Walking in a Geeky Wonderland by Allie York

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The 6th and final book (for now at least) in Allie York's Word for Nerds series is Walking in a Geeky Wonderland. I decided to pick this up now to not only finish the series, but also because I needed a holiday romance for the prompt 'Tis the Damn Season for the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge. I was also able to use this for the Summer of Swoon prompt white on the cover. I also decided to apply it to the prompt 2nd chance romance for the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo.

Jake is still reeling and feeling out of place after stealing Amelia's purse to then return it and get in her good graces. When coming clean and returning her purse, an out of towner named Rory happens to overhear. After getting reprimanded by Amelia, Rory mentions that Jake got off easy and he turns to find himself drawn to the stranger. He suggests she meet him later that day over at the bookstore, and she never shows. Months later Rory and her friend plan to visit Word For Nerds again for their holiday party. Since their first encounter, Rory can't get Jake out of her mind and hopes to run into him at the party.

Now, this is my least favorite in the series. I did wish it was a little longer, but for it being a short holiday novella I though 4-stars was the rating. If I compared it to the rest of the series, it would definitely be closer to a  3.5-stars. I try to not do too many comparisons when I figure out my ratings, so that's why I gave it 4-stars. I liked how Rory and Jake were able to connect and they just had that little bit of extra tension between them. Now, Jake did not make a good decision in trying to get Amelia to see him as more than a co-worker, but I didn't like how off-putting our previous main characters seemed. Their accepting nature of all type of people just felt a little missing here even though I understood why they were angry with Jake. He apologized and Rae and August were friendly with him as well as Amelia. It just felt weird to me. 

What's fun is there could be a spin-off series from this book! Rory not only owns a computer repair shop with her girlfriends, but they are also a top video gaming team. Rae was kind of fangirling over them, which was funny because they were huge fans of Rae as well. I liked how Rory just really understood Jake and was accepting that he wasn't really a nerd. She saw how he was still trying to reach out to be accepted and find friendship. The way that the book wrapped up too was really heartening to see Jake find that acceptance. I do just wish that this was a little longer.

Even though it's my least favorite in the series, I was happy to see everyone get their HEAs. I'm hoping that this really was the potential bridge to a new geeky series or continuation of the series. I recently signed up for Allie York's newsletter, so hopefully I'll see any new releases that she has next. I don't know how long until I start going through more of her backlist, but I can't wait to see what else she's published!

Have you read Walking in a Geeky Wonderland?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Walking in a Geeky Wonderland, Allie York, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 72 pages, published in 2021, indie published

Let's Geek It On by Allie York

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And my binge continues! Next was the 5th book in Allie York's Word for Nerds series, Let's Geek It On. I was able to use this to cover the prompts Love Story (romance) for the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge and friends to lovers for Summer of Swoon.

Amelia and Simon have been coworkers and friends since Amelia got hired on at the bookstore across the street from Words with Nerds. She loves hanging out with the girls and is hoping to join their friend group. When she's helping out with a late night event, her purse goes missing. To help out, Simon offers to let her crash at his place. Even though they've been good friends, Simon has had a secret crush on Amelia for a while and they finally cross that line into more than friends.

As a follow up novella to the previous books, this was such fun addition. I loved seeing our previous heroines and heroes living in their HEAs in the background and also loved seeing more people be accepted and added to their business and friend group. Amelia is younger than the other girls, and it felt like it, but I just loved how they all were able to connect. Amelie and Simon are also huge fans of Firefly and Star Trek so we get a lot of references to those two specific fandoms. Now, I do prefer friends-to-lovers over enemies-to-lovers, but I thought the transition felt natural here and they really just kept hanging out the same, just with sexy times instead of just sleep at the end of a night.

Now this wasn't quite a full five-stars for me. One minor reason is that I just wish it was longer and we got to see a little more depth between them. There was some fast-forwarding at times and a lot of their connection was referenced as being developed before the book took place. The biggest reason I docked (which isn't that big of a reason overall) is at the beginning when in Simon's POV he apologized for his nerdy references or hobbies several times. There wasn't any of that in the previous books, so it just felt kind of off putting and out of place. Especially since a part of what makes this series so great is the acceptance of being nerdy and finding your people.

I've said this in my previous reviews of this series, but I'm very intrigued to read the rest of Allie York's backlist and anything she still has to write! I'm a little sad there's only one more book left in the series, but I'm also excited to finish it. I also really want to find paperback copies of this series since I can see myself rereading most of the books in this series.

Have you read Let's Geek It On?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Let's Geek It On, Allie York, 4.5-stars, 1 day, eBook, 117 pages, published in 2021, indie published

Tall Dork and Handsome by Allie York

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Continuing my binge of Allie York, I picked up book 4 in her Words for Nerds series, Tall Dork and Handsome! This was my first read for the 2022 round of Summer of Swoon and I applied it to the prompt illustrated cover. I also used it to cover the prompt Happiness (book that you think will make you happy) for the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge and HEA for the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo.

Greer has finally said no more to the man that's been stringing her along for years and is going to spend the next 6 months focusing on herself. When Tuesday's agent Brian starts hanging around Word for Nerds more, Greer struggles to keep her "no men" rule as her crush for Brian intensifies. Not only is she attracted to him, but Brian is the founder and owner of an up and coming comic publishing house. They both are huge comic fans and when Brian finds out that Greer has been working on a graphic novel since high school and is looking to start seeing if it can be published, he wants to help. Greer, in her self-sufficient mode, doesn't want help because she doesn't trust Brian to be completely unbiased in his opinion on her work.

Okay, so this is probably the steamiest of the books in the series so far. Oh my gosh are Brian and Greer absolutely fire around each other. I love that Greer tries to keep Brian at a distance and he is fine to wait the 6 months, but makes it clear that he will be first in line once she's ready to date again. I just really loved the list that Greer made to help find herself again and really recover from how her previous relationship changed her. She really wanted to focus on doing things for herself and repair her relationships with Tuesday, her twin sister, and the other girls. I also loved that her big change was dying her hair pink and I can just picture how cute Greer looks now.

Now Brian did keep pushing Greer, but it didn't feel like too much to me. I loved how a lot of it was really playful, not that he didn't want her to break her rule. It also helped that her girls also realized the connection that Brian and Greer were forming and also let up on protecting Greer and the rules she set. Oh my gosh and the first date that Brian and Greer had, hoo boy does Brian know how to bring it. The steam was definitely leveled up in this book. I also liked that while the third act conflict was a little predictable, I loved how Brian apologized as well as Greer. He also managed to confirm to Greer that he wasn't being unbiased and she really did have a great graphic novel.

This book was just all around feel good and these four books have been some of my favorites of the year. I absolutely am enjoying this series and am glad to see that there's more in the series. I'm excited to dig into Allie York's backlist and see what other series she's written. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for any future publications as well.

Have you read Tall Dork and Handsome?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Tall Dork and Handsome, Allie York, 5-stars, 1 day, eBook, 187 pages, published in 2021, indie published

I Touch My Shelf by Allie York

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With some more free time I went back to one of my new favorite series, Words for Nerds by Allie York! The next book in the series is the third, I Touch My Shelf. I used this to cover the Ivy (brown on the cover) prompt for the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge and also the book with a punny title prompt for the 2nd board of Love Has Sprung.

Tuesday has been in love with her best friend Rae's older brother Leo since she was 10 years old. They have been dancing around each other for a while now, especially after they both came of age. After Leo is a little rude to Tuesday, she loses her temper and let's him have it. Faced with the option that she might have to finally move on, Leo finally makes his move and kisses Tuesday. From them they really start opening up to each other even more. What Leo doesn't know though, Tuesday is actually a popular science-fiction writer. When he reaches out to the author hoping to convince "him" to do a signing at his bookstore to make Tuesday happy, Tuesday fights with opening up to everyone, including her twin sister, about her secret persona.

Guys, guys, guys. This book. This series. They are giving me life. Tuesday and Leo were a mutual pining masterpiece with sci-fi and fantasy twists (Tuesday's main fandom is Lord of the Rings). I loved getting to see them connect in a different way and really push what they want from their relationship. I also loved that even though Tuesday was a virgin, it wasn't made that big of deal. Leo just accepted that he was the first for her but it was more of a sweet moment knowing that she was trusting enough of him to allow that kind of vulnerability for the first time. I also loved the way they connected over reading and books (are we really that surprised?). Some of their time together was spent reading together (either both reading the same book or reading separately while cuddling). It was really sweet and just made me feel so happy.

Now, the big 3rd act conflict was kind of predictable, but I liked how it played out and that it eventually led to Tuesday and her twin sister Greer getting even closer in the next book. Another fun aspect is that Tuesday runs Second Breakfast, the mini-café associated with the Words for Nerds comic shop. It was a fun addition seeing her put together unique sandwiches and coffees and coming up with nerdy and punny names. Another thing that is also touched base on is Leo's OCD. It's been an issue with his previous relationships and I loved how accepting and adaptable that Tuesday was for him. Once again, it wasn't made into some big thing. It just made them both feel so much more real.

If you couldn't already tell, I'm absolutely obsessed with this series and these characters. This the nerdy series of my dreams and I love the strong friendships between everyone. Seriously, if you enjoy any aspect of Nerd-dom culture, check out this series. I'll definitely be looking into Allie's other works after getting through this series.

Have you read I Touch My Shelf?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: I Touch My Shelf, Allie York, 5-stars, 1 day, eBook, 184 pages, published in 2021, indie published

Talk Nerdy To Me by Allie York

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

After reading All Geek To Me, I immediately picked up Talk Nerdy To Me. This is the second book in Allie York's Word for Nerds series. I was able to use this to cover the prompts book 2 in a series for the 2nd board of Love Has Sprung and We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (self-confident character) for the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge.

Rae is a popular gaming YouTube and Glitch (think Twitch) star. She has been working with her top competitor AugmentedReality lately to help keep both of them at the top. Slowly they've turned from rivals into friends, and now maybe more. When he notices she's off when they do a stream, he decides to come down and check on her in person. As a streamer that doesn't show his face, August knows who Rae is can't help but be even more attracted to her in person. When Rae unknowingly hits on August, he plays along. It doesn't take long for the truth to come out and their banter to turn more flirty.

This was so reaking good and I'm completely starting to get obsessed with this series. While all four girls are nerdy/dorky/geeky, they all have their niche. Rae, as you can probably guess, is all about the video games. She also does live streaming and vlogging of events held at the store. I really enjoyed how Rae forced them to put the breaks on the relationship once the attraction was acknowledged between them. The banters about if a meeting was considered a date or not was so cute; they're waiting until at least three dates to "go all the way." I also loved seeing a different side of nerdom and reading from the perspective of how it really is work to be a video game streamer. While it seems fun and games, there is a lot of "work" that has to be done.

Now, this wasn't quite a full 5-stars for me, and mainly for the 3rd act conflict. We see Rae and August get into an argument, and while one of them steps away to cool off, they don't leave the apartment. I loved the way that they really communicated with each other afterwards and hashed through why the argument happened and what each other needed to move past. Almost immediately we see August back track and then he does something incredibly stupid, he goes full ghost. And then, to top it all off, Rae is the one that goes to him and does more groveling. While I understand why he initially is upset with Rae and she does have something to apologize for, I felt like most of the situation should've been addressed by August. That tiny little thing (which is becoming more and more of an item I'm a stickler on), is why I docked the rating.

I cannot wait to continue the series and am so hyped up for the next couple books. I know that at some point we'll have Tuesday and Rae's older brother, whom she has pined after since she was 10-years old. I am going to be digging into Allie York's backlist for sure and can't wait to see what else she has written. If you are at all interested in nerd culture of any type, certainly check out this series!

Have you read Talk Nerdy To Me?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Talk Nerdy To Me, Allie York, 4.5-Stars, 2 days, eBook, 166 pages, published in 2020, indie published

All Geek To Me by Allie York

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My mood reading binge continues with All Geek To Me by Allie York. This is the first book in her Words for Nerds series. I picked this up to cover the prompt published in 2020 for the first board of Love Has Sprung. For the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge I used it to cover the prompt Getaway Car (has a vehicle in the story).

Noralee is the owner of Word for Nerds, a comic and gaming shop. When her neighbor gets robbed, she meets local police officer, and single father, Wyatt. Nora is very clutzy and accidentally "assaults" him with the front door the first time they meet. Despite her constantly have issues with gravity, Wyatt is drawn to her. As they find themselves connecting quickly and sneaking away for little dates, their relationship takes a more serious turn. Nora's three friends and business partners help push her to open up to Wyatt and give in to her feelings.

Oh my gosh. Guys, OH MY GOSH! Be still my beating, nerdy heart. This book was more than I expected and I absolutely loved the geeky/nerdiness. I loved that Nora and her friends aren't just in one fandom, but all things nerdy and geeky from video games to fantasy books to tv shows and movies. I loved that I could see myself going to their store and participating in their different gaming activities. Heck, they even host knitting night for a local group! I want to be their friend and live in this world. It just hit all of the right nerdy notes and you can tell that if Allie isn't apart of the club, she knows someone who is. It just felt so real and I loved that while all of the girls are into the same fandoms, they all are also into it in different ways.

As for the romance, I really loved the way that Nora and Wyatt just clicked. He's not really that nerdy, but is a normal person that enjoys the Marvel movies and Batman and things like that. He's learning though because his 4-year son is really into the superheroes. I loved the way that all three of them interacted. The 3rd act conflict wasn't what I was expecting, and my heart hurt for Nora. She really didn't explain herself properly and things came out in the most absolutely horrible way. Then she was so flustered she couldn't re-explain in the moment, not that Wyatt would've been listening. While this was a little insta-lovey, it didn't bother me at all and just felt almost like a fated/soul-mates situation.

If you are a nerd (or geek) like me, definitely check this series out. It's so much fun and really gave me all the nerdiness I've expected and needed. Sometimes when there's a nerdy character it feels a little superficial or as a character quirk, but it just felt so real here and I could see myself hanging out at Second Breakfast (their in house coffee stand) all the time. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series and certainly want to check out other works that Allie has done. Another new favorite author!

Have you read All Geek To Me?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: All Geek To Me, Allie York, 5-stars, 1 day, eBook, 203 pages, published in 2020, indie published