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Tuesday, June 13, 2023

New Release: A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting + Review!

 




A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting is now available!


The fur is about to fly between a cheerful cat sitter and a grumpy hockey nerd in this hilarious and charming rom-com from New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting.



Kitty Hart has become internet famous as the Kitty Whisperer for her expertise on all things feline, and as a result, her cat-sitting business is booming. But lately, she has a terrible feeling that maybe her life isn’t quite going where it’s supposed to—especially after falling face-first into her newest client. Not exactly the best first impression.


Fortunately, Miles Thorn is just as bad at first impressions. Strike one: he doesn’t like cats, especially Prince Francis, the haughty and mischievous Sphynx his mom left in his care. Strike two: tackling her to the floor in a misguided attempt to save the pet he continually calls “the gremlin.”


As awkwardness slides into attraction and things start to turn purr-sonal, will these two complete opposites ever be able to find their furry-tail ending?


Apple Books → https://geni.us/AppleALoveCatastrophe

Kobo → https://geni.us/KoboALoveCatastrophe

Nook → https://geni.us/NookALoveCatastrophe

Google Play → https://geni.us/GPALoveCatastrophe

Amazon Universal → https://geni.us/ZonALoveCatastrophe


Goodreads → https://geni.us/ALoveCatastropheGR

Website → https://helenahunting.com/books/a-love-catastrophe/





Review:


3.25-3.5 stars

***


 This was a cute book. A Love Catastrophe is a standalone book set in the world of the Pucked series. This is Kitty and Miles's story. Kitty is a cat sitter and social media influencer obsessed with cats. Miles is a statistician for an NHL team. When his mother is diagnosed with dementia and hospitalized, he is forced to find a caretaker for her cat and turns to Kitty the Cat Whisperer. They fall for each other pretty quickly and there are lots of cat filled moments ahead.

I liked the story here. I felt it had potential but was left a little wanting. It was a little too slow and lacking in chemistry. There was very little angst or conflict. I liked Kitty and Miles as characters, but they were a little bland. Still, I enjoyed the story in general. The cat theme was very cute. I also liked the side characters and could see potential for other stories there.

Overall, this was an entertaining read with some cute moments. It just didn't quite have that extra oomph to push into from like to love for me. Still, I enjoyed this book and I look forward to more from Ms. Hunting in the future.








Tuesday, May 9, 2023

New Release: Unexpected Bliss by Lexi Blake + Review!

 



Unexpected Bliss by Lexi Blake is now live!


Elisa Leal is looking for some joy in her life. Years of tragedy and struggle took their toll, and now she is searching for new connections to raise her spirits. When she discovers proof that her biological father is alive, she decides to find him and make contact. Her quest leads her to the small town of Bliss, Colorado, and the strangest man she's ever met—Mel Hughes. He believes in aliens and sasquatch conspiracies, but he's also kind of awesome. And there might be even more in Bliss to make her smile.

Sylvan Dean and Hale Galloway have enjoyed wandering their way through life, always in motion. Always searching for the woman who could make their life complete. Living in Bliss made them realize it's time to settle down. Van's finally going to college and has a job lined up with his brother when he finishes. That job is in Dallas, and while Hale is happy for Van, he can't imagine leaving Bliss behind. It feels like everything is coming apart until they meet Elisa. She's the one they have been searching for, and she is worth the wait.

The future looks bright until the guys' past comes back to haunt them. Danger lurks in every corner, but it may not be the biggest threat to their happily ever after. The citizens of Bliss know how to handle a killer, but handling Elisa, Van, and Hale might require some cosmic intervention.


Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3mytKbl

Apple Books: http://bit.ly/3ZLOwCt

Nook: http://bit.ly/3IOtNHq

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3ZLOJpf

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3L29Uzi

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3kU1HCI



Review:
3.5 stars
***
 This was another cute addition to the Bliss series. Unexpected Bliss is Van, Hale and Elisa's book. Van is Jake Dean (from McKay-Taggart)'s younger brother. He and his best friend Hale had been floating along through life without much direction. But they have started to settle down in Bliss. Van is going to college and has plans to go work for Jake when he graduates. Hale is working as a contractor doing renovations and flipping houses. When Elisa's mother died, she finds out that her father, who she has never met and who never knew of her existence, lives in Bliss. Not just losing her mother, Elisa's life has gone through some big changes from leaving the military to recovering from breast cancer. She is looking for more out of life and is at a crossroads so she decides to come meet her father, Mel, in Bliss. When Elisa meets Van and Hale there too, sparks fly and romance blooms. They finally feel at home with each other and get the love they deserve.

Unexpected Bliss is cute and quirky fun. I liked Elisa, Van and Hale. I did think the guys were a little too over the top quirky (too character-like?) for me to take very seriously as heroes and feel the love or chemistry. Still, the story was fun and entertaining. This is an easy read, low angst and features a cooky town with lots of crazy characters. I enjoyed Elisa's blossoming relationship with her father. Overall, I was happy to see Elisa, Van and Hale happy together. I love this series and look forward to more from it and from Ms. Blake in the future!

 


Meet Lexi


New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she's sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.


Connect with Lexi

Website: www.lexiblake.net

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5124235.Lexi_Blake

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lexi-Blake/author/B005JVSDJ0

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlexiblake/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/526080691345626

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlexiblake/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlexiblake

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lexiblakeauthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lexi-blake

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lexiblakeauthor/

Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCORVsrIAcbqMFxp0cHi51nw

Monday, May 8, 2023

Review: Accidental Attachment by Max Monroe


Accidental Attachment by Max Monroe


A successful writer accidentally sends her new (and super-dreamy) editor the wrong manuscript. Instead of the full-length paranormal novel she promised Longstrand Publishing, she sends the fan fiction she’s written about her crush…on him—including every detail of the hot, steamy “physical activity” she’s fantasized about happening between them.

And Chase Dawson may be the hottest man alive and a super-talented editor to boot, but he’s completely oblivious that he’s the star of the manuscript he just convinced his boss to green-light.

Brooke Baker has been through a lot in her thirty-one years of life.

A divorce.
A career change.
A move to New York City from “small-town” Ohio.
Not to mention, she has a bit of a medical condition that involves occasional fainting spells, mild embarrassment, and the companionship of her adorable service dog and canine sidekick, Benji.

But none of it has prepared her for this.

None of it prepared her for Chase Dawson.

Strong jaw, blue eyes, cut muscles, and a perfect swoop of superhero-worthy black hair, Chase’s features are those of a book boyfriend and then some. Obviously, Brooke would know—she literally filled an entire manuscript with it.

A manuscript no one was ever supposed to see.

Will she survive two months of revising and editing the sizzling romance she imagined with Chase in extremely close quarters with him? Or will the constant white lies and overwhelming attraction make her spontaneously combust?

                                                                                                                                            

Links:

ACCIDENTAL ATTACHMENT is LIVE NOW + FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED!
★Amazon Worldwide Ebook: https://mybook.to/AA_Ebook


Review:

3.25-3.5 stars

***


 This book was an okay book for me. Accidental Attachment is a standalone book by Max Monroe. It is Brooke and Chase's story. Brooke is an author who has had a book series successful enough to be made into a Netflix series. She has struggled since then to finish her next novel. She is distracted by her attraction to her new editor through her publisher, Chase. She is so attracted to him that she writes a whole book, while she's procrastinating, that is a romance between a heroine an awful lot like herself and a hero just like Chase. On the day her new novel is due to be turned in to Chase, Brooke accidently turns in her fanfiction novel instead. When Chase ends up loving this novel, she is too embarrassed to let him know that she sent in the wrong book so she just does nothing to stop it from being published. When Netflix wants to send Brooke on a book tour to promote her new tv series, her health problems prevent her from flying, so she decides to go by RV to the tour stops. Chase volunteers to drive the RV so that he can work with her on editing her book so that it can be published by the deadline. As awkward as it is, Chase and Brooke fall for each other over their time touring the country.

This was an okay read, though not my favorite Max Monroe book. It is a little too long and slow. I felt like it needed editing down. It took too long for the story to really get going. Brooke and Chase were very nice, but a little too boring and bland. They had no chemistry. and nothing happens physically between them until 80%. The couple was sweet together, but they reminded me of two golden retrievers who were in love from day one. They were perfect for each other in their niceness but had no spice or interest to their relationship. Still, this was a low angst, sweet read with low conflict. Brook has an unusual disability and a service dog that added some interest to the story as well.

Overall, this was not a bad book, even if it wasn't my favorite. I look forward to more from Max Monroe in the future.





Review: 6 Clues Your Nemesis Loves You by Kelly Siskind

 


6 Clues Your Nemesis Loves You 

by Kelly Siskind 


Enemies spark in this Bower Boys romance full of banter, sizzling heat, second chances, and small-town charm.

In high school, Maggie Edelstein set the rules of our secret relationship, but I’m calling the shots now. In my dreams.

Maggie’s still infuriating and confusing, and absolutely stunning. She’s also still pretending we barely spent time together as teens, when we met up nightly at her family’s pond.

Over a decade later, I’m back in my hometown and some things haven’t changed. My chemistry with Maggie is once again hotter than a four-alarm fire, and she’s intent on denying it. I don’t blame her. The last night we saw each other I made a horrible mistake and hurt her, then I vanished into witness protection for ten years.

But there’s something else going on with her.

I recognize a secret when I see one, and her friends say she doesn’t do commitment. If I can get her to forgive me and open up, maybe she’ll break her rules and give us a second chance. Or she’ll light my heart on fire and dance around the flames…


Links:

https://geni.us/6CluesAZ






Review:

3.5 stars

***


This was a pretty good book. 6 Clues Your Nemesis Loves You is book three in the Bower Boys series. This series is about a group of brothers whose dad committed crimes when they were teens/young adults that caused them to have to immediately go into the witness protection program, leaving their lives behind and everyone they care about, without saying goodbye. This book is Lennon and Maggie's book. They met in high school but weren't really friends or in the same circle. Until one night, while going through his own teenage problems, he comes upon Maggie swimming in a pond in the dark. They slowly became secret friends, where they ignored each other at school but met up at nights to commiserate over their problems. Their relationship was just beginning to take a turn when Lennon and his family disappeared mysteriously (into Wit-sec). Now, it is years later, Lennon's family is free, as the cartel that was after them are dead. He and several of his brothers have moved back to town. He now runs a kids hiking and wilderness business. Maggie still lives in the town and has refused to talk to him, until one day they get locked in an elevator together. Lennon wants to clear the air between them and make sure there are no hard feelings for the way things were left between them, not to mention he still has feelings for her. But Maggie isn't very interested and she has a boyfriend at the time. Still, Lennon pushes for Maggie to give him a chance and finally she breaks up with her boyfriend and works things out with him.

This was a good story. It was more of a second chance romance than an enemies to lovers one. I liked Lennon, while Maggie was just okay to me. I did feel like they didn't have a ton of chemistry. Their relationship was high on the angst scale, which is not my favorite. Also, I'm never a big fan of books where the guy is cruel to the girl and constantly pushes her away. This book was the opposite of that, a role reversal of most books. Lennon was very sweet to Maggie and she hurt him a lot. He was the doormat in this scenario and kept coming back for more. I understood her fears of being with him, but she made him feel terrible. He was the one made to look like he owed her an apology, when she really owed one to him. He treated her so well, even writing her love notes every day, when she just kept hurting him and pushing him away. I definitely felt like he deserved better. The author noted in the author's note that readers are harder on heroines than heroes and she knows that people will be hard on Maggie. This reader personally is hard on any character who is cruel and treats their partner badly, regardless of gender. It is not because of her gender. I can name 10 books off the top of my head where the hero was a complete jerk and I never forgave him for it. That is the case in this book as well. I definitely was frustrated with Maggie and I don't think she quite redeemed herself to me. I needed more from her to forgive her for hurting Lennon, who was a lovable sweetheart. Still, in the end, she and Lennon managed to work things out between them and were happy together. I liked Lennon enough to overcome that I wasn't crazy about Maggie. And the story was good, as well as the side characters. I will keep reading this series and I look forward to the stories of the remaining single Bower brothers.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, even if it is not my favorite from this series. I look forward to the rest of the series and more to come from Ms. Siskind in the future!






Review: Superstar by Kate Meader

 



Superstar by Kate Meader


He never saw her coming ...

After almost a year away from hockey, Bastian Durand’s return to the game should be a triumph.

Instead he’s taken down by the Chicago Rebels mascot.

It can’t get worse. Or maybe it can. Because the human inside the Rowdy Rebel costume is none other than Pepper Calhoun.

His friend’s sister.
His coach’s daughter.
And the woman Bastian has wanted for the longest time.

Pepper has always been a magnet for bad luck and now she’s ruined superstar Bast Durand’s big comeback. So that tracks. Everyone, from her father and brother to the fans and press, heck, even the NHL commissioner, hates her.

Everyone but the one guy who should.

Hiding away is the only thing she can think of, except Bast has the same idea. To her utter dismay, he’s determined to protect Pepper from anyone who dares breathe a word against her.

And to convince her that crashing on the ice isn’t all that different from … falling in love.


Links:

https://geni.us/super-star





Review:

3.5-3.75 stars

***

This was a cute book. Superstar is book seven in the Rookie Rebels series. This book is Bastian/ Bast Durand and Pepper's book. Bast is Reid's younger brother and is new to the Rebels, having been traded from another NHL team. Pepper is his coach's daughter, who is between jobs after a bad situation with an ex, who was also a pro hockey player. They happen to meet in a bar, not knowing who each other was, and have an instant chemistry and connection. But Pepper soon realizes who Bast is and she's not interested in dating another hockey player. When Bast figures out who Pepper is, he is angry and treats her badly. She got a reputation for dumping her ex-player boyfriend and is blamed when his career tanked after that. So, they don't have plans to see each other again, despite their attraction. When her father asks her to play substitute for the team mascot on game day, she and Reid collide on the ice and he breaks his wrist. He blames her for not being able to play, as do the press, fans, her father and team, when it wasn't her fault. She really gets raked over the coals by the public, which is the last thing she needs. When she tries to escape a particularly tense situation with the paparazzi, Bast steps in and they end up holing up together for a bit. The sparks between them get stronger as the spend time together and feelings grow stronger, until they fall for each other.

This was a good story. I really liked Pepper but I felt so bad for her. The first half of the book was everyone in the world hating on her, including her father and it was all too much. Her father was too mean and I never really got over it. Even Bast was pretty awful to her for a while. She really had done nothing wrong to deserve the treatment. The second half was better though. I did need more grovel and apology from Bast to be able to fully forgive him. I also wanted more couple time spent falling in love and less separation afterward. I needed more drive from the both of them to act like they really wanted to be together and make a relationship work between them so that I could feel their love better. It was cute, but I felt like their falling in love period had just started and then the book ended. Still, after the first half, the book ended up being a cute, easy and enjoyable read. I just wanted more resolution.

Overall Superstar was a good addition to this fun hockey romance series. I look forward to more from it and from Ms. Meader in the future!

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

New Release: The Long Way Home by Harper Sloan + Review!

 




The Long Way Home, the surprise final book in the Corps Security series, by Author Harper Sloan is now available!


Blurb:
There’s a price to pay for a life with a greater purpose. The healing of time is a damn liar when you’re living a life as a dead man with no true home, and the silence couldn’t be more deafening. Counting the days, good and bad, I exist as the world keeps spinning. I can never look back. All I can do is hope I took enough out of that life to carry me forward on those dead legs. Everything that was meant to give the tragedy of my life meaning ended up holding me prisoner in this wreckage of my past.
Until now.
One look into her eyes and I’m completely disarmed. It’s only everything I thought I gave up. These walls I’ve built to protect and shroud me crumble more whenever she’s near. I’ve spent years waiting for a reason to breathe again, and now that I have her within reach, I’m not sure I can keep her. Is it possible to find both the missing piece of my soul and the remedy to my healing in one set of bright green eyes? Everything I thought I would never have is staring back at me saying … yes, I can.








Review:

3.5 stars
***

 The Long Way Home is the surprise final book to the Corps Security series, written almost 10 years after the previous book in the series. This is Olivia and Drew's story. Olivia is a new character to the series, while there is a twist and Drew is someone we have met before in a way. I don't want to give too much away, but if you've read the series you may be able to guess what I mean. Olivia is a coffee shop owner who lives in Boston. She is raising her five year old niece, Riley, after her sister's death. Drew is one of her customers, a mysterious, silent type who has been coming in her shop for years. Both of their lives have been shaped by tragedy, but as they spend more time together they develop a strong connection. When both of their pasts come back to haunt them, they are put to the test but come out stronger together in the end.

This book can't be read as a standalone. You must have read the previous books in the series. Maybe I should have reread the series before I read this one, because while I remembered the details, I didn't quite carry over the emotion from the previous books into this book. That made me not feel the emotions of this book as strongly as I feel like I should have. This is all very vague, I know, sorry. But I just didn't feel the strong emotional wrenching from this book that I was expected to. I liked the story in general, but I didn't completely fall in love it or with the characters. Olivia was very sugary sweet, but a little flat and one-dimensional for me. Her niece, Riley, was a five year old that felt more like a ten year old. Her obsession with BTS did not seem age appropriate. Drew was fine. I didn't really feel any chemistry between he and Olivia. Their relationship felt very fast moving, syrupy, instalove.

Still, I did enjoy the book in general, even if I wasn't able to full connect with the characters or emotions. It was fun to revisit the old Corps security characters, although it was hard to imagine them so much older as grandparents. Olivia was only 35, but she never mentions the age differences between them, which seems like it would be slightly awkward. But, overall, I was happy Drew and Olivia found each other and were able to get over their emotional pasts to face a happy future together. They were sweet together and deserved all the goodness coming their way. I am happy to see that Ms. Sloan is writing again and I look forward to new books from her in the future.







New Release: For nEver by Aurora Rose Reynolds + Review!

 



 Release Date: March 14


From New York Times & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Aurora Rose Reynolds comes a brand new romantic comedy about a girl who understands how short life is, and a man who quickly learns there are things way more important than money. 


I had no idea that taking a temp job for the summer would send my life into a tailspin, but that’s exactly what happened when I started working for Jace Ellis.
One day I was his secretary and the next I was sitting on his private plane, wearing an obnoxiously large engagement ring, after he asked me if I would pretend to be his fiancé for one week.
I can admit that greed got the best of me. But the money he offered in exchange for my lie would help not only me, but my mom out tremendously. 
I just had no idea what I was actually getting myself into. 
I didn’t think about the fact that we would be sharing a bed, that we would have to pretend to like each other, and I sure didn’t know that I would be surrounded by his entire family at their annual family reunion. 
But if the guy want’s a fiancé, I’m going to be the best one he’ll ever have. 

I just hope I can remember that this isn’t forever; it’s for never.


Grab Your Copy Here!



Review:

4 stars
****

 This was a good book! For nEver is a standalone book and is Jace and Penny's story. Penny is a school teacher on summer vacation from her job. Her mother recently recovered from cancer so Penny wants to make extra money to take her on a trip and to help pay off her doctor bills. She decides to take a summer job, taking over for her friend who is on maternity leave, as an assistant to a big video game developer CEO, Jace Ellis. Jace seems to be a grumpy boss and Penny isn't sure she will last long on the job. But quickly she finds that this job also includes her pretending to be Jace's fiancé for a week on a trip for his family reunion. She finds herself staying in a cabin and knee-deep in capture the flag and tug-of-war, all while fake-PDAing her "fiancé". And she also finds that Jace isn't as grumpy as she thought after the spend more time together. They both blur the lines between real and pretend as they spend more time together, falling for each other along the way.

This was a super cute read. The story was sweet, sexy and fun with a summer-camp-like atmosphere. I liked that Jace and Penny didn't start off as insta-love as well, as I enjoyed seeing them really get to know each other. I had a hard time putting this one down. It was an easy, cute read with a good story. I liked Penny and Jace together. They had good chemistry and banter. The side characters were really fun as well.

Overall, this was a easy, entertaining read. I was happy Penny and Jace found love together. I look forward to more from Ms. Reynolds in the future.





Meet Aurora Rose Reynolds


Aurora Rose Reynolds is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose wildly popular series include Until, Until Him, Until Her, Underground King, Shooting Stars, Fluke My Life and How to Catch an Alpha series. 


Her writing career started in an attempt to get the outrageously alpha men who resided in her head to leave her alone and has blossomed into an opportunity to share her stories with readers all over the world.


To learn more about Aurora and her books, visit here


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