer with him, there's a turn waiting to affect her life in an unexpected way.

✩‧₊˚ review ✧.*
I found Autumn to be an adorable character, and Elijah is a bit annoying at first, but he's just trying his best. Once the two met, my head immediately went "oh this is going to be some kind of bickering roommates to lovers trope" and dived in further. I liked the growth of the relationship between Autumn and Elijah, and it went pretty quickly for me. It made room for the secrets being revealed towards the end of the story, and they were pretty shocking. The prologue got me hooked from the start, and both main characters were a joy to follow.

✩‧₊˚ recommend? ✧.*
I recommend this book to others who like the roommates to lovers trope, readers who are okay with reading trauma and healing, and readers looking for another cute romance book with a plot that is easy to follow. Ms. Perfectly Fine is an adorable read with the right amounts of romance and plot build-up, there's nothing you don't want to miss.

MS. PERFECTLY FINE IS OUT JUNE 8, 2023!

This is the kind of romantic suspense I can get behind!!!! Loved this book and thought the premise and voice of the author were so unique. I have recommended it to several friends and can’t wait to hear their thoughts.

Autumn is making her comeback performance as a concert pianist after a traumatic accident that has left her masking the near constant pain she battles to reclaim her passion. Considering her extremely private nature, it comes as an unwelcome surprise that she wakes to her belongings being moved to storage and a new roommate taking up residence in her home. Elijah is a game designer trying to get his company up and going while sharing space with his unexpected roommate that becomes more attractive than she is a nuisance.

Autumn and Elijah’s risqué banter was perfect and I was delightfully shocked by all of his one-liners. The mystery element was my favorite and the suspense of it had me hooked! I loved the way Elijah supported Autumn with her pain and didn’t push for her to share more than she was ready for.

You’ll find —
Grumpy x Sunshine
Chronic Pain
He Falls First
Forced Proximity
Suspense

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for the gifted digital review copy!

⚠️:stalking

Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me and so I DNF’d at the 50% mark.

The cover was what initially caught my eye and the premise sounded great but immediately I knew it wasn’t going to be for me. I found it really boring from the start, I didn’t think Autumn and Elijah had any chemistry whatsoever and the mystery/stalker element wasn’t really needed.

1 star for the cover and 1 star for Brinkley 💛


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

<i>"There's nothing I can say to make this better, but I'm here, and you won't have to go through anything like this again alone."</i>

If this alone doesn't make you swoon, I don't know what will.
Autumn is a professional pianist who is spending all her time and focus on getting ready to make her solo comeback. She can't handle any distractions, as her chronic pain is already making it challenging enough but of course right then, a total stranger moves into her home and disrupts her routine. AND he is attractive too, ugh!

<b>Ms Perfectly Fine</b> is a funny, charming and fast paced romance that I couldn't put down, and not only because of the mystery subplot!
The book discusses the topic of chronic pain and beautifully depicts the vulnerability that comes with it. Autumn is an inspiring FMC and you can't help but root for her and her journey. Elijah, the MMC, is supporting and loving and I was so happy with the way the author has written him as this understanding character, who doesn't push Autumn to tell him or do anything but shows his continuous support and that he is there for her. Double POV for the win!

The mystery subplot was well done in my opinion, given that it is a romance novel, and it kept me engaged. I also thought it was very realistic and not farfetched or unrealistic.

I am sure that for some the romance could be considered as too fast-paced. The characters go from dislike to love pretty quickly, but I truly didn't mind that because of the subplot, the development of the relationship wasn't what made up the plot. What I would have liked to read towards the end is some kind of resolution to the situation with Autumn's family. So much is happening and yet there is no information about her family and how they react to the situation which I do perceive as a plot flaw.

All in all, a cute, fast-paced and - given the mystery - a slightly different romance novel that is perfect for everyone who wants a light read that will entertain.

<b>Ms Perfectly Fine</b> is out now, June 8th!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an eARC.

Ms. Not So Fine would be better.

The premise is good, had a lot of opportunity, but the execution left me wanting more. It's an enemies to lovers, but they went to lovers way too quickly, and not just lovers but how quickly they fell in love wasn't believable. Nothing substantial happens to justify the change.

The writing style was annoying. The writer explains more than shows. And we randomly get a character's thoughts about something that happened. If you wanted us to know what they were thinking it should have been written in first person.

There's also this weird stalker element to the story, I'll admit I didn't guess who it would be, but that's more because it's so absurd and unnecessary in a romance novel.

The biggest issue for me was early on when Elijah is moving in early and it wakes Autumn up, not ONCE does she question the fact that her house alarm didn't go off, that the door was unlocked, etc. Then in childish fashion, she refuses to give him the alarm code, and he just changes the locks. He's also able to have the alarm company change the alarm code with no questions. It all goes down hill from there.

Ms. Perfectly Fine was quiet a different book compared to what I would typically read. The main difference being that it is a romance novel but it is told in the third person perspective which was something I had to adjust to at first but overall ended up not minding. One aspect of this book that I really enjoyed was the representation of people with chronic illnesses I don't usually see this kind of representation and the addition of that in this book really made it stand out to me. The dynamic between Elijah and Autumn was so cute the push and pull between them made me anticipate what would happen next with them. I just genuinely love the reverse grumpy sunshine trope and this book truly delivered on that which immediately made me like this novel. Overall this was a fun read and I would definitely recommend giving it a read. As always happy reading!

Thank you to Kate Callaghan and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! It had all of my favorite tropes: enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunhine, forced proximity. I especially enjoyed the chemistry and banter between Autumn and Elijah. The innocent sexual innuendo and tension was done so well, and it had me smiling and giggling.

Elijah is so wholesome, but with a mouth on him. I love that he falls first and harder and it really shows in his support of Autumn and his desire to reassure her that she's always safe with him. Autumn is the midnight rain to Elijah's sunshine. She's closed off at first, but I really felt her flourish with Elijah and the way he challenges her world. I admire Autumn and her courage to keep fighting despite her pain, but I also find it empowering how she realizes her own limitations in the pursuit of her comeback.

I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense and it kept me on the edge of my seat the last 15% of the book.
And of course Brinkley deserves all the praise as well - she was most lovable dog!

This book was good.
The characters were likable and the plot was interesting.
Autumn is a great main character and I loved how well-written is her backstory.
Although I found the love story a little bit too rushed because I would have preferred more slow burn.
I would also have preferred if this book was only a romance book because the thriller plot just wasn't for me.
Anyway, this book was a solid 3.5 stars.

✨Arc review✨
Ms perfectly fine -
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Release date: Today!

This book follows Elijah and Autumn. Elijah starts renting the bottom floor of the house Autumn rents. She had no idea he was moving in and she doesn’t like people in her space.

“You don’t need to be sorry for making the right decision for yourself, not for me. I’ll take only what you are willing to give.”

Elijah is so sweet. He loves to rile her up but genuinely cares so much. I also liked seeing his struggles with his dad.

Autumn is such a complex character. I loved that she worked through her issues slowly. It came off very authenic.

“You’re playing with fire,” he breathed, and she looked up at him through her long lashes. “Then burn me.”

I really loved the interactions between the two of them. The banter was super good. My favourite part was when Autumn had to deal with her chronic illness. Elijah didn’t force himself to take care of everything he just supported her.

Must read if you love:
- Forced proximity
- Banter
- Mystery
- Chronic illness rep

⭐⭐⭐ ⭐
The cover is pretty and the synopsis sounded interesting and that is why I chose this book.
The main characters definitely had interesting backstories, but I feel like they didn't go together. This book was cute and the romance was a little rushed. I feel that they really went from strangers to lovers extremely quickly. Although I really enjoyed the banter between the two sometimes it was not needed.
I feel that Callaghan did well when writing about anxiety and the mental toll it takes on a person.

🌶️🌶️ It was spicy but nothing that would make your mom blush.

❤️ My favorite character was definitely Brinkley ❤️

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!

🌟Tropes and Themes involved in Ms. Perfectly Fine🌟
😠Grumpy (Her) x 🌞Sunshine (Him)
😍He falls first and harder
😈Forced proximity
🍿Suspense
😴Split POV
💋Enemies to lovers
🌞Healing
😢Chronic pain

I absolutely LOVED this book. Like, it was so good, I wish I had the time to sit and read it all in one sitting. But, I read it every chance I got - before work, on my lunch, as soon as I got home, you name it!

I loved this book for so many reasons, but I'll try to condense it a little bit. First, I loved the romance aspect. It was sort of a slow-burn, but also a "he falls first" kind of vibe, ALSO with forced proximity, which is like, all my favorite things?? The way that Kate wrote it made it such a fun read too - the banter?? Fantastic! Ate it UP.

Another thing I really loved was how Kate represented chronic pain/a traumatic event. The MC, Autumn, had been through a traumatic event, which I won't spoil, but it left her with lots of chronic pain. I loved how it wasn't the only thing about her. She was spunky, and fun, and it just so happened that she had chronic pain. in my opinion, that's how those things should be represented in a book. And Kate did a wonderful job!

The third thing that I loved about this book was that it had almost a mystery aspect to it. I won't say too much, because it was so good and well-written I don't want to spoil anything but it surrounds Autumn's traumatic event and some roses.....

I spent half the book trying to guess, and even though I did guess, I was STILL shocked - that's how well-written it was. Like, I audibly gasped.

This was genuinely such a fun read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes romance/romantic suspense.

Wish I could erase my memory so I could read it again for the first time!

Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

This interesting story about a woman with chronic pain and a man who has a complicated past who meet and fall in love despite a rocky beginning. I liked the way that, although it takes a while for the two main characters, Autumn and Elijah, to get used to each other, once they connect the bond is unbreakable.

There is an element of mystery to this story as well, but it takes a back seat to the developing relationship between Elijah and Autumn and their reconciliation with the past.

It's a solid contemporary romance which was a pleasant surprise when I realised that this author usually writes Young Adult Fantasy. I think I'll read more from this author in the future.

**Thank you to Kate Callaghan, CallaghanWriter and NetGalley for allowing me to receive an ARC of Ms. Perfectly Fine in exchange for an honest review!!** This book was really interesting. It took me a bit to get into it but I ended up really enjoying it. As I began reading I became so engrossed in this book that I forgot I had read there was a suspense subplot. I was truly surprised and intrigued by this twist. I have read books by Ms. Callaghan before and I always enjoy them. This book was no different. I think that Autumn was very human and understandable and I really related to her because I also suffer from chronic pain issues. I really was on her side from the beginning because I felt like I could picture myself and my reaction to getting my carefully planned life pretty royally messed with. Elijah was a fun character and I got to like him better the more that I was able to read and get his perspective. I would recommend this book if you want a fun book with a bit of suspense, but it didn't feel like it overwhelmed the book with this subplot.

I wanted to love this for a few reasons but it fell a bit short for me. As a musician, I loved the fact that it followed a professional pianist, Autumn, and I thought it was a nice touch that Autumn suffered from chronic pain. I loved the chronic pain inclusion and descriptions of the daily struggles Autumn suffers and the toll that being a musician can take on your body. I also really enjoyed the banter between Autumn and the male love interest, Elijah. Their relationship and dialogue made me smile and laugh out loud slseveral times

What I didn’t love - I thought it all just happened a bit fast, from them falling for each other so deeply and quickly, to the suspense element being a bit rushed and predictable. But that being said I think we all read the romance genre knowing how things will end and knowing it will be predictable. So overall I would say it was a cute quick read and was definitely enjoyable. Perfect for a reading slump. There’s not a lot of drama (no third act breakup, yay!) and the suspense was relatively light.

Thank you to netgalley and CallaghanWriter for providing me an eARC on exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was such a cute read. Both Autumn and Elijah were really interesting and had good backstories. It was a really easy read and the actual writing was great (will defs be interested in reading more by Kate Callaghan).

Unfortunately it did remind me of another book which I couldn’t get past. The switch to lovers was also wayyyy too quick. I love a good drawn out game.

Overall, Ms. Perfectly Fine was a comfortable read.