Happy Tuesday! Beautiful Exile is out today, thank you to the author for the ARC.
I always love being back in Sparrow Falls!
This is Arden’s story, who’s been a bit of a mystery throughout the series, and it turns out she’s one of my favorite CC heroines ever! How can you not love a FMC who holds the MMC at knifepoint upon first meeting him??
It’s got everything I love and want in a Catherine Cowles book – small town, (found) family, underestimated but strong FMC, protective MMC, romance, suspense, Lolli, and this time throw in a hilarious meet cute too!
Definitely check this one out if you’ve loved this series so far too!
Happy Tuesday! In A Rush is out today, thank you to the author for the ARC.
If you know me, you know my unrelenting love for In A Jam, the first book in this series (though either can 100% be read as a standalone) so I was so excited to get more in this world! This was a laugh out loud romance, filled with long term pining (from him), a fulfilled marriage pact, and revenge against a two-timing ex.
I love a marriage of convenience romance but a revenge marriage is even better. Emme recently found out her ex was cheating on her, and the two have to be in a wedding party together very soon. Her old BFF Ryan reminds her of the marriage pact they made in high school – they’re both 30 and unmarried, so they elope in order to make her ex feel bad and also to clean up Ryan’s reputation.
Ryan and Emme are both flawed characters, which I loved even if they were at times frustrating (just like real people are!) There were a lot of genuinely hilarious moments, and it was so wonderful to see characters we’ve met in previous books but also meet new ones. I especially loved Ryan’s teammates!
Though I really did find this enjoyable, there were perhaps too many similarities plot wise to In A Jam for me (marriage of convenience, high school friends, he’s secretly pined for her for years, she’s a teacher who recently got dumped and is feeling adrift, same female friend groups, etc) which made it hard not to compare the two. It didn’t quite stack up as well for me or have the same heart as In A Jam. I also found Shay and Noah to be way more likable than Emme and Ryan.
Overall though I did like it and enjoyed my time back in this world!
The Boss + The Maid = Chemistry is out now! Thank you to the author for the ARC.
This was such a sexy and fun rom-com! This is a spin off of the author’s Doctors series though it reads fine as a standalone.
Efa and Bennett have a one night stand after meeting at a bar, only for her to show up as a maid at the hotel Bennett is currently residing in (and secretly owns.)
Efa is young and ballsy, she’s come to New York to get a job in tech and has no trouble going toe to toe with Bennett, who is 13 years older and tech billionaire. Bennett thinks she’s possibly stalking him after she shows up in his hotel room which was a funny misunderstanding.
The two are very hot for each other but it’s complicated with their age gap, her technically working for him and wanting a job at his tech company, and his general desire to remain anonymous.
It was spicy, funny, and I had a good time reading it!
Happy Monday! Just My Luck is out today, thank you to the author for the ARC.
There’s not much I love more than a grumpy/sunshine marriage of convenience romance and this one was so good! I think this might be my favorite Lena book yet.
We know Abel from previous books, he owns the local brewery, and is very grumpy. Sloane is his employee, a sunshiney single mom who overhears that Abel is having trouble securing a business loan to buy out his evil father’s stake in the brewery, so she concocts the perfect plan – they’ll marry so she can get her trust fund early and give him the money he needs in exchange.
The forced proximity of living together worked its magic and the tension between them was so great. Sloane was so upbeat and fun and I loved how grumpy Abel melted for her and her kids. He was so soft for them when he generally didn’t allow softness in his life – due to his heartbreaking past.
I loved being back in Outtatowner! It was so great seeing both the Sullivans and the Kings and how their overall relationships have changed throughout the series. The subplot that has run through the background of both series continues to grow and I’m dying to see what happens next! Royal’s book is coming and I’ve been waiting not so patiently for him.
I was so excited to see Tessa Bailey had a golf romance! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. This was such a solid romcom! I know what to expect from Tessa Bailey at this point and it delivered on exactly what I wanted from her. It’s low angst, hilarious, and spicy. I can’t say it was hugely different from a lot of her other books, aside from the golf stuff, but I can’t say I really want anything different from her either. I found myself laughing out loud often, especially at Wells’ befuddlement over his feelings for Josephine which is my favorite hallmark of Tessa’s books. He fancied himself a cold jerk with a juicy booty but he was so so so soft for his lady and I loved how he was so protective but also knew she was a badass and treated her like an equal, while also being growly and possessive. He cared in such big and small ways and it was a delight. Josephine was a great character, and I loved the Type 1 diabetes rep. I feel like I learned some new things so that was great! She didn’t want to be only known for her T1D diagnosis and I loved how strong she was on her own. She really tamed the beast in Wells while also not letting herself get walked over. The two had great chemistry, it had the fan-yourself spice and dirty talk I expect from Tessa 🍑 and I just really had a great time reading it! It’s funny, it’s spicy, it’s entertaining. Definitely recommend for Tessa fans!
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!
Happy Thursday! Today we are lucky because a new Claire Kingsley book has released. I am doubly lucky because I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a sweet small town romance! It’s got all my favorite things – grumpy/sunshine, characters in their 30s, forced proximity, quirky small town, and a good dose of romantic suspense.
It’s a slow burn as they move from strangers to friends to lovers and I loved watching how they melted for each other, especially Josiah because what’s better than a stoic man who is perfectly happy on his own falling for a quirky sunshine woman?
Though this is a spin off of the Bailey Brothers (which is a spin off of the Miles family) you could definitely read this one as a standalone. That being said, it sure was wonderful being back in Tilikum with all its weird residents and squirrels. I never thought I’d be rooting for the Havens but I can’t wait for more of these brothers!
Like a cold glass of sweet tea on a warm summer’s day, I Wish I Knew Then is a refreshing and very southern treat.
Riley and Louise had a whirlwind summer relationship when they were 18, only for Riley to unceremoniously dump Lu at the end of summer. It’s ten years later and the two run into each other at their respective best friend’s wedding, and Riley decides not to let Lu get away this time.
Riley was a man determined, he sacrificed for love once before and wouldn’t make that mistake again. Louise is fresh off a long term relationship and not so sure she’s ready to start something new, especially with the man who broke her heart ten years before.
It’s a very sexy story, full of exploration and rekindled feelings, but it’s also a warm and cozy story about a small touristy southern town and the wedding the two were brought together for. It’s also brimming with food descriptions that had my mouth watering as is common with any Jessica Peterson. Oh, and butt stuff.
It’s a fairly low angst story, just a sweet second story with a lot of spice. I enjoyed it a lot!
Happy Tuesday! The Stars Are On Our Side is out today. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is an interconnected standalone based in the same world as Still Beating and Lotus, and I do absolutely recommend reading those first. We first met Tabitha in Still Beating and fell in love with Gabe in Lotus (I did anyway) and I’ve been very excited for their story!
This is an emotional friends to lovers, unrequited love romance that will pull at your heartstrings and take you on an emotional rollercoaster. It’s told in dual timelines, taking us back to Earl’s basement in a series of flashbacks, as well as showing us where Tabitha is today and how the effects of her trauma impact her every day.
Gabe is such a sweetheart, I loved him so much in Lotus and loved him even more here. He was so so so good and kind and loving and patient. Tabitha has been through so much in her short life and I just felt so much for her.
It didn’t pack quite as emotional of a punch for me as Still Beating and Lotus, or at least it didn’t have me feeling emotionally distraught for days after – but to be fair it would be hard to top those. The conflict and drama (as hinted in the blurb) did kind of drive me insane but whatever. It was still great to be back in that world and hanging out with Oliver, Sydney, and Cora!
I definitely recommend this one as long as you’ve read the first two!
The Best Laid Plans releases tomorrow, thank you Montlake for the ARC.
This was such an enjoyable romance! It was perhaps a little more grief heavy than I was anticipating, but I enjoyed how emotional it was.
Burke is recently retired from the NFL due to an injury when he gets the news his best friend has tragically passed in a car accident and left him his grandparent’s mansion which is in massive need of a renovation. All Burke wants to do in his unplanned forced retirement is relax with his family in Florida, so a stressful project halfway across the country doesn’t appeal to him.
The house comes with a project manager in charge of the renovation who convinces him to keep the house and oversee the reno in honor of his best friend who wanted the house returned to its former glory. Burke and Charlotte temporarily move in together in the carriage house on the property and immediately butt heads. I enjoyed the sparks and banter between them and their slow burn relationship. I also really enjoyed their families and the set up for the next book sounds great!
Overall it was a good read, I really enjoyed the setting and the home preservation and I look forward to the next book!
Romance Reviewed 