Author: Amanda

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Muffin But Trouble

From Smartypants Romance… Muffin But Trouble, an all-new opposites attract small-town romance from Talia Hunter, is now live in #kindleunlimited!

★ ★ BLURB ★ ★

New Yorker, Magdalena Solis, is a city cynic to her core. But when she’s threatened by a thug who demands she pay her absent boyfriend’s debts, she flees to Green Valley, Tennessee. Bewildered by her rural surroundings, and harboring a serious aversion to beards and flannel, Mags is horrified when the first local she encounters is the scruffiest brute she’s ever seen.

Cy Baxter has a tortured past, a bad reputation, and facial hair like a tumbleweed in a dust storm.

With troubles of his own, Cy vows to keep clear of the rude stranger who does nothing but insult him. But he has a heart as big as the wide-open countryside, and when an adorable stray dog brings the two together, sparks fly in the most unexpected ways.

Desperate to pay off her pursuer, Mags starts work at the Donner Bakery. And as Cy becomes a regular customer, his sweet tooth turns into a longing for something spicier.

But with the relentless thug hot on Mags’ trail, can these city-meets-country misfits find common ground? Or will their love story be as impossible as square dancing in stilettos?

‘Muffin But Trouble’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #4 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

My Take:

This is book four in the Donner Bakery series, featuring Magdalena, who is the sister to Carla from Tough Cookie. She’s in Green Valley to hideout after her boyfriend’s drug dealer threatens her. She gets a short term job at the Donner Bakery, and has a series of run ins with Cy, her bearded neighbor which eventually turns into a romance.

I loved Cy! His dad was a bad guy so everyone in town expects him and his family to be bad as well but he’s a really upstanding, kind hearted guy. He’s temporarily raising his niece while his sister gets medical help, and I loved how hard he tried to be there for her. 

Magdalena I did not like as much. I genuinely hate leaving a review saying something about an unlikable heroine because everyone is too hard on FMCs but I really did not like her. She constantly judged and insulted people directly to their faces and didn’t care, even when they pointed out she was being rude. She was a mean girl which is different than just “unlikable.”

Overall though it was great to be back in Green Valley and I loved Cy!

Late Bloomer

Late Bloomer is out today! Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

This was an easy breezy sapphic romance between two women who both think they’re the rightful owner to the flower farm. Opal, the chaotic artist who buys the farm after winning the lottery, and Pepper, the serious woman who thinks she’s inherited the farm from her grandma. They agree to live there together while they work out a solution and you already know how that goes.

It was an easy listen, the tone was light and the characters were endearing, if not a little young feeling. I really enjoyed Pepper’s character, the autism rep was great and I loved her character arc. I also really enjoyed the side characters and what a great support system they were for our FMCs.

There was a lot of focus on their inner monologues instead of a complicated plot or them actually communicating with each other. If you love character driven stories with lots of exposition on inner thoughts maybe you’ll love this part of it! I loved the spice level but I could have personally also used more swoons and romance between them.

Overall though I thought it was great and I was entertained by the audio. The audio performance was great, I could easily tell the difference between the FMCs and the side characters. I do recommend it if you’re looking for something sapphic and bubbly and easy reading and full of pop culture references!

Just This Once

Well, I guess I’m a King girlie now! (Fictional) bad boys are more fun anyway.

If you’ve read the Sullivan family series, you know the King family has had a long standing rivalry with the Sullivans, and now it’s the King’s time to shine.

Whip King has a steamy one night stand with a stranger at a bar, only to later find out it’s his boss’s daughter who just moved to town. He’s trying to impress his chief to get a promotion so canoodling with his precious daughter isn’t the best way to go about that. Emily is new to town, starting over, and doesn’t need a cocky (& pierced!) firefighter sniffing around her, but the two are unable to stay apart and boy did I love their chemistry.

Their relationship is full of secret encounters and stolen moments, and I just loved how they supported and brought out the best in each other as they slowly brought their walls down. 

It was great to be back in Outtatowner and see glimpses of the Sullivans and other townies, and I’m so looking forward to more Kings! 

Unloved

Unloved is one of those books that’s been on my TBR for years and years. I can’t remember how it got there but when I saw it was now in KU I finally decided to read it and I’m so glad I did.

I am an absolute sucker for a true forced proximity romance – in this, the FMC is attacked and injured by a fellow hiker on a hiking trip, and the MMC swoops in to save her. He takes her back to his secluded cabin and nurses her back to health, until her wounds have healed enough to make the treacherous journey back to civilization. 

It’s not always an easy story, both have traumatic backstories revolving around violence that are explored via flashbacks but it was a lovely romance nonetheless.  

Cass is my favorite kind of hero, broken and secluded but ultimately caring and full of so much love. He lives off the grid, totally alone, because believes it’s best for society if he is not a part of it. His dad was a terrible man who did terrible things, and he’s worried those violent genes are a ticking time bomb in him. 

Brynn is also a bit of a hermit, her fiance died years ago in a violent act and she’s having trouble moving forward. They were so sweet together, Cass tried so hard not to fall for her but the forced proximity did its magic and they just couldn’t stay apart. Both characters were so resilient and I just genuinely liked them a lot.

It was a bit instalove and crazy dramatic at times and I ate it up. It was also heartbreaking, heartwarming, and emotional. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I am now dying to read the author’s entire backlist.

TWs: death of a loved one, grief, violence, gun violence, cancer

I Wish We Had Forever

Happy Thursday! I Wish We Had Forever released today. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ⁣
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I really enjoyed this small town, brother’s best friend, fake marriage romance! ⁣
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We found out at the end of I Wish You Were Mine that Jen and Abel had eloped and now we get to see what happened from their point of view. I was so excited to find out what happened and it did not disappoint! ⁣
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Abel’s my favorite kind of MMC, he’s grumpy, broody, protective, and a bit broken but still soft for his lady. And man did he have a dirty mouth on him! Jen was a great FMC, she’s strong and I loved watching her to learn to stop people pleasing and ask for what she wants.⁣
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They were such a cute couple, I loved how supportive they were of each other, and I loved all the chemistry between them after years of longing and pining. It’s a Jessica Peterson book so of course it’s super spicy, with lots of food and friendships as well.⁣
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I’m sad this series is over, I’ve loved every book including this one! ⁣

Wild Card

Wild Card is out today and I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Staci Hart has written pure romcom gold here and I loved it.  This book is so horny! 

It’s a small town, forced proximity, opposites attract, fake dating romance between Jessa, who’s in town for her best friend’s wedding, and Remy, her best friend’s cousin who is forced into hosting Jessa at his house when all other beds fall through. Jessa’s been in love with a childhood friend Henry her whole life, so Remy agrees to fake date her to make him jealous, only things turn real pretty quickly. 

Remy is totally outrageous- an unrepentant flirt, cocky and full of southern charm but also sweet to his mama and hiding his soft side. Jessa starts as a prim and proper lady and quickly devolves into playing horny games with Remy and I loved watching her let loose. 

The banter between them had me cackling, the spice had me sweating (this is SERIOUSLY spicy), and the romance had me swooning.

Staci’s back and her books are hornier than ever and I’m here for it! I can’t wait for more from this world because that last epilogue had me gasping and clutching my pearls. 

Swift & Saddled

🤠 R E V I E W 🤠

I really enjoyed Done and Dusted but I loved Swift and Saddled. I thought this was delightful. I find Lyla Sage’s writing to be so charming and easy reading in the best way. It’s easy to pick up her book and read the whole thing without moving or even realizing time has passed.

This returns us to Rebel Blue, and this time it’s Wes’s turn to fall. Wes is the easy going Ryder, the middle child peacekeeper who finds his match in Ada, the interior designer he hires to make over the house he’s turning into a guest ranch.

I loved their golden retriever/black cat vibes. Wes is so laid back and kind, while Ada is not quite as easy going. She’s had a rough patch and needs to take this job and herself seriously.

Wes falls first and hard and I loved how he carefully won Ada over. He was so patient and loving and supportive. Ada had a journey to go on to accept love and friendship into her life, and I appreciated that we really got to know the characters and their motivations so it was easier to understand why she struggled so much.  

I loved being back in this world and seeing all the Ryders and Teddy and Luke and I’m dying for books three and four! 

Only and Forever

Only and Forever is out today! Thank you to the publisher for the advanced review copy.

Can you believe it? The final book in the Bergman Brothers series is here and I am distraught that it’s over 😩

For four years we’ve laughed and cried along with this family as they’ve grown up and fallen in love. 

This time it was sweet Viggo’s turn, our ultimate cinnamon roll romance lover. We’ve seen him interfere in his sibling’s lives throughout the series, always pushing romance novels and rooting for their HEAs. He’s been waiting for a real life romance like he reads in his romances, but that doesn’t seem to be working for him. It’s okay because he’s busy opening a bookstore, being the best uncle ever, and adopting a whole lot of animals.

His life is shaken up when Tallulah Clarke, the girl he once had a big crush on, re enters his life and the two make an agreement. Tallulah needs help with her latest thriller from a romantic perspective, and Viggo needs help with his new bookstore. They agree to live together and exchange their skill sets, just as platonic friends, of course.

The forced proximity does as it always does and the roomies start to feel more, but both have a lot of baggage to work through. It was a slow burn, and the tension built most excellently.

I loved Viggo, he’s always been one of my favorite Bergmans and I loved getting to know him better. Tallulah was a little harder for me, not necessarily because she’s a ‘chilly cynic’ but because she was kind of mean to Viggo and since I already loved him, it felt kind of like she was being mean to my friend.

She comes from a toxic family with a lot of drama, but I felt like we never really got to understand what that drama was. We’re told her parents were bad, but I didn’t understand why. Her brother is a handful and enters rehab, but that happens in the background. I guess I just felt like her family stuff could have been expanded on so we could see it instead of just telling us they were toxic.

Another thing I felt like could have been explored more was Viggo’s ADHD. We know he has it but it doesn’t really seem to affect his life all that much, at least not that we see on page.

Overall it was a good read and ending to the series, just one I felt needed to be fleshed out a little more in some parts so we are shown more than told.

Just For The Summer

Just For the Summer is out today! Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy.

Abby continues her streak as World’s Best Romcom Author! She has the ability to make me laugh and cry at the same time like no other author I’ve ever read.  I’ve loved every book she’s written and this is no exception.

This is a book about two people who both have the same love curse – everyone they date meets the love of their life after they break up. They decide to short term date each other (just for the summer) and pouf! Their curses will be canceled out. We follow them on a series of dates, and of course real feelings develop along the way.  

We first met Justin in Yours Truly as a supportive side character so I was so glad to watch him get his HEA. He was truly just a good dude, always there for everyone else even when it’s to his detriment. I love an upstanding, big hearted man who’s not afraid to talk about his feelings.

Emma is a travel nurse, moving around from destination to destination, never settling or putting down roots. She had a rough upbringing which affects her in every way, the only person who’s ever had a piece of her heart is her BFF. She had a real journey to go on here to accept love into her life, and though I found her frustrating at times, I appreciated her character arc and growth.

Together they were adorable. I loved their dates, planned and otherwise, and how they quickly became part of each other’s lives. They had such a great easy going relationship, it just felt so right. The full cast of supporting characters were excellent. I loved both the ones we got to revisit from previous books, and the new ones we were introduced to.

There also were plenty of easter eggs to her previous books, but I think you could read this one okay as a standalone if you wanted. It might be slightly less impactful if you haven’t read at least her two last books though. 

Definitely recommend but check your TWs!

The Other Side of Disappearing

This was a soft and gentle story that I don’t quite know how to categorize. It’s an intriguing family drama, interwoven with a mystery, but it’s also a tender romance. The prose is beautifully written, quietly beautiful in a way that had me pausing often to reread.

The family drama is the main event to me, and I loved the relationship between Jess and her sister and how it grew and changed over the course of the book. My heart broke for them both, the walls they’ve had to build and how complicated their relationship had become. 

Though it’s somewhat the background story, I have to rave about the romance between Jess and Adam. Adam is such a gentle giant, so fully committed to supporting Jess however he can. Their relationship unfolded so softly, so gently, so tenderly. I just loved Adam so much!

All that being said, it was a little on the slow side for me. The mystery unfolded slowly, the romance developed slowly, I was ready for something, anything, to happen. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, because I did! I’m not sure the story would have worked as well at a faster pace anyway. I realize this is contradictory. 

Overall though I thought it was really good, especially if you love more of a quiet, understated, thoughtful story!