The Troublemaker

The Troublemaker by Jessica Peterson is out today in KU! This is book two in her Sex and Bonds series, but I think you could easily read it as a standalone. 

This is a sweet and spicy age gap brother’s best friend romance between Brooks, a 34 year finance whiz, and Greer, his best friend’s virginal 23 year old sister who sells her baked goods at his office. Greer has had a crush on him for quite a while, but Brooks has only started noticing her more recently. Throw in a little forced proximity and BOOM.

Though the book does touch on some heavier topics, the relationship itself is pretty low angst. I loved how the relationship brought out the best in both of them and how encouraging Brooks was for her to take care of herself and ask for what she deserves. 

I know there are going to be two things in any Jessica Peterson book: hot sex and delicious food and this one didn’t disappoint. This was an easy read that I really enjoyed! 

One and Only

One and Only is out today! Thank you to the author for the gifted copy! I bought the couple cover as well, because it’s just so gorgeous and I am forever a sucker for a forehead kiss. 

This is a slowwww burn marriage of convenience sports romance which are some of my favorite things! This is between Greer, whom we’ve met previously in her sibling’s books, and Beckett, a football playing single dad who will do anything for his daughter.  

The romance between the two is a slow burn in the best way, the tension is immaculate. I loved how opposite they are – Greer is bold and outgoing and has no problem sharing her feelings, while Beckett is taciturn and more reserved – and I loved how they complimented each other. I loved the moments where you could feel fake become real. I loved each of their relationships with Beckett’s daughter Olive, and I loved Greer’s relationship with her family. I even loved Beckett’s respectful co-parenting with Olive’s mom. 

I guess you could say I loved it all! It’s the kind of romance that reminds me why I love the genre. It’s heartfelt, a bit emotional at times (I cried, though to be fair I also cheered out loud at one point), full of humor and charm and I was so glad to be back in this world. 

Definitely check this one out in KU if you are looking for a new sports romance to steal your heart!

Resisting the Grump

This one has been on my TBR since I saw this gorgeous cover last year! I finally made time to read it and I’m glad I did. 

It’s a small town, age gap romance between Rae, who returns home after college to help at her parent’s business, and Davis, the town recluse who Rae had a huge crush on as a teen but who barely knew she existed then. 

It’s a little messy and a little angsty. They both make a lot of mistakes and they’re both kind of mean to each other at times, and I was here for that! 

For my steam loving friends, I would say this book is pretty darn spicy and had me blushing at times.. 

I saw a lot of mixed reviews for reasons that I can’t explain without spoilers but I enjoyed it and apparently don’t have the same set of standards as those people. I’ve been slumpy recently and I was still able to read this all in one sitting because I wanted to know how it would play out.

If you are looking for a spicy, dramatic,  small town romance this one is in KU! 

Runaway Love

Runaway Love is out today! 

What a fun start to this series! Melanie Harlow is a favorite of mine, and this was a lighter, funnier side of hers. All of her books make me laugh, but this one stepped it up a bit. 

Veronica is a runaway bride with nowhere to go who stumbles into a job as a nanny for single dad Austin. The two are immediately attracted to each other, but obviously Austin can’t date his kid’s nanny. The forced proximity and tension eventually explodes and we get that excellent steam the author is known for.

I really had a fun time reading this! It’s lighthearted, funny, spicy, and gave me all the good feelings. I definitely recommend it if you are looking for a new small town romcom without a lot of angst or drama! 

Kyland

Kyland by Mia Sheridan re-released yesterday through Bloom! This was a beautifully written, at times bleak, new adult romance set in an Appalachian coal mining town. It’s a story of sacrifice, hope, and true love overcoming all.

Tenleigh and Kyland are both in the running for a college scholarship that could help one of them leave their small town behind. Both have been raised in abject poverty, with food insecurity, housing insecurity, and no real support from their families. They are both desperate to leave, so neither of them needs an entanglement with the competition, but they are drawn to each other nonetheless.

I think the book does a really good job of exploring a desperate situation while still maintaining a feeling of hope. The romance was so sweet and I was really rooting for them.

Their situation made my tummy hurt and I can’t say I didn’t see the majority of the plot coming from a mile away, but I was still interested to see how it would all unfold! Overall a great read.

Beyond the Thistles

Happy Tuesday! Beyond the Thistles released today. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

This is the first book in the author’s new The Highlands series, which is a spin off her Adair Family series. Though I don’t think you would need to read the Adair Family first, there are a lot of overlapping characters and settings so it may be best enjoyed in order.

This brings us the story of Walker and Sloane, both of whom we met previously. It’s a small town, single mom/bodyguard romantic suspense novel set in the Scottish highlands. 

Walker is a stoic, grumpy hero determined not to let outgoing single mom Sloane in. Sloane knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to put herself out there to try to get it.

The suspense elements were a bit of a rollercoaster from beginning to end which was nice, there’s lots of steam, and I really enjoyed seeing the Adairs again! I’m looking forward to more in this series.  

Echoes of You

Happy Monday! Echoes of You by Catherine a Cowles releases tomorrow. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

The author has delivered another small town, romantic suspense that her fans will be sure to love! 

This one also has:

-Childhood Friends-to-Lovers

-Only One Bed

-Heroine In Hiding with ‘Who Did This to You’ vibes

Maddie has returned to her hometown seeking the comfort of home. Her BFF Nash is happy to have her back in town, until he realizes why she’s bruised and in hiding.  Nash will do anything to protect the woman he’s long had feelings for and I loved his protective vibes. 

The tension was slow building between Maddie and Nash and it was a delight when it finally explodes. As always with a Catherine Cowles book there is good suspense with lots of moving parts and suspects that will keep you on your toes.

Overall a great addition to the Lost & Found series and I’m looking forward to more from these Hartley siblings.

Tough Cookie

Happy Thursday! Smartypants season kicks off today!

I really enjoyed this opposites attract fake dating romance. Tough Cookie is the third standalone in the Donner Bakery series, this one between Noah and Carla.

Stunt man Noah has returned home to Green Valley to recuperate from an injury suffered on this most recent film, where he runs into Carla, the reclusive woman who is renting a house from his mother. Noah’s mom is on his case to settle down and give her grandbabies, so Noah proposes that he and Carla hang out while she’s in town to fool his mom. Carla has been isolated while dealing with a debilitating illness, and she decides to let Noah help her ease her way back into the real world 🤝

I really enjoyed these characters, separately and together. Noah is an easy going, flirtatious cinnamon roll of a man, skilled both in stunt work and the art of cookie decorating. Carla is much more reserved, an extremely organized woman who’s life now revolves around treating her illness and work.  Both have bad experiences in their past so they promise not to fall for each other during their arrangement, which of course never works.

They had really excellent banter, it made me laugh out loud multiple times. There were immediate sparks between them and I loved how their romance felt natural, despite the short time frame. 

It was quick reading for me, I basically read it in one sitting and was kind of bummed when it was over! I really enjoyed this one.  Though this takes place in the Penny Reid universe you can read it as a complete standalone.

Dough You Love Me

What a sweet second chance romance!  Dough You Love Me? by Stacy Travis is a standalone in the Donner Bakery series and it releases tomorrow in KU! Have bread nearby when you read this one

Julia has returned home to Green Valley under unfortunate circumstances: her beloved grandma has died, and she has to sell the family home. Though she needs to return to her bread empire in California, she agrees to help out at the Donner Bakery while she’s in town to return to her love of bread making. The only problem is Shane, her former high school crush, is already the bread baker there. The two have to work side by side and it’s hard to ignore those old feelings.

There was some internalized ableism going on with Shane as a teen so if that’s a trigger for you I’d steer clear but after reading the author’s note I felt better about it. We’ve all felt not good enough or like an outsider, only for Shane one of his differences was fully visible for the world to see and that affected how he approached life. 

I really enjoyed the sweet relationship between them and how it all played out. It was a great story and I liked it a lot! Truly a great kickoff for this Smartypants season!

Georgie, All Along

Georgie, All Along is a heartwarming romance about a woman who returns to her hometown to find herself.

Or, more importantly, not necessarily finding a grand purpose but instead learning to be okay with living in the moment without everything planned out. Georgie has spent her adult life catering to other people’s needs, so when she finds herself suddenly unemployed without a plan she finds herself adrift. Levi has spent his life trying to prove his father wrong and outgrow his troublemaker reputation, living a quiet life so as to not rock the boat and draw attention to himself. 

The two find themselves as unexpected roommates due to a miscommunication and the forced proximity works its magic as it often does. Georgie and Levi seem like opposites at first, she’s all sunshine and bold outgoing energy while Levi is quiet and disgruntled and grumpy, but really they have more in common than they think and balance each other out quite nicely.

Levi and his dog Hank are two of my favorite characters I’ve read in a long time. Though this book is sort of the Georgie show, they were the stars for me. 

It was a warm and cozy read that I know I’ll be thinking about for a long time.  The beginning did start out a bit slow for me but I really loved it by the end!