Thanks to Kenadee and Naughty Nook PR for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance, forced ARC review for Fear of Falling by Kendaee Bryant
Thanks to Kenadee and Naughty Nook PR for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance, forced proximity, found family, instalove, dominant MMC
Triggers: reference to past physical abuse, reference to past abandonment by a parent, past death of a parent
Review: 3/5
This was Kenadee's debut novel, a hockey romance which we all know speaks to my soul despite knowing nothing about and having never seen a hockey game in my life. But I see hockey, I'm probably going to read it. Sue me.
Things I liked: - I loved the found family aspect both Wyatt and Josie had. They each have their people and they are all fiercely protective of one another while still giving each other sass. I also liked Wyatt's family dynamic. I'm a sucker for a close family. - Because of the solid found family aspect, there's a great cast of side characters. I'm intrigued by Tasha and want to know more about the relationship she's sure to develop with Trevor. And I think there's a lot about both Lydia and Landon that we don't know that will be fun to discover in what I'm sure will be their book. Generally speaking, the characters all had great banter and there were definitely parts that made me giggle because of the hell they were giving each other.
Things I disliked or missed the mark: - I found the whole thing a little boring. I really don't think this book needed to be almost 400 pages. There wasn't a ton of angst or drama which is okay, but then the length just made the story feel unnecessarily long. I was bored enough in the last 50% that I found myself skimming the chapters. We finally get a little drama at 86% and from there I started actually reading again. - This is dual POV but only about 25%. There's 44 chapters but only 10 of them are from Wyatt's perspective. Of our two MCs, I liked Wyatt more so the fact he was only 10 of the chapters was a bummer for me. It's not that I disliked Josie but I found her a little boring which, therefore, made me less excited for her perspective (and probably why I found the book overall a little blah). I think she could have been a very interesting character if we had a little more insight to her history. We learn about her relationship past but, really, it's all boiled down to one conversation with Wyatt and I think it made it all seem glossed over when it could have really developed her into a more nuanced FMC.
Overall, this was fine debut novel for Kendaee. There's a strong foundation for additional books in the series and, while I might not be first in line on their future release days to read them, I'd probably circle around to reading them eventually....more
Thanks to Ruth and Wordsmith Publicity for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance, dislike to ARC review for Dead Rinker by Ruth Stilling
Thanks to Ruth and Wordsmith Publicity for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance, dislike to lovers, he falls first and HARD, accidental pregnancy, forced proximity, found family
Triggers: parental emotional abuse (like seriously, they're really shitty, shitty parents), reference to past cheating
Review: 5/5
I...I just can't even right now. I have nothing to go here. I just want to gush about this book so let's just talk about all the things I liked.
Things I liked: - YOU GUYS!! JENSEN MOTHER FORKING JONES. I suspected I was going to like JJ from his appearances in the prior books of the series. I did not know just how much I was going to love him. He's committed. He's a dirty, dirty talker. He's a freaking solider for his people and is afraid of nothing. And he's just a big ole squishy, lover boy. I was completely unprepared for just how much I was going to love Jensen Jones and, honestly, he's nearly all of the reason I gave this book five stars. I will 100% reread this some day just to relive all the warm fuzzies he gave me in this book. Everyone should get themselves a Jensen Jones. - I loved watching Kate evolve throughout this story. She grows so much and the dedication says it all and is so about her. "For those who feel like their purpose in life is to deliver on the expectations of others. F*!% that." F*!% that indeed. Kate lives that purpose and learns so much to see it doesn't have to be like that. And it was great to witness. - The snark in this book was next level. This series has a great little group of friends. The guys all play pro hockey together and the girls are all true friends. They're all close. And they don't hesitate to give each other crap. They make fun of each other and make snarky remarks but it is so clear it's all done out of love.
Things I disliked or missed the mark: - Henry and Violet Monroe (Kate's parents). Like, seriously, they're the shittiest, most miserable people and I hate them. That's not a knock on the book, obviously they're necessary for the plot, but really, they suck.
So, TL;DR: Jensen Jones is the best and Henry and Violet Monroe suck big time. And please read this book so we can become besties and I can obsess over Jensen Jones with you....more
Thanks to Monica and Valentine PR for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance, roommates to loversARC review for End Game by Monica Murphy
Thanks to Monica and Valentine PR for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance, roommates to lovers, forced proximity, found family, opposites attract, slow burn, reformed playboy
Triggers: not really any, it's a pretty tame book. Obsessive ex maybe? Financial struggles?
Review: 3.5/5
I don't have much of an intro here so let's just dive in to what I liked and didn't like and find out why...
Things I liked: - The character building was great. As the first book in the series, Monica did a good job of introducing a wide cast of characters that you want to know more about. Like, why is Gavin such a dumb dumb? And why is Cooper the stoic boy he is? And does Dollar find himself a partner?! (Dollar gives me Mike Hollis vibes from Elle Kennedy's Briar U series, FYI!). A lot of intrigue around the characters that I'm sure I'll continue reading the series to get to know them more. - I loved Sienna. She was such a great side character and I can't wait for her book with what I can only assume will be with Gavin (seriously, why is he such a dumb dumb?). - Despite his flaws, I did quite enjoy Nico. He's a dummy too but he's just endearing enough that I couldn't hold it against him too much. I think Everleigh is good for him and you can see him grow throughout the book.
Things I disliked or missed the mark: - For being on the tail-ends of their college careers, the characters all felt rather immature (not that college kids are necessarily mature either). Some of their antics throughout the book (particularly Nico's) seemed very high school. - I wanted more. We get the impression that home sucks for Everleigh. But, beyond knowing about a lump of an ex-boyfriend, we don't know much about her past and what supposedly made it so miserable. Everleigh was, overall, a little boring and I think some of this background might have made her more intriguing. And then, we have Nico who's touted as this future NFL star...but is he? Don't know because the story just sort of ends without any closure in that sense. I understand epilogues aren't necessarily a given in any book but, gosh dangit, I like knowing where the characters have gone. Your girl just wants an epilogue to live in their HEA just a little longer!
Overall, I think I can say I liked this book. I'll likely check out the rest of the series as it releases and maybe someday have time to read some of Monica's other work....more
Thanks to Ginger and Luna Literary for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance (kind of, like, iARC review for Strike Zone by Ginger Walls
Thanks to Ginger and Luna Literary for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance (kind of, like, it's not super sporty), reverse grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, dislike to begrudging friends to lovers
Triggers: not really any...financial issues/foreclosure, references to anxiety, blackmail but really, even those are a stretch
Review: 4.5/5
You guys. This is what I want a college sports romance to be. This book was so fun and refreshing after a recent string of underwhelming college sports romances. I ate this book up. Let's get into it.
Things I liked: - The banter, the banter, the banter!! Seriously, Wyatt and Wren's verbal sparring gave me life. Wren's sarcastic way of slinging insults spoke so close to my heart because that is me. It's an insult, undoubtedly, but it's so laced in sarcasm, you can't tell if she's joking or not. She's my kind of woman. I would read about Wyatt and Wren arguing over butter vs. jam on toast, they're that delightful together. - Wyatt and Wren are perfect for each other. They balance each other so wonderfully and going on the journey with them while they realized that was everything. - The Rivers family. Wyatt's family is my new favorite book family. They give each other hell but love each other to no end. They're just *chef's kiss*!
Things I disliked or missed the mark: - Really, nothing. I was happy, I was a little teary, I giggled, it was just all around a great book. It was well-written, pacing was great, length was perfect. No complaints here.
Seriously, do yourself a favor and read this book. I have an unquenchable need to read books in a series in order and I didn't here. This was an ARC, life popped up putting me a bit behind schedule and then I got sick for almost 10 days. While I planned to sneak in book one before this, all the aforementioned junk put me behind and I didn't have time. I absolutely felt like I didn't miss anything by not reading book one but I'll certainly be circling back to it while I wait for what I can only hope will be a Rivers family series because I need more of them in my life....more
Featured tropes: taboo, step siblings, forbidden romance, goodARC review for My Favorite Girl by Skyla Summers
Thanks to Skyla for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: taboo, step siblings, forbidden romance, good girl/playboy, spice lessons, obsessed MMC
Triggers: references to past abandonment/death of a parent, references to past domestic abuse, poor parental relationship,
Review: 3.5/5
This is a prequel novella to the upcoming My Favorite Stepbrother book (releases Oct 1). We definitely end on a cliffhanger so if you'd prefer to get right to the HEA, you should definitely wait until MFS comes out in about a month!
Things I liked: - The tension! Obviously given the nature of the story there is a lot of tension and build-up! I thought this piece was really well written and definitely draws you in to the story. - Obviously this is a novella so it's shorter by nature but I flew threw this book in one sitting. This book is perfect to just sit down and devour. The previously mentioned tension keeps you wanting to turn the page and the length makes it so easy to knock this out quick. I usually make notes as I read books to remember pieces I liked (or hated) and to make my review writing easier. I took four notes in this entire book and that's all because I was so drawn in, I just kept going like that little Energizer Bunny. - I really enjoyed the dynamic of Dan and his brothers. We don't know much about Tyler's tensions with Felix but I loved seeing Dan on the page with Felix and Killian. I enjoyed their banter and connection.
Things I disliked or missed the mark: - Honestly, not much. I didn't have too many issues with the book but, by its nature, I didn't feel I loved it enough to warrant 4 stars. This novella works for what it is, the stepping stone leading to a bigger story.
Overall, this was a good introduction to the Blackwood Family and the dynamic between Dan and Ally. I'll definitely be coming back to read MFS to find out how the story ends. I'm hoping this is the start of a series featuring the Blackwood brothers. I'd love to find out more about Tyler and Felix's issues and see each brother get his own story!...more
Featured tropes: single dad/nanny, second chance, age gap, forbiddenARC review for Second Edition by Cleo White
Thanks to Cleo for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: single dad/nanny, second chance, age gap, forbidden romance, forced proximity, daddy/praise kink, autism rep, virgin FMC
Triggers: This is pretty tame as far as triggers. You could argue parental disinterest/abandonment but not against either of the MCs. And even that's a little bit of a stretch. Seriously, this is pretty tame for triggers.
Review: 4/5
Y’all, this book. This was my first Cleo White book and I’m certainly going to circle back and read books in her backlog. Let’s dive in.
Things I liked: - Jo and Ellis were perfect for each other. Jo was a fun, fresh perspective for Ellis and Ellis helped bring Jo out of her shell. They knew when to support each other and what the other needed. Plus, their spice? Fire. Ellis is filthy in just the best way. Who knew I needed a dirty librarian in my life. *Fans self* - I loved both Jo and Ellis’ relationship with Zoe. Ellis was clearly a fiercely loving father and Jo connected with her so naturally once introduced. They both obviously would do anything for that little girl. And I loved the flash forward we got of pre-teen Zoe. She will be a force as she gets older. - Maman. That’s it. Everything about her, she’s the best. Every time she was on the page, I couldn’t stop giggling. I adore her. - The underlying story behind the second editions was so cute. I loved that secondary plot point and it was heckin' adorable.
Things I disliked or missed the mark: - The ending felt a little rushed. We were in one place and then all of a sudden, it was the end. I was so bummed we didn’t get to see President and Dr. Sutton finding out about Jo and Ellis. I wanted Maman to be there so bad and to just put President Sutton in her place. Maybe an opportunity for a future bonus scene. I would eat that up! - It was a little predictable. The progression of the plot was pretty easy to see coming and Ellis' connection to the second editions was fairly evident too. Do not get me wrong. I still loved it. I gave myself a pat on the back for calling it. But it you like some twists and turns or the unexpected, this isn't full of them.
Overall, I really adored this book. I would 100% recommend giving this a read. It read super quick and was full of spice and sweet. Sign me up for Daddy Ellis any day. I'll gladly swipe my library card if he's doing the checking out ;)...more
Thanks to Q.B. and Good Girls PR for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: cheating (not between the MCs ARC review for Our Little Secret by Q.B. Tyler
Thanks to Q.B. and Good Girls PR for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: cheating (not between the MCs but like, he's working on it, okay?!), forbidden romance, age gap, workplace romance, billionaire, second chance, slight daddy kink, instalust
Trigger warnings: cheating (again, not between the MCs) and this is really the biggest one. There's also divorce and a brief bought of parental judgment but really, cheating is the big one.
Review: 4/5
Okay, okay, I know. Cheating. It's a big issue for a lot of people and for good reason. And this book has cheating. Like, a lot of it. It's, quite literally, the premise of the MCs entire story. But really, I think you should give this one a chance. Honestly, it's worth it.
Things I liked: - Despite his obvious issue (his regular infidelity) Chris was really a super sweet MMC. When he finds his person, he really goes all in. - Marissa is a pretty great FMC. For being 21 at the start of the book, she seems confident in herself which is really saying something. Good for her for loving herself! - The banter. Man, oh man, the banter. I loved all of the sarcasm between Marissa and her family and Marissa and Chris. It made me smile. - I liked how this is part of a series but also kind of a standalone. There are two other books in this series. But you 100% don't need to read the prior stories to go into this one. This book's timeline actually starts before the timeline of the prior book so the stories are happening in the same world and there is character crossover but they are independent stories and fun to read the different perspectives/timelines as they happen.
Things I disliked or missed the mark: - I wish we would have gotten some more details surrounding Chris and Holly's divorce. Chris says if Marissa would have read his emails she would have known what happened but we don't get any of the tea after the fact. And also, that plot point is never wrapped up. Like did Marissa block him? It just seemed strange that for two people who work at one of the top security agencies in the country, they didn't think it strange his emails didn't come through. - I would have liked to see a little more about Chris' family. We meet all of Marissa's family and Chris' family is referenced but there is really no insight as to his relationship with them or their thoughts on Holly, his infidelity, etc. - The end seemed rushed. It all seemed to wrap up super quickly, boom, boom, boom and all of a sudden, poof, it was done.
Really, I quite enjoyed this book. Maybe it was because of the taboo nature of their relationship or the many things working against them, but I just couldn't help rooting for Chris and Marissa. Again, I know there's cheating. I get it. But I think it's worth it to overlook that little blip in Chris' judgment and give these MCs a chance....more
ARC review for Loving the Unexpected Earl by Christina Diane
Thanks to Christina for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: miscommunication (this 100% dARC review for Loving the Unexpected Earl by Christina Diane
Thanks to Christina for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: miscommunication (this 100% deserves to be listed first cuz there's miscommunication on top of miscommunication), forced marriage/proximity, virgin MMC, unexpected inheritance, instalove, historical romance
Trigger warnings: not really any. Gossip maybe? Light bullying from classic mean girls. And really, those are stretches.
Review: 2.5/5
This is a debut novel set in Regency England (think Bridgerton times).
Things I liked: - Our MMC, Graham, is a sweetie. Simply put, I just had heart eyes for him. - I liked that Diana was a capable FMC. Oftentimes in Regency era books, the FMC is just kind of there or doesn't have much personality or character development. Diana was a welcome member to her households and a valued companion to her friends. - Some of the banter made me LOL.
Things I disliked or missed the mark: - This was so reminiscent of The Duke and I (Bridgerton) that I struggled a bit. So much of the early plot seemed practically play-by-play of how Daphne and Simon come together that it gave me some ick. - I don't profess to be an expert in Regency era vernacular but the dialogue felt so off to me. It didn't really feel Regency but it also wasn't modern. It was...I don't know...just not right. - The miscommunication. Yeesh. I'll openly admit, it is not my favorite trope. But this was NEXT LEVEL. Nearly the whole book is Graham hears something about Diana, misinterprets, spirals in self-doubt, resolves to talk to Diana, then doesn't. Then Diana hears something about Graham, misinterprets, second guesses everything, resolves to talk to Graham, then doesn't. Start the cycle over and repeat for nearly 300 pages. I get this is Regency era so Diana is likely conditioned to not be forward but she had no issue with that during their wedding night so I struggled with how she did in all other instances. As for Graham, he was advised to talk to his wife more times than I can count and he just...didn't. Seriously, grow a pair and TALK TO EACH OTHER!! - Chapter one after spending 26 years as a country gentleman raising horses, Graham finds out he is the newly inherited Earl of Powis...and just says "okay!" and leaves. Like, what?! I get duty and responsibility were paramount in those times and he didn't really have a choice but there was literally no conflict surrounding his inheritance of the title, he just hopped on a horse and went to London. Like, bye literally everything I've ever known. Nice knowin' ya. It just seemed abrupt. Even two pages of dialogue with some second-guessing and doubt would have felt more natural.
If you really love historical romances, this will likely be enjoyable to you, but if you're a stickler for accuracy, I think this dialogue will take you out of it. Christina does a good job of building up all of the characters so she's definitely set the scene for additional books....more
ARC review for The Boyfriend Goal by Lauren Blakely
Thanks to Lauren for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance, brother's teammate, one nARC review for The Boyfriend Goal by Lauren Blakely
Thanks to Lauren for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance, brother's teammate, one night stand to second chance, roommates to lovers, forbidden romance, forced proximity, a touch of miscommunication
Triggers: past death of a family member, controlling/over-involved parent
Review: 3.5/5 (where's our partial star options, Goodreads?!)
I don't have much of an intro here so let's just dive in to what I liked and didn't like and find out why...
Things I liked: - The plot was generally fun. Who doesn't enjoy a good brother's teammate/teammate's little sister trope? And I enjoyed side quest to the romance of the bucket list of sorts our FMC Josie received from her adored aunt before she passed away. - Our MMC Wsley was just a sweet, little teddy bear. Like, seriously, toothachingly sweet. - I really enjoyed both Josie and Wesley's friends. I would have liked to see more of each of them having interaction with their respective little friend groups.
Things I disliked or missed the mark: - Overall, I was just sort of bored. Not bored enough that I wasn't motivated to keep reading it but it all just felt sort of blah. For a 465 page Kindle book, I didn't feel like all that much happened. There was very little tension surrounding any of the conflict that happened in the book that left it all feeling just a little bland. - Yo, those pop culture references. Like, I get wanting to make connections to the things people know, but this went so hard. Within the first 90 pages, we get references to Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan. Yep, they're both hot right now. But, when you're reading this book in, heck, one year, those references aren't going to hit the same and are just going to date the book. And after that I stopped keeping track. There were many other pop culture references throughout the book, and I get that Wesley is big into music, but it just seemed like all the references were trying too hard.
Overall, I think I can say I liked this book. I wasn't overly moved one way or the other so it's definitely pretty middle of the road for me. This was my first Lauren Blakely book in a few years but I'm willing to bet, if you like any of Lauren's other works (and there are many!) you'll likely enjoy Wesley and Josie. The next book features Everly as our FMC and Max as our MMC and, despite being a little bored in this one, I'll likely read the next installment. I quite liked Everly's appearances in this book and the few moments of banter we get between her and Max were great, so I'm hoping I'll enjoy their book!...more
Thanks to Grace and Valentine PR for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance, forbidden romanceARC review for Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly
Thanks to Grace and Valentine PR for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance, forbidden romance, brother's rival to brother's friend, secret relationship, second chance
Triggers: references to past domestic abuse, alcohol abuse, panic/anxiety attacks
Review: 3/5
Izzy is the last of the Callahan siblings and, therefore, this is the last book of the series. A definite improvement over the prior installment but, overall, not my favorite series.
Things I liked: - I liked Nikolai and Isabelle as the MCs. Nik was a good, balanced MMC and Izzy is a welcome relief as the FMC after book 3. - I loved the glimpses of the MCs from the previous books, particularly Bex and James. Was so fun seeing more of them in this book. - I enjoyed watching Nik and Cooper go from rivals, to begrudging teammates, to friends. All the happy feels for Nik who deserves a good family.
Things I disliked or missed the mark: - For the love of all that is holy, this DID NOT need to be 437 pages. Seriously, this could have been cut down by about 100 pages and been just as good of a book, if not better. I found myself getting bored and skimming because some pieces were just wholly unneeded. After reading this whole series as a lead up to this ARC, I get the feeling that's pretty standard of Grace's writing. Book 1 was good, length-wise. Book 2 was long but it seemed to work. Book 3 was insufferably long and I skimmed the whole thing after 40%. And back to book 4, good, but just too many unneeded pages for the plot. I actually have a note on page 300 when things are mostly together that says, "Seriously, how is there still 30% of this book left?!" - Despite being entirely too long, the pacing at the end is just so off base. It happens in the prior books too where there's only like three chapters left and everything still needs to be tied up in a perfect bow and it miraculously happens, bing, bang, boom. Don't get me wrong, I need me an HEA. But dang, can we get to it cohesively without jamming everything into a chapter or two and everyone just smiling and nodding through to the end?
Overall, this book was fine. I liked both of the MCs which is saying something after book 3, cuz really, it can't get worse than Mia. I don't see myself ever coming back to this series for a reread and will probably need to take a long break from Grace's writing. Usually I like being able to go through a series from start to finish but this might be a case where some time between reading the books is a good thing....more
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