Review – Curated: A Museum Love Story

Synopsis

Emmy Bonaire is a strong woman who works as a curator in a small history museum on a college campus. Unfortunately for Emmy, her museum is now being merged with a science one on campus to create a new museum. The science curator, Dr Ryan Andersson, has unbeknownst to him, become Emmy’s work rival. While they are forced to work together they slowly discover that while they aren’t much alike they have more in common than they thought. So, despite Emmy’s severe anxiety over the merge & distaste for the patriarchy of the science department, she finds that Ryan isn’t as terrible as she predicted. He listens to her & tries to meet her where she’s at in the moment when she’s frustrated. When all those patient moments become something more the two navigate the troubles of workplace romances & future career goals and fall madly in love.

Break It Down

Story: – 5 Stars
I loved this story so much. As someone who has anxiety, Emmy was so relatable. Her inner monologue during her dire predictions were hilarious. I loved how Ryan showed he cared for her by staying in the moment & accepting how she was feeling instead of expecting her to dismiss things or just move on without discussion. I also loved that Emmy & Ryan laughed together so much. They had such fun shared jokes & bad nicknames. I hope that if we get additional books in this series we end up with more moments with Emmy & Ryan.

Content: – 4 Stars
This was well written. It’s a dual POV storyline that switches between characters flawlessly. I found myself entirely wrapped up in the story the whole time. I think it probably needed a few extra eyes for the proofreading but there weren’t any major grammar errors that bothered me. It was written with good character development & the side characters are interlaced well with the main story. It’s a slow burn at the beginning but it is paced well & is an easy read.

Spice: – 3.5 Stars
Excellently written spicy scenes. I loved that Ryan was so patient with Emmy. They had such a unique dynamic together that was delightful to read. The give & take vibes of their relationship carried over to the bedroom & we love that. I appreciated Nellie writing in how mental health can influence intimacy. It was really well done. This story had lots of sex but it wasn’t the main plot which was nice. Ryan also has a thing for feet. It isn’t a major thing & they don’t do anything particularly foot related but it was nice to have something that is considered taboo written in such a casual way. I’m all for normalizing more kinks. The open door scenes were delicious & steamy while still being realistic. Their sex life definitely reflected them. && Ryan was

Overall: – 5 Stars
I really loved this book. Truly, I wasn’t sure what to expect but, it definitely exceeded my expectations. I loved the museum. Kinda wish I could visit IRL. Lol. This whole book was not only a romance but a love letter to history & science & how important museums of all varieties are to our culture. It was just a really good spicy romance & fun book. Ryan & Emmy were so relatable & fun to read. Ryan was such a golden retriever & I just melt for the way he loves Emmy.