Happy Thursday! Sawyer is out today, thank you to the author for the ARC.
I loved this sweet (but spicccyyyyy) romance between Sawyer, our middle Rivers brother/single dad, and Ava, a single mother who is new in town to start a new job as a barrel racing coach. These two first meet in the city and have a fiery one night stand, only for Ava to show up in the same small town where Sawyer is from.
I just really loved their dynamic, from the body-slamming-at-the-bar meet cute to the eventual blending of their families. I loved how Ava helped Sawyer relax a little. It was fairly low angst, not a lot of drama between them, and that made it really quick and easy reading for me.
They’re both single parents and I loved the cute moments with their girls. I also loved the previous FMCs showing up to support Ava and welcome her into the Rivers clan. It made me laugh, swoon, and sweat at different times.
Wyatt is out today! Thank you to the author for the ARC
This one is for the mutual pining lovers! This is a childhood friends to fake dating to lovers romance between Sally and Wyatt, who we met in Cash.
I loved this! I’m not always a fan of friends to lovers but I thought this was really really well done. It felt realistic why neither would have made a move before now, and I loved watching their relationship grow and change as they finally did admit feelings.
I loved both characters separately and together. Sally is driven and ambitious but still has space for her family, friends, and community. She’s a good girl, following the dream her father set out for her, but I loved that she finally stood up for what she wanted and found her own path.
Wyatt is, on the surface, a bit of a class clown, always flirting and trying to make people laugh. He’s faced some loss in his life that makes him scared to commit, that is until he finally gets a chance with his dream girl Sally. Oh, did I love the way Wyatt loved Sally. He loved her in big ways and small ways and it just filled my heart with so much joy. He’s a man who is not afraid to show emotion, not afraid to make a grand gesture, not afraid to ask for help to win over his girl.
Together their relationship just felt meant to be – these two opposites sure had common ground in each other and I just thought it was a beautiful romance. It’s a romance that actually feels romantic but also has some very dirty (complementary) scenes that had me sweating – it was sweet and spicy in the best way.
Overall, I just really really loved this addition to the Lucky River Ranch series and can’t wait for Sawyer!
Give me a grumpy cowboy, a fish out of water city girl, and an enemies to lovers plot where the MMC thinks he was supposed to get the ranch the FMC inherits and now they have to work together side by side by side and I am a happy girl but throw in Jessica Peterson’s signature charm and steam and I am ecstatic.
Cash was on the surface a stoic, grumpy cowboy, but at heart he was actually quite sweet and very caring for those he loved. He gave up basically everything for his younger brothers after his parents passed away and has devoted his adult life caring for them and Lucky Ranch, so he doesn’t appreciate this city girl coming in after she inherits the property. Also, he has a great mustache and isn’t afraid of being vulnerable and sharing his feelings.
Mollie was a great character too, she was strong willed and determined but also willing to admit she didn’t know what she was doing. She stepped in and really tried to learn the business and I love how she stood up to Cash with no hesitation.
The banter between them was excellent and the sparks were intense from the get go, and when they finally give into that chemistry it gets to be melt-your-kindle hot. No location is off limits to these two! I’ve never considered the phrase “mustache ride” hot before but my worldview has been shaken and I’m re-evaluating everything.
I also loved the setting and side characters. Every small town cowboy romance needs a local dive bar, a close knit group of cowboys, and brothers who interfere with your life choices. I’m so excited to get the rest of these brother’s stories and get more from this world!
I’ve loved every Jessica Peterson book I’ve read and given her combination of southern gentleman (except in the bedroom) mixed with sassy, smart heroines, I feel like she was made to write cowboy romance!
Happy Thursday! I Wish We Had Forever released today. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this small town, brother’s best friend, fake marriage romance! 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! 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. 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. I’m sad this series is over, I’ve loved every book including this one!
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.
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!
I’m not always into office romance probably because all my years working in an office but sometimes it works! Especially if it’s an author I already like, I will still pick it up.
And look, I get it. The late hours, the forced proximity, the power dynamics, it’s hard to resist (fictionally)! Here are some that I’ve really enjoyed.
One of my very favorite types of series is one about a family where each sibling finds their HEA. If you can throw in a sassy grandpa or wise grandma, I’m pretty much guaranteed to love it.
Here are some of my favorite fictional families! Do we have any in common?
Shipley: True North by Sarina Bowen
Bailey: The Bailey Brothers by Claire Kingsley
Winston: The Winston Brothers by Penny Reid
Sawyer: Cloverleigh Farms by Melanie Harlow
Beauregard: North Carolina Highlands by Jessica Peterson
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!
(ARC REVIEW) This book took me by surprise! It was not exactly what I’ve come to expect from the author, but it’s wonderful that an author’s talents grow and change as they do. It has her signature heat and southern charm, but it does delve into some darker topics as well.
The balance between the dark and light is so well done. There are some raw, gut-punching, heart wrenching moments but there are also plenty of light and sexy parts. There are a lot of hot and steamy scenes that describe postpartum sex in a very real way. I loved that it wasn’t immediately sunshine and rainbows.
I am always in favor of speaking up about mental health, so I applaud the author for writing about postpartum depression and the struggles of new motherhood. It was real and raw and made my heart hurt. Beau also had his share of mental health woes so it was beautiful to watch two people who are struggling come together, despite their challenges. It’s not painted as “love heals all” thankfully, but they do realize they don’t have to push love aside in order to heal and thrive.
The friends-to-lovers relationship felt entirely believable. I loved the honesty between them and the love that existed and changed throughout their journey.
I loved the setting of the book and know that it will be a great backdrop for the rest of the series! This is Jessica Peterson at her finest and I can’t wait for more!
BLURB: I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff in my life. But sleeping with my best friend tops the list.
Annabel and I have been close since college. When I left school to play pro football, she was there. While I collected Super Bowl rings and cars worth more than the house I grew up in–she was there.
I always assumed we’d end up together. Everyone did.
But by the time I retired from football, Bel was married. I thought I’d missed my shot at love.
So I buried myself in my new job as CEO of Blue Mountain Farm, a five-star resort my family and I built in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. It seems like a good place to be alone with the secret I have to keep from her.
Now Bel is a divorced single mom, struggling to raise her daughter on her own–and it’s my turn to be there for her.
So I invite her and the baby up to the resort for some much needed R&R.
Then, in a moment of bonfire-and-bourbon induced weakness, I kiss her.
And the fallout could ruin everything.
SOUTHERN SEDUCER is a full length, standalone novel. It is the first book in the all new North Carolina Highland series.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Jessica Peterson writes smart, sexy romance set in her favorite cities around the world. She grew up on a steady diet of Mr. Darcy, Jamie Frasier, and Edward Cullen, and it wasn’t long before she started creating irresistible heroes of her own. She loves strong coffee, stronger heroines, and heroes with hot accents.
She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband Ben, her daughter Gracie, and her smelly Goldendoodle Martha Bean.
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