Meegan

Happy Monday! How was your weekend?

Meegan releases tomorrow, thank you to the author for the ARC. 

It was so fun being back in Meegan’s world! Meegan has appeared in many of the author’s backlist books as a side character, a supportive bestie, and the romantic interest that gets left behind. 

She meets her match in Olin, the autistic tech millionaire who needs a fake girlfriend to get people off his back about dating. Olin is tall, handsome, and extremely wealthy so he practically has to beat women off with a stick but until he finds a woman who stimulates him mentally and physically, he’s not interested in dating just because. Their mutual friend Xeni introduces them, and Meegan agrees to help him out

The two grow closer as they attend a series of events, and the lines between fake and real immediately blur but Meegan’s not sure if Olin’s up for her kinky bedroom activities. Thankfully Olin loves to learn new things and throws himself into learning the dom/sub lifestyle with a little help from some friends.

This is of course spicy, filled to the brim with exploration and toys and kinks, but it’s also about finding your missing piece, the person who completes you and lets you know you’re great the way you are. I loved how accepting they both were of each other’s proclivities and how they found a home in each other.

The exploration of the BDSM/kink club world was a good one I thought, though it’s not one I know much about so I don’t really know. It was helpful to me to learn about it alongside Olin. 

The author has a really easy reading style of writing, light but touches on heavier topics with a deft hand and I always enjoy the time spent lost in the pages she writes!

I will say, I haven’t read the author’s entire backlist so some of these side characters were confusing to me. I have read Xeni and Rafe so it was great seeing those characters again but there were about a million cameos that got hard to follow. 

Overall though I loved it! 

Ashes of You

Hey! Happy Thursday. Ashes of You is out today. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

I loved this addition to the Lost & Found series! Lawson is officially my favorite Hartley (sorry Roan). I am forever a sucker for the single dad/nanny trope. The forbidden vibes are just the best, along with the close proximity and throw in an age gap and I am a goner!

Lawson is the oldest Hartley sibling, a single father with his hands full not only with his three boys but also as a small town chief of police. He finally agrees to hire a nanny to help out at home, but he didn’t expect his best candidate to be someone he helped rescue years ago. 

Hallie has a lot of trauma in her past and is trying to live her life again unafraid, and I loved her relationship with Lawson and how supportive he was, but I also really loved her relationships with his boys.  Lawson fights the good fight to ignore his attraction to his much younger nanny, but eventually the close proximity wins (though this is definitely a slow burn!) and the two can’t fight their feelings anymore.

The romance was so well developed and the suspense portion will have you thinking everyone is a suspect! I loved this book, I love this series, I love the Hartley family. I’m so sad it’s over but can’t wait to see what comes next!

Butcher & Blackbird

Well, this is a hard one to review.

I think it was so funny and wildly entertaining. Is it kind of gross? Sure, at times, but in a funny way. The trigger warning list is a mile long, and I think the shock of the triggers is part of the appeal as long as it’s safe for you to read. It is about two “good” serial killers who compete against each other to kill “bad” serial killers so there are lots of violent and murdery elements.

It’s definitely insta-love for the MMC, and I loved how all in Rowan was even when Sloane couldn’t see it. It was very much a slow burn but does get spicy by the end. I don’t think it was the absolute best developed romance (I never think insta-love is) but it was a lot of fun. Their banter was excellent and they had me laughing out loud so much. I also loved the side characters and look forward to their stories.

The audiobook experience was even better for me than the eyeball reading thanks to the duet narration. Both narrators do a great job, and while I wasn’t 100% sold on Joe Arden’s Irish accent, I loved how they played off each other. The trigger warning list alone had me laughing thanks to their narration.

So for entertainment value I’d give it 5 stars, for the actual romance more like a 3.5 but overall it was so fun and funny and outrageous. Definitely recommend it if you’re not squeamish! Especially the audio!

Through The Glen

Happy Thursday! Through the Glen released today into Kindle Unlimited. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

In Through the Glen, we return to the (unfortunately) fictional Ardnoch, the member’s only club set in a castle deep in the Scottish Highlands, where shy housekeeper Sarah asks worldly aristocratic television producer Theo to work on her screenplay with her. Struggling with writer’s block on his own, he eventually agrees and the two shut themselves away in Sarah’s cottage to work on the project together. Their close proximity does its magic and the two start to have feelings that surprise them both. 

They’re opposites in almost all ways – Sarah is extremely shy and sheltered in her small town, she has lived a quiet life but really comes into her own in this book. She’s secretly a bestselling author under a pen name, and she goes through a lot of growth to accept her success and also to accept new friendships and experiences in her life. Theo is a swaggering playboy, the son of a British Viscount, one who’s vowed never to settle down after his first relationship imploded spectacularly. 

The two find comfort and acceptance in each other and it was lovely to watch their respective walls start to fall. The sparks between them were intense and the author always brings the spice which I love.

I can’t say either MC is my favorite of the author’s, but that’s okay. They can’t all be my favorite! They loved each other and Sarah is a lot more forgiving than me, so that’s what matters.

I love being in this world and am so glad we still have more books to come! I can’t get enough.

Head Over Heels

Happy Wednesday! Head Over Heels is out today I received an eARC in exchange for review and ordered the paperback as soon as it was available because, spoiler alert, it’s my favorite read of 2024 so far!⁣
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This is book two in the Wilder Family series, between middle brother Cameron Wilder and the woman with whom he gets stuck on an elevator.⁣
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Cameron and Ivy are strangers with an immediate attraction (I was sweating a little at their interaction) but are quickly rescued from their predicament, only for her to reappear in his life as a much needed client of his family’s construction company. The two are forced to spend time together as her family’s home is remodeled and soon their initial attraction sparks right back up again.⁣
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I loved both characters separately and together. Cameron is the good guy brother, the nice one, the one who fixes all the problems.He’s just so capable and emotionally mature and GAAHHH I loved him. Ivy is much more reserved thanks to her upbringing and I love that we got a slightly icy heroine! Cold girls need love too and it was a delight to watch Cameron purposefully and masterfully melt some of those walls. Their small town boy/city girl opposites attract vibe was excellent and boy did they have a lot of chemistry! ⁣
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I loved being back with the Wilder family, whom we’ve met through both this series and another, though things have definitely taken a sad turn as their father’s health continues to decline. Anticipatory grief is a hard thing to deal with and I loved that Ivy could be there for Cameron, who’s always there for everyone else. Also I sobbed like a baby. ⁣
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This was such an excellent, sexy, emotional, heartfelt small town romance. Karla’s long been a favorite author of mine but I feel like she’s entered a new era with these past few releases and I’m so glad I get to go along for the ride! ⁣

I Wish You Were Mine

Happy Thursday! I Wish You Were Mine by Jessica Peterson is out today 🎉  I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

This is book two in the Harbour Village series but can easily be read as a standalone.

I loved this! It’s got all my favorite things including:

*single dad/nanny

*age gap

*surprise pregnancy

*close proximity 

*small town

*all the spice

Maren is hired to be nanny to Tuck’s young daughter, and the two are immediately attracted to each other. I loved how their relationship progressed. Tuck tried not to be a creeper to his much younger nanny but the lust eventually won out. It wasn’t an easy path to HEA for them but I’m always glad when a book discusses mental health issues and therapy. 

It was sweet, it was spicy, it was charming, it had a cute kid, and all my favorite tropes! I really enjoyed it.

Shots and Barbs

Shots and Barbs is out today! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is book two in the Deep Earth Dating series – you could possibly read it as a standalone if you don’t care about how humans and monsters came to be living side by side on Earth. The history is all explained in book one, Berries and Greed, but that doesn’t really affect the plot of this one at all.

I’ve got to be honest, after reading Berries and Greed (which I loved) I wasn’t so sure about getting Nuni’s story. He’s a peacocking frat/gym bro who wasn’t necessarily very nice to his little bro (the MMC of Berries and Greed)  historically. He meets his match in Anita, the competent workaholic event planner in charge of his firm’s anniversary party. 

They seem very different at first – he’s chatty and boastful while she’s quieter and more reserved, but they bring out the softer side of each other, along with their competitive sides. And their horny sides. The competitive nature of their relationship results in the best banter, I was genuinely laughing out loud throughout the whole thing. 

Like I said, I wasn’t so sure about Nuni at the beginning but he absolutely won me over by the end. If Thatcher Kelly is your favorite Max Monroe character but you wish he was a 7 ft tall monster you’ll love Nuni. 

It’s pretty low angst, just two type-A hotties hooking up a lot while pretending it’s just sex but obviously falling for each other. There’s also a forbidden romance edge to it since Anita shouldn’t be dating her client per her workplace’s rules.

It did feel a little long in parts but I still enjoyed it and thought it was a lot of fun!

In A Jam

I love this book. I loved it last year when it was my first read of 2023, and I loved it this year as my first read of 2024. I did it on audio this time around and it was so so so good (Jason Clarke 🥵)⁣
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It’s easily become an all time favorite for me. It has literally everything I love in a romance – small town, marriage of convenience, a grumpy MMC who falls first and hard, pining (my GOD, the PINING). It had me laughing and swooning in equal parts. Even the tagline makes me swoon – “She was the one who got away. She just didn’t know it.”⁣
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My review from last year still holds true – ⁣
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Noah, Daddy Bread Baker for those in the know, is a serious dreamboat. He’s pined for his former neighbor/high school crush for years, so when she shows up back in town to claim an inheritance, he immediately throws out a marriage proposal to help her out – despite the fact that he’s very grumpy she left him behind in the first place. ⁣
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He’s raising his niece all on his own and doesn’t really have time for a marriage, what with single handedly saving his family’s farm, helping out everyone in town, and perfecting his jam recipes but he just can’t help himself. His niece was an absolute hoot- I want to be Gennie when I grow up. Even though he’s grown up physically since high school, he can’t help but blush and panic when Shay gets close, which of course makes him even grumpier.⁣
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Shay is a bit lost, her seemingly perfect life has come crashing down around her and she doesn’t know who she is or what she wants anymore. She was an interesting if not a bit frustrating at times character, but I think I actually understood her more the second time around. It’s so obvious Noah is gone for her, but she just got out of a really long and toxic relationship so immediately jumping into something new can’t be easy.⁣
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The sparks between Shay and Noah were immediate, and though it was a slow burn, when things got physical oh boy did dirty talking Noah have me blushing. I loved how these two balanced each other out.⁣
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I love this book. ⁣

New Year, New Books

Happy New Year! Here are a whole bunch of books I’m eagerly anticipating in 2024. These are mostly romance (of course) with a couple thrillers written by romance authors. 

Do you set reading goals? I don’t set solid ones because this is my hobby and if I feel like I’m falling behind on a goal I will STRESS so I hope to keep reading as much as I can while enjoying what I read. I did a terrible job reading diversely in 2023 so I absolutely need to step up my game in 2024. So that’s it.

Read. read diversely, and have fun doing it.

(release dates are subject to change, these are the dates Amazon US had as of December 24th)

JANUARY: 

  • Jan 5 -Shots and Barbs – Lily Mayne
  • Jan 8 – One Night – Lena Hendrix 
  • Jan 18 – I Wish You Were Mine – Jessica Peterson 
  • Jan 18 – Loving Romeo – Laura Pavlov 
  • Jan 18 – Time for Us – LM O’Halloran 
  • Jan 18 – Tanner – Katy Regnery 
  • Jan 24 – Head Over Heels – Karla Sorensen 
  • Jan 30 – Wild For You – Kristen Proby

FEBRUARY

  • Feb 1  – Through the Glen – Samantha Young
  • Feb 6 – The Accidental Crush – Mia Heintzelman
  • Feb 8  – Ashes Of You – Catherine Cowles
  • Feb 13 – Meegan – Rebekah Weatherspoon
  • Feb 13 – Fangirl Down – Tessa Bailey
  • Feb 13 – Ready or Not – Cara Bastone
  • Feb 13 – How You Get The Girl – Anita Kelly
  • Feb 13 – Fish Out of Water – Katie Ruggle

MARCH:

  • March 4 – Small Town Swoon – Melanie Harlow
  • March 5 – Swift and Saddled – Lyla Sage
  • March 5 – This Could Be Us – Kennedy Ryan
  • March 7 – Blitz – Devney Perry
  • March 26 – The Boyfriend Subscription – Steven Salvatore
  • March 26 – The Trail of Lost Hearts – Tracey Garvis Graves
  • March 26 – The Other Side of Disappearing – Kate Clayborn
  • March 28 – Wild River – Laura Pavlov

APRIL

  • April 2 – Just For the Summer – Abby Jimenez
  • April 2 – Here We Go Again – Alison Cochrun
  • April 9 – Only and Forever – Chloe Liese
  • April 9 – Wild Love – Elsie Silver
  • April 9 – The Kiss Countdown – Etta Easton
  • April 16 – Late Bloomer – Mazey Eddings
  • April 23 – Funny Story – Emily Henry
  • April 30 – The Feud – Sawyer Bennett

MAY:

  • May 1 – Their Last Resort – RS Grey
  • May 7 – The Five Year Lie – Sarina Bowen 
  • May 9 – Skies Over Caledonia – Samantha Young
  • May 14 – The Paradise Problem – Christina Lauren
  • May 21 – Savor It – Tarah Dewitt 
  • May 21- The 7-10 Split – Karmen Lee
  • May 28 – The Unravelling – Vi Keeland 

Summer: 

  • June 4th – Crossroads – Devney Perry 
  • June 4 – Napkins and Other Distractions – MA Wardell
  • June 24 – Leather & Lark – Brynne Weaver 
  • June 25 – Tangled Up In You – Christine Lauren
  • July 2 – The DM Diaries – Teagan Hunter 
  • July 9 – The Game Changer – Lana Ferguson
  • July 16 – The Best of All – Karla Sorensen 
  • July 16 – Not Another Love Song – Julie Soto 
  • July 16 – The Ex Vow – Jessica Joyce
  • July 16 – Catch The Sun – Jennifer Hartmann
  • July 23 –  All Folked Up – Penny Reid
  • August 6 – The Truth According to Ember – Danica Nava

Beyond: 

  • 9/3 – A Dawn of Gods and Fury – KA Tucker 
  • TBD – Lyri – Lily Mayne 
  • TBD – Haven Brothers Book Two – Claire Kingsley

Grumpy Santa

Grumpy Santa is out today! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

This was a quick and sweet but spicy romance filled with all the tropey goodness you’d expect from Kat Baxter. In this we get a surprise pregnancy, boss/employee, grumpy sunshine, small town romance.

There are lots of connections and cameos from previous stories from the author, which is good because I had to rely on that previous knowledge to really get the feelings between Audrey and Jared. All these books are quick and insta-love but because of the way this story is presented (present, past, present) it feels extra quick with not a lot of time building the romance.

Overall though a quick and fun read!

BLURB

Audrey

I’ve been in love with big, brooding Jared Sawyer ever since he hired me to work in his hardware store. He scowls a lot and growls more than he talks, but there’s something about him that makes me feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be. After one explosive night in his arms, I’m even more certain we belong together. But then he never mentions the way he kissed and held me, or the naughty things he whispered in my ear.

How is it possible that what felt like forever was just a one and done?

Just when I’m sure that the only consequences of our night together are awkward silences at work, I find out Jared left me with more than a broken heart.


GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200271720-grumpy-santa


PURCHASE LINKS 

US: https://amzn.to/3tb25Re
UK: https://amzn.to/3RuKrkV
CA: https://amzn.to/3GvJqCN
AU: https://amzn.to/3sV7D2s

Free in Kindle Unlimited