REVIEW: Friends With Benedicts by Staci Hart

Friends With Benedicts by Staci Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

Timing is everything.

Presley Hale and Sebastian Vargas are no strangers to goodbye. Their high school summers were spent wrapped up in each other until she would inevitably go home to California. One season after college, Sebastian finally escaped the little Texas town to travel the world, and they said goodbye for what they thought might be the last time.
Sebastian went one way. Presley went the other.

For the first time in five years, they’re both in town, but the timing is no better than ever. So the only thing to do is what they do best. Keep it casual.

Friends with benefits.

They’ve done it before—doing it again will be easy.

But their hearts don’t get the memo.

When the lines of their arrangement blur, Presley and Sebastian are faced with decisions they’ve avoided for years. And that’s not even their biggest problem.
A small town in danger of failing.

A secret that could tear them apart.

And two hearts that can’t hide anymore.

They’ve shared so many summers, but none compare to what they’ll face.

Timing is everything.
And their time is almost up.

COVER REVEAL: HARD LIMIT by Brenda Rothert & Kat Mizera

 

HARD LIMIT
by Brenda Rothert & Kat Mizera

 

COVER REVEAL! Hard Limit by Brenda Rothert & Kat Mizera releases February 15!
 
St. Louis Mavericks star defender Lars Jansson is dead set against relationships. A new love makes him wonder if maybe he can change, but first, he must confront the truth about who he is.
 

Pre-order this hockey romance today!
 
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Cover Design: Lori Jackson
 
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Lars 
 
On the ice, I’m unstoppable. If anyone is in my way, it’s simple—I move them. Hockey is my life, and I don’t have the patience for relationships spanning more than one night. But when I meet a woman so bold and intriguing I can’t help wanting more, I’m blindsided by the revelation that no matter what I do, I may never be enough for her.
 
Sheridan
 
One night. That’s all it was supposed to be. But Lars Jansson is larger than life in every way—how could one night be enough? It’s risky for me to see him again, and to let myself fall for the stoic hockey player who is charming in his own way. He thinks it’s his truth that could undo us, but he couldn’t be more wrong about that—it’s mine. 
 
 

AVAILABLE NOW IN THE ST. LOUIS MAVERICKS SERIES
 
#1 Hard Fall
 
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COVER REVEAL! - Scarred by Emily McIntire

COVER REVEAL

Title: Scarred: A Never After Novel

Series: Never After #2

Author: Emily McIntire

Genre: Dark Royal Romance

Cover Design: Cat, TRC Designs

Release Date: January 4, 2022

Blurb

Once Upon A Time,

there was a king who passed.

He left behind two sons,

one beloved and one outcast.

The older of the two was set to take the throne.

But before he could, he had to find a queen to call his own.

The younger one was known to be unruly and unhinged.

The chosen queen was warned to keep far away from him.

Beautiful and cunning, in the light is where she stayed.

But late at night it was the shadowed lands in which she played.

Mistakes were made and secrets forged; forgetting duty and her sense.

And while the new king had her hand,

her heart belonged to the scarred prince.

GOODREADS 

PRE-ORDER LINKS

 

US: https://amzn.to/3p5G6W2

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AVAILABLE NOW

 

#1 Hooked

 

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Free in Kindle Unlimited

AUTHOR BIO

 

Emily McIntire is an Amazon Top 20 best selling author of painful, messy, beautiful romance. She doesn’t like to box herself into one subgenre, but at the core of all her stories is soul deep love.

A long time songwriter and an avid reader, Emily has always had a passion for the written word, and when she’s not writing you can find her waiting on her long lost Hogwarts letter, chasing her crazy toddler, or lost between the pages of a good book.

REVIEW: Hooked by Emily McIntire

Hooked by Emily McIntire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

He wants revenge, but he wants her more.

Once Upon A Time, there was a little boy.
His belly full of laughter, his life full of joy.
Until one day, something changed; stripped his innocence away.

The hole inside making space for the devil to come and play.

His dreams gone forever, he grew up way too fast.

An endless night of crocodiles, and watches made of glass.

He grew into a villain, the taste of vengeance on his tongue.

Craving to make his enemies pay for the misdeeds they had done.
Instead he found a darling girl, and refused to let her go.
For what better way to make the man pay, than to steal his little shadow.

*Hooked is a full-length, complete standalone and the first in The Never After Series: A collection of fractured fairy tales where the villains get the happy ever after. This is a DARK Contemporary romance (not fantasy) featuring mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised.*

REVIEW: Damaged: The Dillon Sisters by Layla Frost

Damaged: The Dillon Sisters by Layla Frost
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

I’m effed up. A hot mess. Haunted.

Damaged.

But he doesn’t think so.

He thinks my imperfectness is what makes me perfect. He loves my flaws. My quirks.

My scars.

He wants to protect me. See me happy. Make me alive. He wants to give me everything I need, no matter how twisted and wrong and depraved.

He needs me to need him.

Which makes me wonder…

Is he damaged, too?



Warning: Recommended for readers 18+. This beautifully damaged romance deals with seriously heavy topics, such as depression, anxiety, violence, and self-harm. Be advised. And be mindful and kind to your own mental health.

REVIEW: Deathly: The Dillon Sisters by Brynne Asher

Deathly: The Dillon Sisters by Brynne Asher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

I’m a fraud. Or an imposter. I’m certainly a hypocrite.

I offer advice for a living. Encourage my patients to make wise decisions—help them help themselves to walk through life stronger, healthier, happier.

Isn’t that the goal? To live our best lives?

If only I practiced what I preach.

I wasn’t always like this. Every move I make lately is the opposite of smart. These questionable life choices are a new development.

They started the day a certain Vitale barged into my life.

Brand Vitale might look like a hero to the rest of the world, but looks can be deceiving.

I’m driven by obsession for a man who’s turning out to be dark, dangerous, and downright depraved.

And I don’t care.

Because, sometimes, depraved, debauched—hell, or even deathly—is the only option. 

REVIEW: The Plan Commences by Kristen Ashley

The Plan Commences by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

From the unparalleled imagination of New York Times best-selling author Kristen Ashley comes book two in The Rising, an enchanting new fantasy romance series that will sweep you away!

Once upon a time, in a parallel universe, there existed the continent of Triton. The land was filled with beauty, but it was also splintered by war. Out of the chaos grew a conspiracy to reawaken the Beast, a fearsome creature who wrought only tragedy and devastation. The only way to stop him was to fulfill an ancient prophecy: Triton’s four strongest warriors must wed its four most powerful witches, binding all nations together and finally bringing peace to the land.

This is the story of their unions: the quiet maiden Silence and the savage king Mars. The cold warrior Cassius and the fiery witch Elena. The steadfast soldier True and the banished beauty Farah. And the pirate king Aramus and the mysterious queen Ha-Lah. Their unions will not be easy, but each couple must succeed, for the fate of their world is at stake....

REVIEW: The Beginning of Everything by Kristen Ashley

The Beginning of Everything by Kristen Ashley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

From the unparalleled imagination of New York Times best-selling author Kristen Ashley comes an enchanting new audio-first fantasy romance series that will sweep you away!

Once upon a time, in a parallel universe, there existed the continent of Triton. The land was filled with beauty, but it was also splintered by war. Out of the chaos grew a conspiracy to reawaken the Beast, a fearsome creature who wrought only tragedy and devastation. The only way to stop him was to fulfill an ancient prophecy: Triton’s four strongest warriors must wed its four most powerful witches, binding all nations together and finally bringing peace to the land.

This is the story of their unions: the quiet maiden Silence and the savage king Mars. The cold warrior Cassius and the fiery witch Elena. The steadfast soldier True and the banished beauty Farah. And the pirate king Aramus and the mysterious queen Ha-Lah. Their unions will not be easy, but each couple must succeed, for the fate of their world is at stake....

REVIEW: Say It Ain't So by Lani Lynn Vale

Say It Ain't So by Lani Lynn Vale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

He should’ve never left his house. He should’ve stayed at home. He has a legitimate excuse—he’s running a fever and he’s fairly sure he’s developing pneumonia. He should have called in sick…but he doesn’t.

He goes to work, because his team is relying on him.

First, he has to sign about eight thousand calendars—all from women who purchased said calendars to benefit the Fallen Officer fundraiser. And when he’s done with that, he has to endure a television interview along with the rest of the SWAT team seeing as they made national news with their ‘Hot SWAT’ calendar that’s sold a million copies to women all over the world.

Needless to say, when Samuel Adams walks into the pharmacy hours later, he only has one thing on his mind. Ibuprofen.
Sadly, he never gets to the Ibuprofen. Mostly because before he gets there, he finds a junkie waving a gun around threatening to kill anybody that moves.

He’s running a fever. That has to be the reason that the girl in the corner begins cursing up a storm and drawing the junkie’s attention. Has to be. 

REVIEW: The Rising by Kristen Ashley

The Rising by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

Once upon a time, in a parallel universe, there existed the continent of Triton. The land was filled with beauty, but it was also splintered by war. Out of the chaos grew a conspiracy to reawaken the Beast, a fearsome creature who wrought only tragedy and devastation. The only way to stop him was to fulfill an ancient prophecy: Triton’s four strongest warriors must wed its four most powerful witches, binding all nations together and finally bringing peace to the land.

This is the story of their unions: the quiet maiden Silence and the savage king Mars. The cold warrior Cassius and the fiery witch Elena. The steadfast soldier True and the banished beauty Farah. And the pirate king Aramus and the mysterious queen Ha-Lah. Their unions will not be easy, but each couple must succeed, for the fate of their world is at stake...

Review: Hooked by Emily McIntire

Hooked by Emily McIntire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

He wants revenge, but he wants her more.

Once Upon A Time, there was a little boy.
His belly full of laughter, his life full of joy.
Until one day, something changed; stripped his innocence away.
The hole inside making space for the devil to come and play.
His dreams gone forever, he grew up way too fast.
An endless night of crocodiles, and watches made of glass.
He grew into a villain, the taste of vengeance on his tongue.
Craving to make his enemies pay for the misdeeds they had done.
Instead he found a darling girl, and refused to let her go.
For what better way to make the man pay, than to steal his little shadow.

*Hooked is a full-length, complete standalone and the first in The Never After Series: A collection of fractured fairy tales where the villains get the happy ever after. This is a DARK Contemporary romance (not fantasy) featuring mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised.*

Review: Only One Kiss by Natasha Madison

Only One Kiss by Natasha Madison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book Desctiption: 

Ralph
Being traded to Dallas was a dream come true. I had everything I wanted, my game had never been better, and my wife was due to have our baby any day now.

What could go wrong?
Everything.

I was now raising our baby on my own. After hockey practice and games, I didn't have time to sleep, let alone make sure my social media was up to par.

I never thought I'd get a second chance at love.


Candace

When my hotshot brother was drafted in the NHL, he didn't have time to do his social media, so I took over for him. Little did I know it would become my career.

My plate was full with over fifty NHL players, and I wasn't taking on any new clients.

Yet when he showed up on my doorstep with the cutest little girl in the whole world, I couldn't say no.

I was just helping, but it turned into more than that. He's the man I've been waiting for.

All it takes is one touch, one night, one chance, and only one kiss.

COVER REVEAL: The Marriage Debt by Clarissa Wild

 

The Marriage Debt by Clarissa Wild releases January 28!

 

She ran from the mafia prince.

But he won’t stop until she’s his wife.

I’m Luca De Vos.

Heir to one of the most powerful mafia empires in the Netherlands.
Notorious mobster with a wicked taste for girls.
But there’s only one woman I truly wanted.
Jill Baas, mafia princess and the only woman who doesn’t want me.

She did the unforgivable and then ran away.
Now I’ll marry her sister.

Until Jill storms right back into my arms on our wedding day…
Begging me to marry her instead.

It’s a dream come true for a depraved sinner like me.
Jill Baas—the runaway bride—mine to mark, own, taint.
My wife.
I’ll put my ring on her finger…
And turn her world into a living nightmare.

 

For only $2.99 ➩ https://bit.ly/3mFLmjd 

 

 
 

AVAILABLE NOW + FREE IN KU

 

The Wedding Debt https://bit.ly/3ByvGSJ

REVIEW: Only One Kiss by Natasha Madison

Only One Kiss by Natasha Madison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

From USA Bestseller Natasha Madison comes a brand new Hockey series The Only One.

Ralph
Being traded to Dallas was a dream come true. I had everything I wanted, my game had never been better, and my wife was due to have our baby any day now.

What could go wrong?
Everything.

I was now raising our baby on my own. After hockey practice and games, I didn't have time to sleep, let alone make sure my social media was up to par.

I never thought I'd get a second chance at love.


Candace

When my hotshot brother was drafted in the NHL, he didn't have time to do his social media, so I took over for him. Little did I know it would become my career.

My plate was full with over fifty NHL players, and I wasn't taking on any new clients.

Yet when he showed up on my doorstep with the cutest little girl in the whole world, I couldn't say no.

I was just helping, but it turned into more than that. He's the man I've been waiting for.

All it takes is one touch, one night, one chance, and only one kiss. 

Something that made me think...

If you've been a follower of this blog for any length of time, first I'd like to thank you for still following us during out...hiatus (if you will).

I wrote about why I stepped away from the blog 2 years ago, and I posted an update almost 6 months later. Since that update, I still haven't been extremely active in blogging. That's not to say I haven't been reading, because I have, I just haven't been writing many reviews. 

Since my mom died, I just haven't really had words for reviews. I'll have all these feelings while reading but when I sit down to actually type up anything...nothing happens. I've tried sitting at the computer, I've tried writing them on my phone, and writing them by hand. I've even tried taking notes while I read to piece a review together later. But nothing works. Every time I sit down actually write about what I think about a book, nothing comes out. And I'm just not satisfied with "It was good" or "It was awful" as a review, not from me. 

I have posted a few, when the words flowed, but for the most part, it's been a barren wasteland. 

So, if you've read this far, you're probably curious why I'm talking about this. Well, I was scrolling the book of face one evening at work (shhhh! Don't tell!) and came across this: 

I found this to be incredibly accurate for me. My escape in life is music and my books. I love to read. I love to get lost in the worlds my favorite authors create. I love talking books. It's why I got so involved in Goodreads back in the day. It's how I met my bffs/blog partners Nikki and Jenn. (As an aside, I know GR has a bad reputation but back in the day it was awesome. I made a bunch of awesome friends that have the same reading interests as I do. People that were always interested in talking about books, debating them, willing to jump into a book boyfriend fight or a gif war)...

...but after my mom died, I was left floundering. The two things that helped me cope in life were taken away. Every song I listened to made me think of my mom and cry. It didn't matter what the song was, or who the band was. I would cry. The same thing happened with books. I went from reading 3-5 books a week to not reading at all. I could read a line or 2 and then I'd come across a word that made my mind wander to my mom and I'd start crying. My world had crashed down around me and I didn't even have the fictional worlds to escape into because my world invaded them. 

For the most part, I don't have that problem anymore. I'm back to reading, albeit not as many books a week as I used to, but the reviewing part...still hasn't really come back. 

Consequently, I haven't been signing up for ARCs of books. There are many I'd love to read (and review) but I never know when I'll have words and when I won't and I can't do that to an author that's counting on me.

So that's it. That's the update. I'm still here. I'm back to reading. I'm trying to review. But I'm not back to my old "normal". I'm honestly not sure if I'll ever get t that same normal. But I do miss blogging, and I still think of things I'd love to do with the blog. It's just going to take time, and for me to find my new normal here and find some new footing. 

REVIEW: The Man Who Has No Soul by Victoria Quinn

 

The Man Who Has No Soul by Victoria Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

As the Director of Concierge of the Liberty Building in Tribeca, it’s my job to take care of the rich and famous, the billionaire suits, their trophy wives, all the VIPs.

It’s like running a hotel—but for billionaires.

When a penthouse opens up, it’s like the floor of the Stock Exchange. The highest bidder wins.

And this time, the winner is Deacon Hamilton.

He’s young and gorgeous...but a tool. He hardly says two words to me, won’t even look at me when he speaks and treats me like an imbecile.

But the longer I pick up his dry cleaning, deliver his groceries, take care of all the details of his life, the more I realize he’s not what he seems.

He’s just brilliant.

Extremely brilliant.

A noble prize-winning doctor and researcher, Deacon Hamilton is one of the most gifted men on the planet.

But he doesn’t know how to talk to people, doesn’t know how to communicate, doesn’t know how to connect with anyone.

Except me.

REVIEW: Forbidden by Karla Sorensen

 

Forbidden by Karla Sorensen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

No man has ever rattled Isabel Ward. Until Aiden Hennessy walks in the door of her gym—ownership papers in hand.

The former fighter is a lot of things- a single dad, a widower trying to start over, and a watchful presence that knocks her off her very capable feet.

To make matters worse, Isabel had a crush on him for the entirety of her teenage years. Doodles in her diaries and letters declaring her admiration—while never sent—haunt the absolute crap out of her now that she has to face him every day.

No woman has ever tempted Aiden to move on from the memory of his wife—until Isabel. She’s too young, too fiery, too much of everything he should avoid.

But avoiding is impossible, just like pretending the blistering chemistry between them doesn’t exist.

Now that the unshakeable woman is shaken and the un-temptable man is tempted, Isabel and Aiden have to decide what they’re willing to risk for a taste of the forbidden. 

REVIEW: Dear Love, I Hate You by Eliah Greenwood

 

Dear Love, I Hate You by Eliah Greenwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

It all started with an anonymous letter. 
 
He wasn’t supposed to find it—no one was. And he definitely wasn’t supposed to answer it.
 
We end up talking through letters and sticky notes in a book. One sticky note. Two sticky notes. Ten sticky notes. All baring our darkest, deepest secrets.
 
It’s all fun and games until I find out who my pen pal is...
 
Xavier Emery. King of my basketball-obsessed town, my childhood bully, and the guy I am in grave danger of falling in love with.
 
But the rules were clear: we can never know who we’re talking to, and the confessions can never, ever get out. Seriously. It would destroy lives. 
 
Fine by me. Even if Mr. Popular does find out his confidant is little old me, it’s not like he’d ever love me back…

Right?

REVIEW: The Jake Ryan Complex by Bethany Crandell

 

The Jake Ryan Complex by Bethany Crandell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The title of this one definitely caught my eye. I love the movie Sixteen Candles and Jake Ryan.

I'll admit, I've had a hard time finding books that screaming at me, so the simple fact that this one did earned it 5 stars. Reality is it was more of a 4 star read.

I also have to admit that even though it's been a while since I've seen the movie, I've seen it enough times that the whole time I was reading, I kept comparing the book to the movie. There were definitely a lot of little nods to the movie, maybe even more than there needed to be.

And of course, what's any romance novel without the stereotypical "lets avoid talking about important things so that there's a huge misunderstanding later!" Every time Mac put off telling JT about "Michael" and her family I knew it was going to blow up.

I'll admit, I don't understand why it was such a big deal that Mac was still single at 39. She owned her own home, has a successful career, owns her own medical practice. She has a good life. But that wasn't enough for her mother. I really didn't like her mother.

Anyway, this was a cute book, and if you're a fan of Sixteen Candles, you might enjoy it.

View all my reviews