Things We Hide From the Light is out Tuesday! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Things We Never Got Over was easily one of my top reads of the past year so to say I was excited for Things We Hide From The Light is an understatement. And thankfully, Nash and Lina’s story did not disappoint! TWHFL picks up right after TWNGO, and I do recommend reading TWNGO first – I had to skim over the last couple chapters of TWNGO to remind myself what happened.
Nash is the nicer, kinder, more upstanding Morgan brother who is still recovering from the events of TWNGO, both physically and mentally. He meets his match in Lina, his brother’s badass ex-girlfriend who becomes his new neighbor while she’s in town for reasons unknown. The chemistry between them was immediate and I loved their flirtations even as they tried to fight it – but once they gave in, boy was it molten hot.
The magic of the author’s writing is not only in her humor, which is guaranteed to make me laugh out loud, but also in her ability to write such realistic characters and settings that you feel like you might actually stumble across this rough-around-the-edges town and hang out with these characters that feel like friends. Her characters are wonderfully flawed and make mistakes and I love how realistic that is.
Along with the laughs, steam, and emotions, this story also had a good bit of danger and mystery that I loved watching unravel. Despite its length, I tore through the pages of this and was never bored for one second. It has all the excellent characters from TWNGO, plus we pick up a few more new friends as well and it was a delight to read them all interacting. There is not much I love more than small town shenanigans and Knockemout has those in spades.
I was left with a smile on my face and a blush on my cheeks and I just really enjoyed the ride from start to finish. There’s a reason Lucy Score is one of my all time favorite authors and this story just cements that even more.
It seems like January rolls around and after all the togetherness of the holidays, I’m tired of humans. Last year I went on an epic Ice Planet Barbarians binge, but this January Lily Mayne’s Monstrous series had me in an absolute chokehold.
It’s a post-apocalyptic m/m monster-human romance series, taking place twenty years after a rift opens and monsters from another world come strolling through. Things have somewhat settled, humans who are not in the military are either A. crammed into coastal cities monitored by the government, or B. in the “Wastes,” what’s left of the central US, left to their own marauding devices or gathered in small camps.
The books each follow a new couple, mostly as they travel through the Wastes or in camp, and I really loved them all- though Moth is the obvious standout to me. My poor precious Moth is such a broody broken sad boy, he really just needs a little love and a lot of hugs but because of his … uh, differences he’s developed a spiky personality, pushing everyone away (before they can push him away, you see).
However, all the characters are interesting, the steam in each was A+ level, tender, and very very (very) hot, and I loved the world building and how the plot progressed across the first six books of the series. It’s also a lot of fun to discover what kind of unique peen each type of monster has (gotta catch ‘em all).
I will be honest – I loved the first six so very much and didn’t love the recently released 7th one. So while that was a bummer to me personally, I’m not going to dwell on it because I still love the series overall and am very excited for what the future will bring!
Monstrous is available in KU for all your monster loving needs
Happy Tuesday! Jasper Vale is out today. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and thank you to the author for the gifted copy
Devney Perry’s books are such a comfort to me, no matter what series a new book always feels like coming home. This is Eloise and Jasper’s story which is, as we discovered in Garnet Flats, a drunken Vegas wedding story (which turns into a marriage of convenience, luckily for us.) It’s also the spiciest of the bunch so far, my goodness.
Eloise Eden is trying to prove to her family she’s responsible enough to take over the family’s hotel for good, so a drunken Vegas wedding won’t exactly scream responsibility to them. Jasper is in need of a date to his ex’s wedding, and what’s a better way to show to your ex you are over them than showing up with a new bride on your arm? The two strike an agreement to temporarily stay married and quickly start to fall for each other.
Jasper’s background was a little heartbreaking which drove his decision making in the present, and while I think some will struggle with him, I liked that he felt flawed and real. And though he did make mistakes, he was quick to own up to them. I loved how he believed in Eloise more than anyone else in her life and wasn’t afraid to be her cheerleader.
Eloise was definitely the sunshine to Jasper’s grump, wanting the best for everyone and not afraid to love with her whole heart. I did want to fight most of the Eden family during this for underestimating Eloise but they won me back over by the end.
I love any type of “fake” relationship that turns real in a romance and Jasper and Eloise are no exception. Jasper learning to open up to his wife was great and I loved that he gave Eloise the confidence she was needing to stand up to her family, at least a little.
Whispers of You by Catherine Cowles releases tomorrow and what a great start to the new series it is! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a small town, second chance, romantic suspense romance between Wren and Holt, who were high school sweethearts until a tragedy tore them apart and sent Holt running. We pick up the story a decade later when Holt returns to town to make amends with those he left behind, especially Wren and his family (whom we will be receiving stories for!)
The romance itself is very sweet, the two never stopped loving each other but Wren has to decide if she can trust Holt not to leave again. Thankfully for Holt, Wren is a lot more forgiving than me.
The effects of what happened a decade ago are still lingering, both in the couple and all the supporting characters and I thought it was a great exploration of grief in a community. The suspense portion kept me on the edge of my seat, though I did guess part of it early on I don’t think it was super obvious at all.
It really sets up the rest of the series well, and I’m very excited for all the Hartley sibling’s stories (especially Roan and Lawson!)
You Can Have Manhattan is another book that’s been on my TBR from a long time and I’m so glad I finally read it. I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining marriage of convenience romance!
Sydney and Scott are coerced into marrying by Scott’s father, who is also Sydney’s boss and mentor, in order to keep his company in family hands. The two are polar opposites – straightlaced Sydney is married to her career with no friends or family, while Scott is a former party animal playboy trust fund kid who has escaped his family’s legacy and moved to Wyoming to run a cattle ranch.
The two had a run in years before that resulted in Syndey kneeing Scott in the nuts, so neither are too keen on the marriage idea but both are willing to do anything for Scott’s dad. They fight, spar, and prank once forced into cohabitation, but the spark between them is impossible to resist and they eventually give in.
It was a fast moving story with lots of banter and emotion. I loved the setting and side characters and honestly would enjoy stories for a few of them. The story flowed quickly but in a good way, I never felt bored or like anything was missing.
While the third act conflict was a little dramatic for me, I still very much enjoyed the book overall and definitely recommend it if you’re looking for an entertaining enemies to lovers marriage of convenience romance!
Do you ever want to kick yourself for waiting so long to read a book? To be fair this only came out about three months ago but that’s three months I’ve lived without Daddy Bread Baker in my life which is tragic.
To say I loved this book is an understatement. It’s truly everything I love in a romance – small town, pining, marriage of convenience, a grumpy awkward & blushing single father hero, friends to lovers romance that had me laughing and swooning in equal parts.
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 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.
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.
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 really this was all about Noah (and Gennie) for me.
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.
This was my first read of 2023 and I can’t imagine a higher note to start off the year, I already know this is on my 2023 favorites list.
Crown of Crimson, an all-new dark fantasy romance with high heat in the Underworld Gods Series from New York Times Bestselling author Karina Halle, is out now!
My Take:
(ARC Review)
This is such a fun and sexy series! Yes, it deals with Death but it’s pretty light hearted and even a little silly at times.
This is book two, I definitely recommend reading book one first. We see the changes Hanna has gone through and is starting to come into her own in the Underworld. We also get a better understanding of Death and his motives as well.
The plot took a lot of twists and turns I enjoyed, and the steam is out of this world. There was something new spice-wise I’ve never read before in all the thousands of romance books I’ve read. I can’t decide if I liked it or not but I can’t remember the last time I was shocked by something and it was great to read something unique!
The end does definitely leave you saying WTF and wanting book three!
Blurb:
All Hanna Heikkinen wants is to be reunited with her father again. After all, that’s why she ventured into the dark and dangerous fantasy world of Tuonela, the Land of the Dead, in order to save his life. But this time her devotion to her father comes at a cost—her growing relationship with Tuoni, the God of Death himself, who held Hanna captive in exchange for her father’s life. The last thing she expects is to feel remorse at leaving Death at his castle of Shadow’s End without even saying goodbye, and yet he’s all she can think about.
Death has always prided himself on never trusting the living, but Hanna’s apparent betrayal has left a scar fathom’s deep. Vowing revenge on his future bride, and making sure she upholds her end of the bargain, Death sets out across his realm to steal Hanna back, which only fans the flames between them. But Death and Hanna aren’t just fighting each other—malevolent Old Gods are rising to power within the realm, magic is being poisoned, and buried secrets are brought to light, secrets that may cause Hanna to lose everyone she loves dear once again.
He shakes his head ever so subtly, his fingers bruising my skin. “After all you’ve seen, all you’ve done, all you’ve felt, and you’re still blind to the world around you. This is your world, Hanna. You know it is. You know you belong here more than you’ve ever belonged in your other life, and more than that, you belong here with me.”
My jaw tightens as I try to ignore the way my heart is skipping in my chest. “You’re sounding sentimental.”
“You’re mistaking sentiment with facts,” he says, lowering his masked face toward mine. “A mistake I’m sure you won’t make again. You belong with me, because that is the bargain we made. There is no escape for you. Not now, not ever. You made a promise to me, and your promise will be held to the very end.”
There’s a finality in his words that makes my blood run cold. For a moment he loosens his grip and sighs deeply. “I know you don’t like being told what to do, but you could have had it all,” he says, almost wistfully. “You could have had my trust. Now you will become my wife and there won’t be an ounce of trust or love between us.”
My heart skips again. “Who said anything about love?”
“Hmmph.” He tilts his head, examining me. “I could have loved you, you know.”
Oh. That I didn’t know. And for reasons I can’t explain, it feels like he’s pulled a pin out from my heart and I’m slowly deflating.
Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Dirty Angels and over 20 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.
Halle is represented by the Root Literary and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.
At a very high level, this is a book about Naomi (the good twin), who finds herself stranded in a small town after her sister (the bad twin) steals her car, her money, and leaves her with an 11 year old niece she never knew about. Grumpy and emotionally shut off Knox, the tattooed local business owner who finds out and helps her, can’t stay away from his new neighbor despite his better instincts.
This is a romance of course, but it’s also a story of family (found and blood), a story of finding yourself when life doesn’t turn out as expected, a story of community and letting new people in.
The author has a way of creating these believable characters and realistic settings that it feels like you could really wander into Knockemout and get a coffee at Cafe Rev from Justice. Is Knox the perfect man? No. Of course not, because he’s wonderfully flawed as all humans are and I appreciate that.
I was sucked in from the very beginning and read it in less than 24 hours. This was a read while you’re cooking dinner, stay up too late reading, cancel your Sunday plans ‘cause you’ve got a book to binge kind of read for me. Rock Bottom Girl will always have a very special place in my heart, but objectively I think this is the best book Lucy Score has ever written.
It made me laugh, it made me cry, but most importantly it left me feeling happy and hopeful. I highly, highly recommend this one, I read it nine days into the year and it’s already on track to be my 2022 favorite.
Totally Folked, the all-new folking delightful and bestselling small town contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid, is available now!
My take:
(ARC Review) Totally Folked is the first book in Penny Reid’s new Good Folk: Modern Folktales series. Though the setting and people are very familiar, it feels new and fresh at the same time. If you’ve never read a Winston Brothers novel you could certainly start here, it’s a great beginning. However, if you’ve read the Winston Brothers or various other Smartypants books, I think you’ll especially appreciate getting to know Jackson James in a new way.
Jackson James is not who I thought he was. We’ve seen him as the slightly antagonistic deputy sheriff throughout the Winston Brothers series and various other Smartypants books. We’ve seen him as the overprotective, slightly annoying big brother. We’ve even seen him as a fake fiancé. Finally we get to see him as the romantic lead and we see that he’s actually a very disciplined man who cares deeply for his community and is trying hard to overcome his reputation as a ladies man.
Raquel Ezra, Hollywood It Girl, spent a fun night with him five years ago at Sienna and Jethro’s wedding. Though their time together was brief, neither has forgotten the other. When Raquel returns to Green Valley, the two still feel that old spark, but each is sort of involved with someone else.
Officially, they are friends. They have good reasons to remain only friends but it just seems impossible for them to stay away. The connection and heat between them was palpable, I could feel the sparks through the screen of my kindle though it is a slowwwwwww burn.
I loved it! I loved seeing this other side of the man we’ve seen in the background of so many other stories. He was so thoughtful, so practical and conscious of his past wrongs. He was trying so hard to be a better man, a good man. He was quite the Boy Scout, for better or for worse.
Rae felt like your new BFF. Though she’s a big star, she’s mostly just a regular girl, struggling to find her place and meaning in the world. She’s at a crossroads and it felt fully relatable even though her problems are very different from mine, some things are universal.
I’m so excited this series exists and can’t wait to read more stories about our favorite secondary, now primary, Green Valley characters! I love this world Penny Reid has built so much! Returning to Green Valley always feels like returning home.
Blurb:
One unforgettable night leads to an unlikely shared connection, and unlikely connections never go unnoticed by the good folks in Green Valley, Tennessee. . .
Jackson James follows the rules. He has to. He’s a sheriff’s deputy in a super small town with a super big personality. However, strict adherence to the law during the day has been enjoyably balanced by rakish rules at night. Jackson, typically happy to protect and serve (and serve, and serve), starts questioning the value of wayward evenings when they begin to feel more like being waylaid rather than getting laid. Could it be that Green Valley’s most eligible—and notorious—bachelor longs for something (and someone) real?
Mega movie star Raquel Ezra follows only one rule: always leave them wanting more. Strict adherence to this single rule has served her well. Studio execs, reporters, audiences, fans, lovers—no one can get enough of the smart, savvy, and sexy bombshell. But when “generous offers” begin to feel more like excessive demands, years of always leaving has the elusive starlet longing for something (and perhaps someone) lasting.
When Raquel abruptly returns to the quirky Tennessee hamlet, her path crosses with the delectable deputy with whom she spent one unforgettable night. Unfortunately, scandal and intrigue soon follow. Raquel and Jackson must decide which is more important: following their rules? Or, at long last, finding something real.
TOTALLY FOLKED is a standalone, contemporary romantic comedy novel and book #1 in the Good Folk: Modern Folktales series.
To celebrate the release of Totally Folked Penny has an incredible GIVEAWAY!
Enter now for a chance to win a bundle of incredible signed books>>> https://bit.ly/3CnOAxz
Excerpt
“Rae. It’s late.”
“I know, but—”
“Rae,” he ground out, using my hold on his hand to bring us back to a stop. I faced him, my stomach erupting in uncertainty butterflies as I encountered the stern line of his jaw and the glittering, frustrated spark behind his eyes. “We need everyone to believe we’re just friends, right? And if we go inside the house, I don’t think I’m a good enough actor to pull that off.”
My mouth formed an O, and I released him, folding my arms over my chest while I wrestled with a strange combination of disappointment and pleasure at his words. I wanted to spend time with him, talk to him, get to know this mystery of a man so I could understand my feelings better.
But . . . I conceded his point.
We couldn’t seem to be around each other without kissing. Bringing him inside a dark, empty house in the middle of the night was something better left to my fantasies.
For now.
Oh really, inner voice? Now you’re impudent? Now?
He exhaled a short breath, it also sounded frustrated, but his tone was soft as he said, “Hey.”
I placed a tight smile on my face, it was the best I could manage. “Hey.”
Jackson seemed to be considering me, debating what to do next. He didn’t take too long. “Do you want to go for a drive?”
“Yes,” I said immediately. “Yes, I do. Let me grab a jacket.”
“Okay. I’ll wait here.” He shifted his weight to his back foot and hooked his thumbs in his jeans pockets.
I wanted to take a picture of him like this, all handsome reluctance and sexy self-control. This man, he just did something to me. I couldn’t explain it.
But maybe if we took this drive and spent some time together talking—just talking—I’d start to figure it out.
Meet Penny Reid
Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.
ATTENTION: If you have been a victim of false advertising, you may be entitled to compensation. If you were ever hired to take care of a fourteen-year-old boy’s knee injury on a luxury ranch in the Middle of Nowhere, Utah, but that fourteen-year-old boy ended up being a tall, rough-and-tumble, muscular, one-hundred-percent all-man cowboy by the name of Rhett Jameson, you may have been put at risk for falling in love. Please seek counsel immediately.
Dear Counselor,
It was supposed to be simple favor for my very important boss, Frank Kaminsky of the Salt Lake Slammers professional basketball team—go to his good friend Tex Jameson’s luxury ranch and provide personal medical care for his recently injured teenage son.
I thought it’d be a working vacation of sorts—a chance for my city-girl self to experience something I would never otherwise do—but everything is upside down, and absolutely nothing is as I thought it would be.
For one, this patient is not a teenage boy.
He’s a real-life, blue-eyed, tough-as-nails, thirtysomething cowboy who is so darn strong he looks like he could lift a car just for the heck of it.
He’s also stubborn, rude, and we don’t get along…at all.
Add in the heart-melting vision of him as a single father to the cutest little girl on the planet, and I’ve found myself in a whole different dimension of trouble.
Lust. Feelings. A whole lot of enemies-to-lovers-style complication.
Please help me. My name is Dr. Leah Levee, I am a victim of false advertising, and if I’m not careful, this Grumpy Cowboy might just be the death of me.
Goodreads Review – “What a wonderful, entertaining read from the very talented writing duo of Max Monroe, this is single dad Rhett Jameson and Leah Levee’s story and what a captivating tale they have to tell.”
Justmylovebooks.com blog – “Wow! This book has it all!”
BJ’s Book Blog – “ADORABLE!
I loved this!
The perfect city-girl falls for grumpy cowboy rom-com!”
About five years ago, a dynamic duo of romance authors teamed up under the pseudonym Max Monroe, and, well, the rest is history…
Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of more than thirty contemporary romance titles. Favorite writing partners and long time friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their Facebook newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they’ve found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far.
Romance Reviewed 