spicy romance

Can’t Get Enough

Can’t Get Enough is out today! Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.

What an amazing read! Kennedy Ryan truly is one of the greatest storytellers of our time.

This is Hendrix’s story, who we’ve met as the super supportive, fabulous, kickass bestie to the FMCs of the other books in the series, though this can be read as a standalone. She meets her match in Maverick, the very recent ex-boyfriend of her producing partner. She doesn’t want to risk things professionally, so she tries hard to resist Mav’s charms, but that man was determined to win her over and those forbidden vibes were a delight to read.

Aside from a steamy romance, it’s also a story of caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s which added a lot of emotional depth to the plot. Hendrix’s family, both blood related and found, and the various ways they showed up for her brought me to tears. 

And of course, it wouldn’t be a Kennedy Ryan book without important social commentary, so please be sure to read her author’s note at the end to read about the real life inspiration for one of the plot points.

Overall, I just really thought this was a beautifully written, engaging romance.

Dream On, Ramona Riley

I’m a big fan of Ashley Herring Blake’s writing so I was so excited when @berkleyromance sent this one my way! Thank you for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley #BerkleyBookstagram

This is one is perfect for anyone looking for:

-Spicy, small town, sapphic romance

-they’re both bisexual

-Celebrity x normal person

-Opposites attract

-sorta second chance

I will be honest, I’m not a big fan of celebrity romance in general so I can’t say this is my favorite by the author, but I think that’s just a me thing.  I did think it was well written, I enjoyed that it was very spicy, and I always love a small town romance!

Sawyer

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.

Overall, I just really liked it! 

Flirting Lessons

Flirting Lessons is out now! Thank you to @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner

I’m about 50% into this one and really enjoying it!

It’s got lessons between straight-laced, dependable Avery, who wants to learn to approach women after only being with men, and Taylor, who is a bit less together in life, but has a lot more experience with women – and a bad reputation for loving and leaving them.

I’m really enjoying their opposites attract dynamic and watching Avery come into her own. They have a series of “lessons,” from salsa dancing to queer trivia nights and it’s been a lot of fun to listen to!

Blurb:

Newly single and about to leave her twenties behind, Avery Jensen is tired. Tired of being so buttoned up and well-behaved, and especially tired of dating men. She is desperate for change and determined to break out of her shell—which includes exploring her bisexuality and learning how to shamelessly flirt. One small problem: she doesn’t know where to start. With little dating experience, especially with women, confidence doesn’t seem within reach.

Enter Taylor Cameron, Napa Valley’s biggest flirt and champion heartbreaker who just swore off sex for two months after making a bet with her best friend. As impossible as it seems, Taylor agrees—but not without finding some loopholes. So, when Taylor meets Avery, it only makes sense to offer her flirting lessons. It’s a win-win—Avery will get the confidence she needs while Taylor will be too preoccupied to think of all the sex she isn’t having.

While their lessons may start off a little rocky, Taylor is patient and encouraging, and it isn’t long before Avery starts to look forward to their weekly meetings. Soon Avery’s life starts to look the way she’s always wanted. There is just one small issue…she now has feelings for Taylor. Little does she know the feelings are mutual. Soon their attraction is impossible to ignore, and their once innocent lessons risk becoming messy when Taylor realizes that the only person she wants Avery flirting with is her.

 

Beautiful Exile

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!

Story of My Life

Happy Tuesday! Story of my Life is out now and it’s small town romcom perfection! I received an ARC, but all opinions are my own. 

Lucy Score came out swinging (with a dead fish) in the first addition to this new series. Honestly I am not always the hugest romcom lover anymore, but this one was romcom done right for me – full of humor, irreverence, and a whole buttload of heart. 

I loved the new in town, fish out of water vibes of city girl Hazel moving to small town Story Lake on a whim, starting over when life wasn’t going her way. She was a once popular romance author struggling with writer’s block, so when the hunky small town contractor working on the dilapidated house she bought starts to stir up some creativity in her, she asks him to keep inspiring her with a fake date, and maybe more. The banter between Hazel and Cam was hilarious, and boy were those two attracted to each other. 

I loved the romance but I also loved the supporting characters and side plot. The town was so fun and quirky, and I loved how they banned together to try to save their town. 

It felt like one part Schitt’s Creek, one part Hart of Dixie, with the close proximity, exasperated,   I-want-to-tear-your-clothes-off vibes of Nick and Jess from New Girl (all my favorite things.)

Definitely check it out if you are a fan of the author’s Blue Moon series, or just quirky small towns in general. 

I really just loved everything about this!

On Loverose Lane

Happy Thursday! On Loverose Lane is out today, thank you to the author for the ARC. 

It’s so great to be back in the On Dublin Street world! This is a next-gen story following our OG ODS couple’s daughter, though you can read it as a standalone.

It’s a second chance, fake dating romance between Beth, the CEO of her own successful company, and Callan, a popular footballer. They had a brief dalliance as teens that ended quickly, but Callan still has hurt feelings over it so he’s not happy to see he’s moved into an apartment building next to his old crush.  He’s even less happy when Beth ropes him into fake dating her to help her business. 

The banter between the two was hilarious, and Beth was not afraid to put Callan in his place. I love a FMC that takes no shit! It was at times emotional, though overall I found it heart warming and sexy, and while I loved the nods to the original series, it still felt young and fresh. The mental health/anxiety rep was great to read about as well. 

It felt like coming home! 

The Last Guy on Earth

Happy Tuesday! The Last Guy On Earth is out today, thank you to the author for the ARC.

I loved this! No one does hockey romance like Sarina, and it is always a joy to return to this world. 

This is a second chance romance with some forbidden vibes, between a hockey coach and the player transferred to his team. They played in the minors together years ago and had a burgeoning romance at the time, but their career took them in different directions until they’re suddenly dropped back into each other’s lives.

They had a lot of hurt feelings over the past, and I loved watching them work through those emotions while also trying to maintain a professional front. Both characters were really great, both separately and together. I really enjoyed all the secondary characters, and seeing our old friends from series past.

I just really loved it! 

Dream Girl Drama

Dream Girl Drama is out now! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. 

This started like a fairy tale, with a great meet cute – very instalove but in a way that felt dreamy and meant to be, that is until later that night when Sig and Chloe find out their parents are engaged to be married. Suddenly, their fledgling relationship turns out to be very forbidden in their circle.

I really liked Sig a lot – he’s a typical Tessa Bailey hero, totally, completely, out of his mind, gone for his lady. He’s willing to do anything for Chloe, sacrificing everything to afford her the spoiled lifestyle in which she’s accustomed and ensure her safety and security.

If you’re in it for the regular Tessa vibes – laugh out loud humor, steam, obsessed hero, then this one definitely has it in spades. 

For me, the pining and longing were great, but ultimately, the entire plot hinged on this “forbidden” relationship that just wasn’t really that forbidden or taboo. A little weird? Maybe. It was a lot of drama about something that really wasn’t that dramatic. They could give a People magazine interview and clear the whole thing up in ten minutes. 

The hints for the next book do have me excited and I’m quite looking forward to their story, even if this one wasn’t a true winner for me!

In A Rush

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!