Romance

Shots and Barbs

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!

In A Jam

I love this book. I loved it last year when it was my first read of 2023, and I loved it this year as my first read of 2024. I did it on audio this time around and it was so so so good (Jason Clarke 🥵)⁣
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It’s easily become an all time favorite for me. It has literally everything I love in a romance – small town, marriage of convenience, a grumpy MMC who falls first and hard, pining (my GOD, the PINING). It had me laughing and swooning in equal parts. Even the tagline makes me swoon – “She was the one who got away. She just didn’t know it.”⁣
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My review from last year still holds true – ⁣
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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 immediately 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. ⁣
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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.⁣
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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 I think I actually understood her more the second time around. It’s so obvious Noah is gone for her, but she just got out of a really long and toxic relationship so immediately jumping into something new can’t be easy.⁣
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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.⁣
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I love this book. ⁣

New Year, New Books

Happy New Year! Here are a whole bunch of books I’m eagerly anticipating in 2024. These are mostly romance (of course) with a couple thrillers written by romance authors. 

Do you set reading goals? I don’t set solid ones because this is my hobby and if I feel like I’m falling behind on a goal I will STRESS so I hope to keep reading as much as I can while enjoying what I read. I did a terrible job reading diversely in 2023 so I absolutely need to step up my game in 2024. So that’s it.

Read. read diversely, and have fun doing it.

(release dates are subject to change, these are the dates Amazon US had as of December 24th)

JANUARY: 

  • Jan 5 -Shots and Barbs – Lily Mayne
  • Jan 8 – One Night – Lena Hendrix 
  • Jan 18 – I Wish You Were Mine – Jessica Peterson 
  • Jan 18 – Loving Romeo – Laura Pavlov 
  • Jan 18 – Time for Us – LM O’Halloran 
  • Jan 18 – Tanner – Katy Regnery 
  • Jan 24 – Head Over Heels – Karla Sorensen 
  • Jan 30 – Wild For You – Kristen Proby

FEBRUARY

  • Feb 1  – Through the Glen – Samantha Young
  • Feb 6 – The Accidental Crush – Mia Heintzelman
  • Feb 8  – Ashes Of You – Catherine Cowles
  • Feb 13 – Meegan – Rebekah Weatherspoon
  • Feb 13 – Fangirl Down – Tessa Bailey
  • Feb 13 – Ready or Not – Cara Bastone
  • Feb 13 – How You Get The Girl – Anita Kelly
  • Feb 13 – Fish Out of Water – Katie Ruggle

MARCH:

  • March 4 – Small Town Swoon – Melanie Harlow
  • March 5 – Swift and Saddled – Lyla Sage
  • March 5 – This Could Be Us – Kennedy Ryan
  • March 7 – Blitz – Devney Perry
  • March 26 – The Boyfriend Subscription – Steven Salvatore
  • March 26 – The Trail of Lost Hearts – Tracey Garvis Graves
  • March 26 – The Other Side of Disappearing – Kate Clayborn
  • March 28 – Wild River – Laura Pavlov

APRIL

  • April 2 – Just For the Summer – Abby Jimenez
  • April 2 – Here We Go Again – Alison Cochrun
  • April 9 – Only and Forever – Chloe Liese
  • April 9 – Wild Love – Elsie Silver
  • April 9 – The Kiss Countdown – Etta Easton
  • April 16 – Late Bloomer – Mazey Eddings
  • April 23 – Funny Story – Emily Henry
  • April 30 – The Feud – Sawyer Bennett

MAY:

  • May 1 – Their Last Resort – RS Grey
  • May 7 – The Five Year Lie – Sarina Bowen 
  • May 9 – Skies Over Caledonia – Samantha Young
  • May 14 – The Paradise Problem – Christina Lauren
  • May 21 – Savor It – Tarah Dewitt 
  • May 21- The 7-10 Split – Karmen Lee
  • May 28 – The Unravelling – Vi Keeland 

Summer: 

  • June 4th – Crossroads – Devney Perry 
  • June 4 – Napkins and Other Distractions – MA Wardell
  • June 24 – Leather & Lark – Brynne Weaver 
  • June 25 – Tangled Up In You – Christine Lauren
  • July 2 – The DM Diaries – Teagan Hunter 
  • July 9 – The Game Changer – Lana Ferguson
  • July 16 – The Best of All – Karla Sorensen 
  • July 16 – Not Another Love Song – Julie Soto 
  • July 16 – The Ex Vow – Jessica Joyce
  • July 16 – Catch The Sun – Jennifer Hartmann
  • July 23 –  All Folked Up – Penny Reid
  • August 6 – The Truth According to Ember – Danica Nava

Beyond: 

  • 9/3 – A Dawn of Gods and Fury – KA Tucker 
  • TBD – Lyri – Lily Mayne 
  • TBD – Haven Brothers Book Two – Claire Kingsley

Grumpy Santa

Grumpy Santa is out today! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

This was a quick and sweet but spicy romance filled with all the tropey goodness you’d expect from Kat Baxter. In this we get a surprise pregnancy, boss/employee, grumpy sunshine, small town romance.

There are lots of connections and cameos from previous stories from the author, which is good because I had to rely on that previous knowledge to really get the feelings between Audrey and Jared. All these books are quick and insta-love but because of the way this story is presented (present, past, present) it feels extra quick with not a lot of time building the romance.

Overall though a quick and fun read!

BLURB

Audrey

I’ve been in love with big, brooding Jared Sawyer ever since he hired me to work in his hardware store. He scowls a lot and growls more than he talks, but there’s something about him that makes me feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be. After one explosive night in his arms, I’m even more certain we belong together. But then he never mentions the way he kissed and held me, or the naughty things he whispered in my ear.

How is it possible that what felt like forever was just a one and done?

Just when I’m sure that the only consequences of our night together are awkward silences at work, I find out Jared left me with more than a broken heart.


GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200271720-grumpy-santa


PURCHASE LINKS 

US: https://amzn.to/3tb25Re
UK: https://amzn.to/3RuKrkV
CA: https://amzn.to/3GvJqCN
AU: https://amzn.to/3sV7D2s

Free in Kindle Unlimited

Romance Novellas

Novellas are great for a lot of reasons. 

I love to squeeze them in between longer reads as a break, they’re perfect if you’re trying to reach a reading goal, they work wonders if your attention span isn’t great (especially during busy times such as the holiday season).

For whatever reason you have for reading them, here are quite a few options. Some I’ve read, some were recommended to me by others.

Contemporary

  • Denise Williams – Love and Other Flight Delays (3 novellas bound into one)
  • Rachel Lacey – Out of the Blue 
  • Suleikha Snyder – Tikka Chance on Me 
  • Devney Perry – Timeless 
  • Rilzy Adams – Treble 
  • Evie Mitchell – Knot My Type
  • Tessa Bailey – The Sweetest Fix 
  • Chelle Sloan – Thirst Trap 
  • Jenny Bunting – Safe With You
  • Penny Reid – Live and Let Grow

Historical

  • Erin Langston – A Day Until Forever 
  • Beverly Jenkins – A Prisoner of love 
  • Alyssa Cole – Let It Shine 
  • Courtney Milan – A Governess Affair
  • Mimi Matthews – A Holiday by Gaslight  
  • Erin Langston – Some Winter’s Evening
  • Felicity Niven – Duke the Halls 
  • Nicola Davidson- Her Virgin Duke 
  • Tessa Dare – When She Was Naughty 
  • Megan Frampton – The Earl’s Christmas Pearl

Audible Originals

  • Rebekah  Weatherspoon – A Walk In The Park 
  • Cara Bastone – Sweet Talk 
  • Kennedy Ryan – Coming Home
  • A Thief in the Night- KJ Charles
  • Michelle Stimson – Let It Snow 
  • Codi Hall – Along Came Holly
  • Karen Schaler – Once Upon a Christmas Carol 
  • Mahi Cheshire – Whisked Away At Christmas

Monster Romance

  • Lucy Eden – Bear with Me
  • Monster Pucker – Clio Evans & Ashley Bennett
  • Honey Phillips – Her Alien Farmhand
  • Ruby Dixon – Ice Planet Barbarians

Series Starters

  • Claire Kingsley – Protecting You
  • Max Monroe – Gotta Have Fate
  • Elsie Silver – Out of the gate
  • Devney Perry – Christmas in Quincy

Christmas I’ve read and recommend:

  • Talia Hibbert – Merry Inkmas
  • Devney Perry – Holiday Brothers (3 novellas) 
  • Lucy Score – One Night Only
  • Chloe Liese – Mistletoe Motive 
  • Melanie Harlow – Baby it’s cold outside
  • J Saman – Just One Kiss 
  • JR Jenner – One Week With You 
  • Talia Hibbert – Wrapped Up In You
  • Katie Reus- How the Hitman Stole Christmas
  • Melissa Ivers – Mistletoe and Mischief

Christmas recommended to me by others:

  • Hannah Bonam-Young – Set the Record Straight
  • Rilzy Adams – Spiked Hot Chocolate
  • Kate Clayborn – Missing Christmas 
  • Wren K Morris – From Cocktails to Sleigh Bells 
  • Rachel Holm – Carry Me Through Christmas
  • Carrie Aarons – A Wonderful Lie 
  • Stacey Kennedy Meet Me Under the Mistletoe
  • Oona Grace- Santa’s Broken Toy
  • Dirty Santa – Daphne Loveling 
  • The Christmas Blanket – Kandi Steiner 
  • Exes and Ho Ho Hos – Pippa Grant 
  • Gingerbread Kisses – Lucy Eden

2023 releases on my TBR:

  • Ilsa Madden Mills – Christmas Cupid
  • Victoria Wilder – December Midnights
  • Jessica Joyce – A Risk Worth Taking
  • Ann Einerson – If You Give A Grump A Holiday Wishlist
  • Echo Grayce – Provoking Saint Nick
  • Maren Moore – A Festive Feud
  • Nellie Wilson – Corporate Mandated Holiday Romance
  • Adriana Herrera – Run Darling

Extra Spicy

  • Naima Simone – Only For A Night
  • Katee Robert  – Your Dad Will Do
  • Molly Doyle – Scream for Us
  • Briana Michaels – Glitch
  • Eve Dangerfield – Dysfunctional
  • Kayla Grosse – Trick Shot 
  • Eliza McClane – Santa Baby
  • Katee Robert – Gifting Me to His Best Friend

Kissing Only

  • Jenny Proctor – The Christmas Letters
  • Summer Dowell – The Elle Project
  • Cindy Steel – A Christmas Spark
  • Hailey Gardner – The Holiduel

New Years

  • Tessa Bailey – Same time next year 
  • Kathryn Nolan- Keep You Both 
  • MJ Duncan – Champagne Kisses 
  • G Marie – Snowed in Fling 
  • Erin McClellan – Party Favors 
  • Sara Ney – New Years Steve 
  • Alexandria House A New Year New Boo? 
  • JL Sterling – Kissing My Coworker

Bonus – Even More

Authors who have a lot of novellas:

  • Kat Baxter (insta-love)
  • Cassie Mint (insta-love)
  • TS Joyce (shifters)
  • Honey Phillips (aliens/monsters)

Novella Series

  • ST Abby – Mind*ck
  • Adriana Herrera – Toy Runners (3 books)
  • Aurora Rose Reynolds – Adventures in Love (3 books)
  • Evie Mitchell – Capricorn Cove (10 books)
  • Annabeth Albert – Portland Heat (6 books)
  • Jackie Lau – Holidays with the Wongs (4 books)
  • Ruby Dixon – Risdaverse (11 books, I think two are not novellas)
  • Multi authored – Bold Brew (10 books)
  • Jillian Dodd – Kitty Valentine (9 books)
  • Brook Blaine – The Elite (3 books)
  • Kendall Ryan – Hitched (3 books)

Not technically novella but short and very bingeable:

  • KA Tucker – The Wolf Hotel (5 books)
  • KA Tucker – Empire Night Club (4 books)
  • Ruby Dixon – Ice Planet Barbarians, Ice Home
  • Amber Kelly – Poplar Falls (6 books)
  • Rebekah Weatherspoon – Loose Ends (2 books)
  • Devney Perry – Runaway (5 books)

Among the Heather

Among the Heather is out now! I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love returning to Ardnoch! This world the author has built is my favorite – so cozy, so beautiful, so atmospheric. Among the Heather is book two in The Highlands series, which is a spin off of the Adair Family series.

In this we have characters we’ve met in the previous books – Aria, who is managing Ardnoch for Lachlan, and North, an up and coming hollywood star who’s laying low at Ardnoch after a scandal breaks about his past. The two are immediately attracted to each other but Aria, whose father is an extremely famous movie director, is distrustful of actors after being used by so many of them to try to get to her father. But, throw in a bit of forced proximity, a meddling sister, and intense chemistry and the two start a “no strings” affair … but will it turn into more? 

I loved both characters – Aria is so prickly but in an understandable way given her past. I loved her journey to self acceptance and her relationship with her family. I always love when we get a curvy heroine! North is just a superstar book boyfriend – so supportive, so loving, so open and willing to communicate his feelings. He definitely falls first and he made me cry at one point and I’m not usually a crier so that shows how much I love him.

There’s also a good bit of steam, some suspense, a gorgeous setting, and great secondary characters. I love this book, this series, this world, and this author. Definitely recommend!

Shadows of You

It’s Roan day! 🧭

Finally we get Roan’s story! I’ve been waiting for this since the beginning of the series and it did not disappoint. We’ve seen Roan as the solitary, sort of outsider of the Hartley family and it was so wonderful to see him find the place where he belongs.

Aspen is in hiding with her daughter due to reasons we find out as the story unfolds, and when danger yet again arrives at her door, Roan is there to protect her even if that means sleeping on her couch and being attacked by her cat. 

I loved watching that grumpy loner fall for both Aspen and Cady. The relationship between Cady and Mr Grizz was just so precious. I also loved watching Roan start to open up to his family after seeing him as such a closed off guy during the series, and I loved how easily and wholly the Hartley’s accepted Aspen and Cady into their fold. 

The suspense will keep you guessing, the romance will have you swooning, and the Hartley antics will have you laughing out loud. An excellent edition to the series!

The Best Laid Plans

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!

The Brood

The Brood is out today and I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

This is book six in the series (though you could absolutely read this one as a standalone) which follows Wilder, a grumpy high school teacher, and Iris, his best friend’s little sister. Wilder begrudgingly lets Iris stay with him for a couple months as she visits Calamity for her travel IG blog as a favor to his bestie.

If you like … 

-forced proximity

-age gap

-brother’s best friend

-grumpy/sunshine 

-opposites attract

-steam!

-widowed, broody MMC

-younger travel influencer FMC

-tension

-banter

Then check this one out! TBH I can’t say it’s the most complex plot, but I mean what more do you need? Look at everything on that list, it was a very enjoyable read.

Blurb:

A small town, forced proximity, age gap romance from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, Devney Perry.


The last thing Wilder Abbott needs is a houseguest. Solitude has been his stoic companion for nearly a decade. He prefers to brood over his mistakes in seclusion. Besides, he gets enough social interaction as a high school science teacher in Calamity, Montana.


But when his oldest friend calls, begging for a favor, Wilder begrudgingly agrees. For the next two months, he’ll give up his guest room to his friend’s little sister.


Iris Monroe isn’t the girl Wilder remembers. Gone is the shy, quiet mouse ten years his junior who always had her nose in a book. Grown-up Iris talks too much and asks too many questions, especially about his past. And her bright smile and clear blue eyes are hard to ignore.


Two months. He just has to survive two months. Except Iris is as nosy as she is beautiful. And his secrets prove hard to hide when she’s living under his roof.


Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited


Amazon: https://bit.ly/46vWzrg
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/TheBrood

Hideaway Heart

Happy Tuesday! Hideaway Heart released yesterday and I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Even more exciting, the human covers are now live on Amazon as well and I don’t think I’ve ever ordered anything so quickly in my life. 

This was such an entertaining read! It was high heat and low angst with plenty of funny moments and endearing main characters.

Kelly wants to spend her vacation feeling like a normal person instead of her stage persona, country superstar Pixie Hart, so she’s not happy when her brother sends his former SEAL buddy to watch over her. Xander is out of the private security business but can’t turn down his friend so he shows up to her vacation cabin rental only for her to fire him.  They finally reach an understanding and sparks start to fly pretty immediately.

A good portion of the book is them in the forced proximity of the cabin and boy was it spicy. The two were pretty feral in bed together and I was blushing. Outside of the bedroom I really liked their dynamic. They had really fun banter and I love that neither took it easy on the other. 

I also enjoyed getting to spend time with the Buckley family and I look forward to more from the series!

TW: consensual non consent, see TW from author.