Romance

Wild Card

Wild Card is out today and I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Staci Hart has written pure romcom gold here and I loved it.  This book is so horny! 

It’s a small town, forced proximity, opposites attract, fake dating romance between Jessa, who’s in town for her best friend’s wedding, and Remy, her best friend’s cousin who is forced into hosting Jessa at his house when all other beds fall through. Jessa’s been in love with a childhood friend Henry her whole life, so Remy agrees to fake date her to make him jealous, only things turn real pretty quickly. 

Remy is totally outrageous- an unrepentant flirt, cocky and full of southern charm but also sweet to his mama and hiding his soft side. Jessa starts as a prim and proper lady and quickly devolves into playing horny games with Remy and I loved watching her let loose. 

The banter between them had me cackling, the spice had me sweating (this is SERIOUSLY spicy), and the romance had me swooning.

Staci’s back and her books are hornier than ever and I’m here for it! I can’t wait for more from this world because that last epilogue had me gasping and clutching my pearls. 

Swift & Saddled

🤠 R E V I E W 🤠

I really enjoyed Done and Dusted but I loved Swift and Saddled. I thought this was delightful. I find Lyla Sage’s writing to be so charming and easy reading in the best way. It’s easy to pick up her book and read the whole thing without moving or even realizing time has passed.

This returns us to Rebel Blue, and this time it’s Wes’s turn to fall. Wes is the easy going Ryder, the middle child peacekeeper who finds his match in Ada, the interior designer he hires to make over the house he’s turning into a guest ranch.

I loved their golden retriever/black cat vibes. Wes is so laid back and kind, while Ada is not quite as easy going. She’s had a rough patch and needs to take this job and herself seriously.

Wes falls first and hard and I loved how he carefully won Ada over. He was so patient and loving and supportive. Ada had a journey to go on to accept love and friendship into her life, and I appreciated that we really got to know the characters and their motivations so it was easier to understand why she struggled so much.  

I loved being back in this world and seeing all the Ryders and Teddy and Luke and I’m dying for books three and four! 

Only and Forever

Only and Forever is out today! Thank you to the publisher for the advanced review copy.

Can you believe it? The final book in the Bergman Brothers series is here and I am distraught that it’s over 😩

For four years we’ve laughed and cried along with this family as they’ve grown up and fallen in love. 

This time it was sweet Viggo’s turn, our ultimate cinnamon roll romance lover. We’ve seen him interfere in his sibling’s lives throughout the series, always pushing romance novels and rooting for their HEAs. He’s been waiting for a real life romance like he reads in his romances, but that doesn’t seem to be working for him. It’s okay because he’s busy opening a bookstore, being the best uncle ever, and adopting a whole lot of animals.

His life is shaken up when Tallulah Clarke, the girl he once had a big crush on, re enters his life and the two make an agreement. Tallulah needs help with her latest thriller from a romantic perspective, and Viggo needs help with his new bookstore. They agree to live together and exchange their skill sets, just as platonic friends, of course.

The forced proximity does as it always does and the roomies start to feel more, but both have a lot of baggage to work through. It was a slow burn, and the tension built most excellently.

I loved Viggo, he’s always been one of my favorite Bergmans and I loved getting to know him better. Tallulah was a little harder for me, not necessarily because she’s a ‘chilly cynic’ but because she was kind of mean to Viggo and since I already loved him, it felt kind of like she was being mean to my friend.

She comes from a toxic family with a lot of drama, but I felt like we never really got to understand what that drama was. We’re told her parents were bad, but I didn’t understand why. Her brother is a handful and enters rehab, but that happens in the background. I guess I just felt like her family stuff could have been expanded on so we could see it instead of just telling us they were toxic.

Another thing I felt like could have been explored more was Viggo’s ADHD. We know he has it but it doesn’t really seem to affect his life all that much, at least not that we see on page.

Overall it was a good read and ending to the series, just one I felt needed to be fleshed out a little more in some parts so we are shown more than told.

The Other Side of Disappearing

This was a soft and gentle story that I don’t quite know how to categorize. It’s an intriguing family drama, interwoven with a mystery, but it’s also a tender romance. The prose is beautifully written, quietly beautiful in a way that had me pausing often to reread.

The family drama is the main event to me, and I loved the relationship between Jess and her sister and how it grew and changed over the course of the book. My heart broke for them both, the walls they’ve had to build and how complicated their relationship had become. 

Though it’s somewhat the background story, I have to rave about the romance between Jess and Adam. Adam is such a gentle giant, so fully committed to supporting Jess however he can. Their relationship unfolded so softly, so gently, so tenderly. I just loved Adam so much!

All that being said, it was a little on the slow side for me. The mystery unfolded slowly, the romance developed slowly, I was ready for something, anything, to happen. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, because I did! I’m not sure the story would have worked as well at a faster pace anyway. I realize this is contradictory. 

Overall though I thought it was really good, especially if you love more of a quiet, understated, thoughtful story!

Storms and Secrets

Happy Thursday! Storms and Secrets is out today and I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ⁣
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What a sweet small town romance! This is book two in the Haven brothers series, and unlike book one, this isn’t so much a romantic suspense as it is a romantic domestic thriller (is that a thing??)⁣
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We’ve seen Marigold in other books as the best friend, the girl who’s waiting on her own HEA while all her friends all fall in love. She’s secretly been crushing on Zachary Haven, her best friend’s older brother, but he doesn’t seem to notice her existence, or worse, bolts from whatever room she’s in. After a near death experience, Zachary realizes he’s actually in love with Marigold, but the timing is off as she’s just started dating a handsome new-in-town stranger.⁣
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Zachary is determined to win her over and I love a determined man! They were so cute together, it felt almost like young love even though they’re in their 30s. Marigold was a sweetheart of a character, always helping everyone else out so I loved watching her finally get her HEA. Zachary made some mistakes along the way but I loved how he learned and grew and became the man Marigold needed. ⁣
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This is an odd thing but I loved that they had normal jobs – he’s an electrician and she’s a salon owner/hair stylist. It fits the small town setting so well, and of course it was great to be back in Tilikum. ⁣
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There is a bit of a love triangle but not one where I didn’t know exactly who she’d end up with. There’s also a secondary plot of a local girl gone missing and we do get to see what happened to her and how it comes around full circle to Marigold and Zachary’s doorstep. While it wasn’t a really suspense filled whodunnit type story, it was interesting to see it all unfold.⁣
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Overall this was a cute, sweet, easy reading romance that I read in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down! ⁣

This Could Be Us

This Could be Us is out today! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

I have said it before and I’m sure I will say it again, Kennedy Ryan is one of the most gifted storytellers I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Her writing is lyrical and tender and emotional and always transports me to another place.

Though there is dual POV, this is Soledad’s story. We first met her in Before I Let Go, though you could definitely read this as a standalone. After a series of devastating betrayals from her husband, she has to find a way to stand on her own for the first time in her adult life. She has three daughters to support, a career to build, and needs to find herself outside of married life. She finds herself very attracted to Judah, a man who for a lot of reasons she shouldn’t be with. 

Because the majority of the story is Soledad finding herself, this was definitely in the women’s fiction territory. There is a romance for sure but it’s not the primary focus. Soledad’s journey was a great one and I loved watching her figure her place out. The way she cared for her girls, her friendships, her sisters, it was lovely. 

Judah was an excellent character, so steady and sure in liking of Soledad. He’s a man who knows what he wants and is willing to be patient and play the long game to win. He wasn’t afraid to admit his feelings, or engage in a little light internet stalking to learn more about her and honestly, it was so great. What’s better than a man who shows he cares and is interested?

He’s a father to neurodiverse twin sons and their story was so beautifully told. I think the rep was so important and it was so interesting to read about how autism presents itself differently in his boys. 

The two had such great chemistry from the beginning, I would have loved to see more of them together. They had an immediate attraction, then they’re not together for most of the book, then together just at the end – again, I think it’s more of a women’s fiction book so that makes sense but it did make it a little slow for me in parts. 

Overall though this was such a great book from one of the best! It’s definitely going to stick with me for a long time. 

Ready or Not

Ready or Not is out now! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

Well, this was a delight. I know surprise pregnancy is a controversial trope but I actually love it and this was such a good spin on it.

Eve discovers she is pregnant after a one night stand and everything in her life begins to change (as pregnancy is wont to do). Her best friend is taking the news weird, her baby daddy is torn, and her best friend’s brother starts showing up for her when no one else is. The story carries us through her pregnancy as all these relationships start to grow and change.

Eve was an excellent heroine. She didn’t always get it right but it was admirable how she kept picking herself back up and trying. Life was not going the way she expected, she didn’t have her dream career and then to be impregnated by a bartender she hooked up really wasn’t in her plan but I loved how she just kept going. It’s told only in her POV so it’s really her story, and one I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Shep might have been the most perfect MMC I’ve ever read. I loved Shep. He is everything I don’t normally love in a MMC – blond, golden retriever, good guy. Such a good good guy. He has pined for Eve for years, so when his chance came to be there for her he took every opportunity to grow closer to her but also to be there for the baby. 

The way their relationship progressed had me downright giddy. It wasn’t all that steamy, but it was intimate and adorable. It’s a relationship of small touches and acts of service. There’s a scene where he massages her hand that made me take a sip of water because I was getting overheated. I just loved them!

I loved not just Eve and Shep but also the supporting characters. Willa is the best friend anyone would want, she would do anything for you even if it was hard for her. Ethan, the baby daddy, was struggling in such a very realistic way. He didn’t handle everything perfectly but in such a real feelings way.

I will say there were parts that felt perhaps a bit over the top about motherhood and how magical it is (one of the side characters, to summarize, said you’re self centered until you become a mother, then you become other centered and care about other people once you have children which had me blinking in confusion) but I tried not to let that bother me. 

Overall though, I loved this book. I loved it so much. It’s a top read of the year for me and I know these wonderfully flawed characters will stick with me for a long tim

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! 

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!

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! ⁣