Downpour is the first book I've read by Maggie C. Gates, and I just loved Ray and Brooke's story!
Ray was a champion bull rider whose world shattered iDownpour is the first book I've read by Maggie C. Gates, and I just loved Ray and Brooke's story!
Ray was a champion bull rider whose world shattered in a matter of 8 seconds when he was tossed off a bull and paralyzed. Needless to say, he has not been handling the change in his life very well, and has isolated himself from his family and the world over the past 18 months. He's fired home health aides one after another, determined to live a life of solitude. And that's when plucky heroine Brooke enters the picture, just one more mistake away from being fired from her job.
Of course, Ray wants nothing to do with Brooke. But with sheer determination to make it to her next paycheck, she just plows through in taking care of grumpy Ray. The girl is a hot mess, but she is kind and sweet and a beacon of sunshine – and her sunny demeanor eventually wears down our grumpy hero. I loved how she simply understood him. She was patient with him, and somehow never made him feel like he was "less than" just because he was in a wheelchair.
I loved the metamorphosis that Ray went through thanks to their friendship and how he eventually trusted her to hold his heart. That's not to say it was easy for these two: Any kind of personal relationship was forbidden due to the nature of their aide-client contract, so they kept things a secret… which led to miscommunication between them and some hurt feelings. Brooke never tried to "fix" him as their relationship deepened, and being with her made him want a life for himself that he never envisioned having after his accident.
I also thought the family dynamics between the Griffin brothers (and their wives and Ray and his nieces) played into this story nicely as a secondary plot. Add in the spice between Ray and Brooke, and Downpour was a perfect read!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review....more
I rarely read a book with a nerdy hero, and I loved Austin and Shay's story so much! The Flirt Alert is a a super steamy, angsty, enemies-to-lovers, fI rarely read a book with a nerdy hero, and I loved Austin and Shay's story so much! The Flirt Alert is a a super steamy, angsty, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, workplace, unrequited love, brother's best friend romance — it checked all the boxes that I look for in those tropes. But Kaylene Winter also delivered a lovely story with the complexities of medical issues with Shay being epileptic. The chronic illness representation was so well-written, and I loved how it complemented the romance between Shay and Austin rather than becoming a plot point that takes over the overall story.
Kaylene Winter is a new-to-me author, and I very much enjoyed what I read and will be looking for more from her in the future!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review. ...more
In Forbidden Hearts, Corinne Michaels takes her readers back to Sugarloaf, this time focusing on the Whitlock family. Asher is as grumpy as they come,In Forbidden Hearts, Corinne Michaels takes her readers back to Sugarloaf, this time focusing on the Whitlock family. Asher is as grumpy as they come, married to his job as the SWAT chief, and co-parenting his Deaf daughter. When he runs into a nanny issue the summer that his daughter is spending with him while her mom is out of the country on assignment, Asher reluctantly agrees to let his boss' daughter -- who is studying to be an audiologist and knows ASL -- fill in as the nanny.
Phoebe is a breath of fresh air. She is fun and feisty and has no problem putting Asher in his place. I loved the combative nature of their relationship because it was overflowing with sexual chemistry. It was explosive when Asher and Phoebe finally gave in to their attraction to each other! Eventually, Asher and Phoebe agree to a secret relationship for as long as she is in town before heading back to grad school. But an unexpected twist changes the course of Phoebe's life, and Asher turns out to be a big old protective Marshmallow underneath that grumpy exterior the rest of the world sees!
Meanwhile, Phoebe had a lovely friendship with Asher's daughter, Olivia. It was so nice to see her treat Olivia as an equal and not as her ward.
This series is set a few years after the Arrowood Brothers books, since Phoebe is a contemporary of the Arrowood kids, and some of the OG brothers and their wives appear more in line with Asher's age.
The next book in this series has been announced as Addy and Grady, tying the Whitlock Family series to the Rose Canyon series, since Addy moved from there to Sugarloaf. As CM readers know, her author bestie is Melanie Harlow -- and Phoebe's best friend is Emmeline, one of Frannie and Mack's twins from the Cloverleigh Farms series. And yes, I hope she comes to visit Phoebe in Sugarloaf and falls head-over-heels in love with Rowan!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review....more
Unscripted With Mila is a lovely story about two broken, scared souls hiding who they really are who find solace and hope and healing with one anotherUnscripted With Mila is a lovely story about two broken, scared souls hiding who they really are who find solace and hope and healing with one another.
Amelia "Mila" Morrison is happy to hide behind her keyboard as a best-selling author. (She is the daughter of Van and Liv from Vested Interest series.) But when one of her books is being made into a movie, she has no choice but to be on the set. And that's where she meets Nicholas Scott, the troubled Hollywood star who was the inspiration for the very character from her book he is now bringing to life. Nick and Mila have a series of first meets (although he doesn't know it!) and their connection is instantaneous right from the start.
Mila sees the pain behind Nick's eyes, and gets him in a way nobody else does. She settles Nick, is a balm to his harried soul. And for Mila, Nick supported and guided her when she had to go out of her comfort zone. These characters are far from perfect, but they embraced one another's imperfections and lifted them up. Nick never had to feel like he wasn't enough around Mila; he didn't have to hide the truths about himself that he'd been forced to bury for so long for the sake of his career. Mila was relatable, likable, and I enjoyed getting to experience the fantasy of meeting your favorite actor through her eyes.
The author and her muse fall in love on the set of a movie and live happily ever after!
This book is part of Melanie Moreland's ABC Corp/BAM/Vested interest world; I've read a handful of those books, so I had a general idea of who Mila's family members are. For true-blue fans, there is a wonderful extended epilogue set in the future that gives a sweet update to all of the BAM family members.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review....more
How did I not suspect that Addie Calloway would find the love of her life with one of the McQuaid brothers?? I have loved Addie's spunk since I first How did I not suspect that Addie Calloway would find the love of her life with one of the McQuaid brothers?? I have loved Addie's spunk since I first met her in the Calloway Brothers series, and appreciated that she and her best friend Holland had developed a friendship in spite of the rivalry between their families. Then I met Hawk McQuaid -- this couple had me hooked from the start!
I love a story where the cocky hero is brought to his knees, and we got that in spades with Hawk. That character really went on quite the journey in this book, and he grew immensely. Meeting and falling for Addy really brought out a different side to Hawk, and the cocky bastard from Chapter 1 was not the same devoted husband and father who brought me to tears in the epilogue. Hawk was an unexpected surprise of a character!
Samantha Christy wrote a beautiful story with these two characters. Especially when it came to Addie's prosthesis. While she's confident and doesn't let her disability stop her from doing anything, there was one part where she's really made to feel less-than because of her lost limb. With Hawk, however, he almost revered her for the warrior she is for having survived what she had. Both characters have literal physical scars, and I loved how their vulnerability bonded them.
No Small Bet was a fantastic start to a new series about the McQuaid brothers. This was a beautiful story of finding love in an unlikely place, the healing power of true love, self-forgiveness, and redemption. I honestly don't know how SC is going to top Hawk and Addie with the rest of the boys!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review....more
That’s a wrap on the Hope Valley series by Jessica Prince, and I have loved getting to know these characters along the way!
But this book wasn’t my favThat’s a wrap on the Hope Valley series by Jessica Prince, and I have loved getting to know these characters along the way!
But this book wasn’t my favorite of the series. While I liked Hunter and Serenity together, I hated how she was pining over him for so long. You are stronger than that, girl! She had some self-esteem issues stemming from her family’s history of being con artists. (She is Stella’s sister.) But I felt that she was waiting around for a Hunter and not living the new life she deserved.
Hunter, meanwhile, had suffered so much loss: his sister, his best friend, the woman he thought he’d loved. And his leg. But he was a marshmallow inside once he decided to stop fighting his feelings for Serenity.
So while I liked the couple together, how they helped each other, and where they ended up, I felt parts of the story were rushed and it just didn’t have the same zing that other books in this series left me feeling. It was still enjoyable and had that nice small-town feel, but it wasn't my favorite from this series.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review....more
The Girl in the Front Row is so much more than a rockstar romance. It is a heartfelt story of learning how to love and accept yourself, finding a reasThe Girl in the Front Row is so much more than a rockstar romance. It is a heartfelt story of learning how to love and accept yourself, finding a reason to fight through the darkness of depression, and an inside look at what it's like to live life with an invisible disability.
Lennon and Dylan's story starts off with heated passion and lust when a superfan has a one-night stand with the rock god she's been obsessed with since she was a kid. (He is 10 years older than her.) But it evolves into a fantastic, sweeping kind of epic romance. This brilliant story is full of angst, full of push and pull, involves a love triangle and a bit of emotional cheating, and so much vulnerability.
Having been born with a rare eye condition that made her legally blind, Lennon has always lived her life in a cloud of darkness. But Dylan's amputation happened when he was 35, and he has been struggling to figure out how to deal with that trauma and the blow it gave to his fragile ego. Who is he, Dylan Pierce, without his rockstar swagger? Will the sold-out crowds come back if he can't give them the energetic performances that he used to? Will he ever be able to write another song again, having been changed so dramatically on so many levels?
Dylan finds his muse in Lennon, and while it's fun at first to be dating her celebrity crush, he's not exactly a constant in her life. This story is far from one full of rainbows and unicorns, and it is a hard-earned happily ever after for this couple. Because they go through A LOT to be together. There is a ton of growing up that Dylan does in this book, and Lennon goes through a metamorphosis of her own as she fights for independence and confidence after having lived her life completely dependent on those around her.
I'm trying to not give many details away, because this story truly is inspirational, and one of a kind. Just read it. Yes, it's a story about an average girl who falls in love with her celebrity crush, and he even loves her back. But The Girl in the Front Row is so much more than that. It is really eye-opening when it comes to the struggles of people with disabilities, and I am so in awe of how Kelsey Kingsley for pouring her heart and soul into this story, drawing upon her own experiences to do so.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review....more
Stepbrother romances have always been my secret favorites and I loved everything about Molly and Aiden’s story! This is the first book I’ve read by DyStepbrother romances have always been my secret favorites and I loved everything about Molly and Aiden’s story! This is the first book I’ve read by Dyan Lane and I loved it! Usually, 3rd person POV isn’t my favorite, but she did a great job of telling the story from both characters’ sides.
I loved how we got to know Molly and Aiden from the time they were kids and I felt like I was there with them as their feelings for each other changed. They have an immediate connection, and she gets him more than anyone else does, even if he can’t speak. Both of these characters are so tortured and by trying to keep his distance, Aiden breaks both of their hearts.
There was an unexpected twist in this story that could have gone badly. But thankfully, this story has a wonderful ending and it left me feeling all warm and fuzzy.
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review....more
Griffin and Nadia's story is so much more than just an age gap/grumpy-sunshine/brother's best friend romance. These two characters are incredibly brokGriffin and Nadia's story is so much more than just an age gap/grumpy-sunshine/brother's best friend romance. These two characters are incredibly broken, and this book deals with a lot of sensitive subjects. I found the book to be well-written and the story engaging, and both characters showed a lot of growth over the course of the book.
I will say that I found Griffin's stuttering due to a traumatic brain injury (stemming from his days as a pro football player) to be a surprise. I found it endearing that being around Nadia made him calmer and less stressed, and she didn't make a big deal of his stutter at all. The big issue between them is his addiction to alcohol, as well as the ghosts from both of their pasts.
A False Start is book 4 in the Gold Rush Ranch series. The books are all standalones with interconnecting characters. However, I've jumped around this series a bit and did not read The Front Runner (her brother/his best friend's Stefan's story), and I feel that's partly why I didn't connect with Nadia and Griffin as much? I didn't get to know them there first? While I liked this story, I just didn't feel the intense connection between Nadia and Griffin that I was hoping for. The last two chapters brought it home, but I still felt that it was lacking something that made the difference between this being 4 stars and not 5 stars.
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review....more
I was really looking forward to Piper and Tristan’s story. The End of Us has all the right elements for a great forced proximity/age gap/bodyguard romI was really looking forward to Piper and Tristan’s story. The End of Us has all the right elements for a great forced proximity/age gap/bodyguard romance. But Piper just whined so much.
I loved Tristan, his internal struggle, trying to stifle his desire for his much-younger client. But I just couldn’t get behind Piper being so petulant about Tristan doing his job to keep her safe from her stalker. This book was definitely enjoyable, and Kennedy Fox did a great job in writing the build-up between these two characters. By the time they finally do the deed, the anticipation was worth the payoff.
Had I not found Piper to be so immature and shallow — and I get that she’s only 21, but I thought she could have had some more depth — I would have given this book 4 stars. She grew on be more as the story went on, but by then I'd kind of already formed my opinion.
Andi Arndt and Sebastian York did a bang-up job with the narration, though! Sebastian's deep voice helped create a burly version of Tristan in my head.
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review....more
I adored this book! Knot My Type is fun, flirty, sexy, and refreshing! Frankie was a fantastic heroine. Strong, sassy, knew what she wanted, knew her I adored this book! Knot My Type is fun, flirty, sexy, and refreshing! Frankie was a fantastic heroine. Strong, sassy, knew what she wanted, knew her worth -- and the fact that she is disabled didn't mean a lick. I loved that about her. Her wheelchair didn't stand in her way at all, and I loved how Jay saw her for the wonderful woman she is.
Frankie is a sexologist and popular podcaster. When a reader wants to know about accessible rope play, Frankie reaches out to Jay -- a former high school classmate who she hears through the grapevine is a skilled rigger at the local kink club. As she picks his brain about bondage, sparks go off between them. His attraction to Frankie shocks Jay because he doesn't do relationships. But for her, he's willing to try. And once they get together, it is a wonderful, healthy, fun relationship. They connect instantly, it's easygoing, and they allow themselves to be vulnerable and intimate with the other.
But all of Jay's fears about not being enough for the kind of future Frankie wants — being the goodtime guy, not husband material, thanks to a past relationship — come to the surface when his past catches up with their present. How Jay comes to terms with his insecurities and fears versus not having Frankie in his life at all left me in tears. It leads to a wonderful Grand Gesture and a heartwarming HEA.
Knot My Type was a refreshing read from a new-to-me author that I binged on a Friday night. It's a starter to a new series about a group of friends and I can't wait to read the rest of these books!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review....more
Holy smokes! Kandi Steiner brings ALL THE ANGST with Say Yes! Plus, it's set in 1996 -- the year I graduated college! -- so I related so well to HarleHoly smokes! Kandi Steiner brings ALL THE ANGST with Say Yes! Plus, it's set in 1996 -- the year I graduated college! -- so I related so well to Harley! Then there is the backdrop of Florence, Italy, Steiner's signature angst and the retro vibe of Say Yes... well, I had a major book hangover afterward!!
Liam. Broody, broody Liam. I am a sucker for a tragic hero, and this guy has all kinds of baggage weighing him down. Harley has insecurities of her own due to her disability, and the way these two navigate those demons as they try to manage a no-strings fling was beautiful. As Liam teaches Harley how to love herself despite her disability, she teaches him to let go of the guilt and grief weighing him down and forgive himself for what happened in the past. While the romance between the two characters is certainly a focal point of this book, there is so much more to Say Yes with the themes of healing, family, forgiveness, and acceptance.
"… In the end, you only have this very moment."
Say Yes is a book that I know I will be coming back to time and time again! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review....more
I wanted to like this book so much based on the blurb. But it was super slow -- and then the ending was just way to rushed to get this couple togetherI wanted to like this book so much based on the blurb. But it was super slow -- and then the ending was just way to rushed to get this couple together.
First of all, I couldn't get past the fact that Alice and Alfie were even roommates at the hospital to begin with. Surely, that had to raise a red flag with someone? Parts of this story dragged and were repetitive, and I almost felt like I was reading filler just so that a page count was met.
On the plus side, I liked the stark contrast in personalities between chatty Afie and quiet Alice, and how these two began to fall for one another without ever having seen what the other looks like. So much relied -- everything relied on, actually -- on their personalities and conversations, and I found that so endearing. This book has a great message about learning to love yourself again after a tragedy, and that it's what is on the inside that counts.
But when this story is positioned as a romance between two characters who fall in love without having seen one another, I want more romance. And I didn't feel like I got it.
Before I Saw You was a likeable enough read, but I was just left wanting more from Alfie and Alice.
I received an advanced copy via NetGalley and voluntarily left a review....more
Love Is Never Lost is a brilliant reimagining of the Rip Van Winkle fairytale! I've read a few of Katy Regnery's Modern Fairytale stories now, and sheLove Is Never Lost is a brilliant reimagining of the Rip Van Winkle fairytale! I've read a few of Katy Regnery's Modern Fairytale stories now, and she never ceases to amaze me with her retelling of classic tales!
The story is told in two parts -- before Rip's accident and after. Part 1 is set in 1985, when Rip and Katrina are seniors in high school. They were once family friends, but as their families grew apart after the death of Trina's mom, so did the kids. Now they are about to graduate high school, and Rip is the popular jock while Trina is the bookish nerd. But in the weeks leading up to graduation, Rip and Trina rekindle their friendship... and as Rip's relationship with his girlfriend Becky begins to fall apart, he begins to develop feelings for his childhood friend.
Part 2 is set after Rip's accident -- he wakes up after being in a coma for 20 years. I loved this part of the book. I loved how KR wrote (with creative license) the struggles he felt in adapting to how different the world is around him. Internet, cell phones, having a sister born while he was sleeping... and Katrina is still there by his side to help him through it all.
It's not all roses and unicorns for Trina and Rip to get together. There are real issues for them to work through regarding her ex-husband, and Rip's recovery. There is a great scene in particular where they clash while trying to discuss their feelings -- Rip feels like he's being treated constantly as a patient, not as a man, and Trina's lack of social skills prevents her from understanding what Rip is trying to get across to her.
Rip and Trina's journey is a wonderful slow burn. Another great story in the Modern Fairytale series!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review....more
The Revenge Pact is the first in a trio of college football romances in a collaboration of standalones between Ilsa Madden-Mills, Meghan Quinn and AdrThe Revenge Pact is the first in a trio of college football romances in a collaboration of standalones between Ilsa Madden-Mills, Meghan Quinn and Adriana Locke. This story is a swoony, sexy, slow-burn, unrequited, best friend’s girlfriend romance!
River Tate may be my fave Ilsa Madden-Mills hero yet! He is so loyal and kind and sweet. He is always doing little things for people out of the goodness of his heart, never expecting anything in return. Which is why he never made a move himself for Anastasia — his fraternity brother, Donovan, said he’d liked her first. Even after she and Donovan break up, River is so hard on himself about his feelings for her, why he should stay away, why he can’t be with her, even though there is CLEARLY sizzling chemistry between them. Things take a turn in River’s favor when, in exchange for Anastasia tutoring him in their Lit class (he is dyslexic and has ADHD), he finds her a guy to have a fling with.
I loved that there was no major drama between River and Anastasia, no big fight or breakup. There is some drama with Donovan, but it’s mostly River’s hang ups in wanting to be a good friend to his frat brother and not break bro code. The relationship between River and Anastasia, once they get there, is easy going. They communicate, they take each other’s feelings into account, and they make each other a priority, which is refreshing to read in college/YA romances.
I adored them! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review....more
Sliver of Truth is an amazing story of wanting more, being afraid to take a leap and doing it anyway, and learning that there is so much more3.5 Stars
Sliver of Truth is an amazing story of wanting more, being afraid to take a leap and doing it anyway, and learning that there is so much more to a person than meets the eye.
Stripper CeCe and handyman Dusty have been having a secret affair for a year, and now that she's about to leave the club where they both work, he wants more from their relationship. Namely, no longer being secret friends with benefits. When Dusty demands to be more than a dirty little secret, will CeCe step up or watch him walk away?
I thought this story was well-written and flowed nicely. There are some raw, emotional moments, as well as lots of sweet ones. And some steamy ones. Both CeCe and Dusty have some insecurity issues to work through. And there is a lot of disability bias in this story: Dusty speaks with a stutter as a result of an accident. People think he's stupid and that is so far from the truth. I thought that Jody Kaye handled that aspect of this story wonderfully. It really will make you stop and think about how you treat others.
So why am I only ranking this 3.5 stars? It is a standalone, but I feel like there should have been a note somewhere that the series should be read in order. I felt like I was starting the book in the middle of a chapter, and there were all these other characters hanging around that are clearly part of the same social circle, but there was little to no explanation as to who they are and what their relationship is to one another. So I felt quite lost regarding the backstory and it was a feeling I couldn't shake throughout the book. Unfortunately, I felt like that was holding me back from really shipping CeCe and Dusty as a couple.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Whatever Happens is an absolutely superb, heartbreaking, powerful, emotional, magnificent story! I'm generally not a fan of the high school stories whWhatever Happens is an absolutely superb, heartbreaking, powerful, emotional, magnificent story! I'm generally not a fan of the high school stories when it comes to YA fiction, but something about this blurb drew me in. I've never read anything my Micalea Smeltzer before, but Finn and Violet's story absolutely blew me away!
Violet is struggling to find a new normal in the wake of her younger autistic sister's suicide when her family relocates from Texas to Maine. The bullying that led to her sister's death has Violet rethinking everything about her old life and how self-absorbed she was as a popular cheerleader. Now a self-imposed loner, Violet strikes up a tentative friendship with Finn, the boy next door.
Finn leads a life of solitude. Labeled by his classmates as weird and strange, he keeps to himself with just his service dog and the stars as company. Little by little, Violet works her way into his life, and the autistic teenager opens himself up to having a friend. Where nobody else ever gave Finn a second thought, Violet sees him for who he is on the inside: a magnificent, wonderful, funny and sweet human being.
It's not long before they fall in love, but insecurities on both their parts leads to a heartbreaking break up. Finn's fear of never being enough, and Violet's anger toward both Finn and her sister over not being worth sticking around for keep these teenagers apart while at the same time they are thrust together as the leads in the school's production of Beauty & The Beast. So fitting.
Despite their differences, Violet and Finn balance each other out wonderfully. She sees who he is deep down into his soul, and she gives him a strength to be brave in a way he never imagined would be possible. This story may be a clean, sweet romance, but it is so emotionally deep.
I am so glad that I took a chance on this book, because it was positively fantastic. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review....more
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