small town

Forever The Highlands

Happy Thursday! Forever The Highlands is out today! Thank you to the author for the ARC. 

It’s always great to be back in Scotland with Samantha Young. This is the final book in The Highlands series, which is a spin off of the Adairs, so this is book number 11 set in this world.

This is Eilidh and Fyfe’s story, which is a brother’s best friend, single dad romance. We’ve known Eilidh since the beginning of the Adairs and watched her grow up over the course of the series so it was nice that she finally got a turn to shine.

I thought both characters were really interesting. Eilidh is struggling, she sacrificed everything for a career she hates. She doesn’t know who she is anymore or what she really wants, other than her brother’s best friend. Fyfe has had a troubled life and doesn’t think he has the capacity for love until the daughter he didn’t know existed is dropped on his porch unexpectedly.

I loved how these two broken people finally found each other after years of tension and pining. I’m sad to see this series end, but look forward to what the author will bring us in the future!

Under Loch and Key

Happy Tuesday! Under Loch and Key is out today, thank you to Berkley Romance for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.⁣
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This was so fun! I’m a sucker for monster romance and I simply could not pass up the opportunity to read a Loch Ness Monster romance.⁣
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It was an opposites attract romance set in Scotland, about a sunshiney woman who is trying to connect with her recently deceased father’s family, and the grumpy farmhand with a secret who thinks she is part of his family’s curse.⁣
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There’s magic and mystery as their secrets start to come out, and they have to learn to work together to try to save Lachlan and his family before it’s too late. ⁣
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I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story, there’s a good amount of steam, and the setting was fun! Definitely recommend this one to all my fellow monster romance lovers, or those that aren’t too sure about the monster romance thing but want an easy peek into the trope. ⁣

BLURB:

Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.

Broken Harbor

Broken Harbor is out now, thank you to the author for the ARC. 

I’m so happy to be back in Sparrow Falls! This is Sutton and Cope’s story, both of whom we’ve met previously.

Sutton is a single mother bakery owner with a young son and a past she’s hiding from. Cope is a NHL star, in town to coach a kid’s camp and rehab his image a bit. When Sutton loses her place to live, Cope invites her and her son to stay with him.

There’s forced proximity goodness, suspense that keeps you guessing, and a swoony romance. The relationship between Cope and Sutton’s son is also very cute. 

I really enjoyed this! I also listened to the audio and thought it was well done, especially Connor Crais as Cope. 

Lost and Lassoed

I love this world so much! It’s always lovely to return to Rebel Blue, and I was especially excited to get Gus and Teddy’s story after seeing the animosity and banter between them during the first two books of the series.

This is a single dad/nanny, enemies to lovers, forced proximity romance that I absolutely loved. I’m a sucker for those tropes, but it also could have been really easy for this to feel trite and overdone. Instead, it felt fresh and exciting due to the author’s easy-reading writing and excellent world building.

I really loved Gus and Teddy, separately and together. Gus is the oldest Ryder, a single dad with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Teddy is his younger sister’s feisty best friend and her chaotic vibes don’t mesh well with Gus’s more structured life. 

The two start out with true dislike between them, but the forced proximity of Teddy living with him works its magic and they start to see each other in a different light. I thought the pacing of enemies to lovers felt believable and I really enjoyed watching them fall.

Overall, it was an excellent addition to the Rebel Blue Ranch series and i’m very excited for the fourth book!

Mistletoe & Mine

Mistletoe and Mine is out now! Thank you to the author for the ARC.

This is a fake dating holiday romance set in small town England, between a grumpy single dad and the grinchy woman running the local year round Christmas shop. He needs a fake girlfriend so his grandmother will stop trying to set him up, so he teams up with Sasha to try to help her regain her Christmas spirit through a series of Christmasy and regular dates.

It’s a warm and soft story, full of cozy holiday vibes. If you’re looking for a low angst but still spicy holiday romcom with a big boy MMC and a curvy FMC, this one is out today in KU!

December Midnights

This magical holiday romance releases today on audio! Thank you to the author for the ALC. The ebook is also available in KU.

This is a small town romance set at an inn in Maine during the winter solstice. A matchmaker has told Aurora she will meet her soulmate this solstice, but the only man she’s drawn to is Gray, a former baseball player, now investor at the Inn where she works. He’s leaving town soon to pursue a new career so this can’t be the man for her, right?

Full of magic and whimsy and spice, this is a quick reading and unique novella.  

I eyeball read this last year and was happy to reread it again this year on audio. The MMC, Gray, is a bit grumpy and growly, and Tor Thom’s narration fits that perfectly, especially during the dirty talk scenes. Savannah Peachwood was also perfect for Aurora’s whimsical and hopeful nature. The duet narration between them was just a delight, and I recommend checking this one out on audio if you can!

The Co-Op

The Co-Op just re-released recently, thank you to the publisher for the early copy in exchange for a review. It sounds like it’s been re-written a bit so I’m not sure how it compares to the original!

This is a second chance marriage of convenience romance between two people who inherit a house together and have to rehab it in order to get it on the market. 

LaRynn and Deacon were great characters, they’re both big people with big personalities and big opinions. They have excellent banter and they’re kind of mean to each other (LaRynn especially, but Deacon likes that) which I really enjoyed, and it felt realistic especially with their history. I loved the setting and the construction details, though I really could have used more of those to be honest.

It was a very character driven story, these two are orbiting around each other in a close space with a lot of hurt feelings from the past, and it felt a bit slow at times for me because of this. That being said, again, it did feel realistic to me. Working through the past takes time, I’m just impatient!

Overall though I thought it was a great story, especially if you love character driven plots with a crap ton of banter!

Love In Bloom

Love In Bloom is out now! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

I was so intrigued by this premise (city girl inherits her grandparents’ farm only to discover it’s hiding a secret) and I love any kind of “city person inherits a (building/business/etc) in a small town” kind of plot. 

It was a cute low angst romcom. The FMC and MMC are into each other right away, and are together most of the book. The plot was more focused on her adapting to country life, uncovering the farm’s secrets, and planning a local festival rather than the romance, so it did border on women’s fiction for me, but that’s not a bad thing! Just depends on your preference. 

Overall it was very cute if you’re looking for a low-angst romcom!

Holidating

Holidating is out today, thank you to the author for the ARC.

This is a collection of three standalone holiday stories, two previously released and one brand new novella, bound into one edition. I’ve already previously read Boyfriend and Blonde date so I’ll just share quick reviews and focus on Crossroads here.

This is a new novella following Damien, the final Rossi sibling from the True North series. Though this can be read as a standalone, it sure was nice to see the Rossi family again. Damien is a taxi driver with a crush on one of his fares, Nicolette. This follows them over the course of 15 years as he gives her rides at Christmas.

They’re quite young when they meet and the plot takes them far apart from each other at times, but I loved following their journeys and how they were eventually brought together. There is a certain sadness to their stories which I love – not everyone is happy at Christmas and I think it’s good to recognize that. 

There could be some triggers for people in here so be careful but I really really enjoyed this story! It was so great to be back in Vermont and I just can’t get enough of this world.

All Folked Up

Happy Thursday! All Folked Up is out today. 

This is book three in the Good Folk series, which is a spin off of The Winston Brothers, featuring important side characters finding their HEAs.

There is nothing I love more than returning to Green Valley with Penny. The way she writes, the unique turns of phrase, the thought and care that goes into every word, I just want to wrap myself in the pages and never leave.

We start off with possibly the most awkward meet-cute result of all time, which leads to an undercover investigation at the strip club our FMC Hannah manages. Hannah and Isaac have to work together so Isaac can investigate a frequent customer, but due to their terrible meet cute it’s quite awkward for a while. 

I’ve been wondering what Isaac’s deal was since I read Beard Science in 2016 so it was wonderful to get some answers. He started off a bit rigid and icy, but as the story moved on he started to thaw for Hannah and I grew to understand him better. 

Hannah was the kind of FMC I really enjoy – totally competent but underestimated and she proved how strong and worthy of love she is. 

It was heavy on the Green Valley cameos, especially Cletus & Hank, and my surprising new favorite Tina, which I loved! This gave me all the answers I’ve been wanting and it is always a true delight to return to my favorite fictional town.