I read three ARCs this week and things slowed down enough that I was able to read a couple of books off by TBR as well. I had a hilarious new rom-com from Jackie Walker. Then I read the Thatcher Kelly Collection by Max Monroe. I had read the first two books in the collection before, but I thoroughly enjoyed the reread. The new novella in the collection is not to be missed. I read my first book by Aly Martinez and I was blown away! Her new book ran me through the gamut of emotions in only the best way. Finally, I was able to read the first two books of the McCabe Brothers series by Julie Capulet which have been on my list for a while. I continue to work on the backlists of my favorite authors, and as I have committed to fewer ARCs in the next few months, I hoping to really make some headway there during that time. I am a lucky lady because I read five fabulous books this week that covered a range of tropes and emotions. It was a very enjoyable week.
Love & Other Lies by Jackie Walker
ARC: Release Date 4/25/21
#FakeRelationship #FriendsToLovers #RomanticComedy #ARC
5 STARS
Amber and Cort’s story s the third in the series but can be
read as a standalone. It is written in
first person from a dual POV.
Cort has always liked Amber.
When she finds herself in a bind, he is more than wiling to help her out
by being her husband. There is a lot of
heat when they adapt the arrangement to include benefits. The catch is that they both fall for each
other in the process. I love that Cort
has some baggage to work through that he never acknowledged was present. His journey through that was special to read
and made me feel so much emotion for him.
I love the way they can’t keep their hands off each other and need to be
touching. I adore the hilarious
self-talk and the very funny Amos family text threads. The grand gesture brings all the
romance. I couldn’t help but cheer for
Cort and Amber when they get their HEA.
You will definitely want to grab this one for a humorous read with a
side of sentimental family time.
#BillionaireRomance #RomanticComedy #ARC
5 STARS
This collection includes Banking the Billionaire, the
novella, Banking her, and a new novella, Crazy Fluffing Love. All are written in fist person from multiple
POV.
If you want a hilarious hero who will roll with whatever comes his way, has a heart as big as Texas, who is built like a very muscular tree, and who is loyal to a fault, then Thatcher Kelly is your man. Everyone loves Thatch, because seriously, how can you not? The attraction between Thatch and Cassie is intense from the beginning. I love their chemistry, but I especially love their banter. They are grade A pranksters against each other, and they are diabolical when they work together. They are both all about the fun. They face surprises and come to grips with how to be together without losing their own crazy individualism over the course of this collection. Reading this collection, you will definitely have fun, laugh out loud, and appreciate their free spirits in the bedroom. If you have not read about Thatch yet, do not wait- grab this now. If you have previously read their story, you know you are due for a reread anyway. You will not want to miss the new novella. You will gain an appreciation for pig nannies, bachelor/bachelorette parties gone awry, and a va-jazzling disaster along the way.
From the Embers by Aly Martinez
ARC: Release Date- 4/28/21
#SingleDad #SingleMom #FriendsToLovers #Romantic Suspense
#ARC
5 STARS
WOW! Just. Wow.
This is my first book by this author, though I have some in
my library that are currently unread, and she has been highly recommended by
other reader friends before. I was
contacted by another author who reached out to bloggers who previously had
reviewed her books, asking for bloggers who would be willing to review an ARC
of an upcoming release for Aly Martinez.
I read the blurb. It sounded
great, but emotionally packed. I am
normally a rom-com girl. I thought about
it for a few hours, and it kept coming back to my mind. I knew I had to read this book. I grabbed the ARC and read it and I am not
sorry. It is written in first person
from a dual POV.
I was right that this book is emotionally packed. I felt all the emotions, deeply. Yet I never felt manipulated to those
feelings like sometimes happens in an emotional book. This book is incredibly well-written. I am not a crier, but this one brought me to
tears. Reading this book, I felt
irritation, shock, deep grief, anger, betrayal, fear, and love. There are so many twists and turns. The hits just kept coming at Bree and Eason. The author does an amazing job tracing their
journey from the “before”, through the “during”, and finally leading them
through to the “after” of the tragedies they face. I understood both characters, their
motivations, and their feelings each step of the way. There are many twists and turns that I refuse
to reveal because they are part of the experience of reading this book.
Eason is a good man.
He has a heart of gold, despite it being ripped from his chest multiple
times. Bree is amazing. She is fierce, loving, and protective of
those she loves. She is also unafraid to
admit when she has been wrong. Both
would do anything for their kids, who I must say are precious and a wonderful
part of the book that brought me many smiles.
They face so, so much. I love
when they form an unbreakable unit to deal with everything together. They have deep feelings for each other
because of their shared experience.
Their connection is strong, and I loved them together.
There are some steamy moments, but this book is all about
the emotions the characters feel as they rebuild their lives. And the happily ever after is perfect. Yes, they do eventually get there. And it is wonderful to behold. I have a feeling I will be thinking about
this book for a long, long time. As a blogger, I am blessed to read a lot of
great books. That said, I have no doubt
though that this is going to be one of my top reads of the year. I took a chance, stepped away from my comfort
zone, and I am not sorry. I will be encouraging everyone to read this book and
go on the wild ride that Eason and Bree take to their HEA. And I will
definitely be reading more books by this author.
Hopeless Romantic (McCabe Brothers #1)
by Julie Capulet
#NewAdult #InstaLove #SportsRomance #AlphaHero
5 STARS
Millie is off to college after a gap year. She has had a difficult life but has proven to be resilient and determined to set her own path. Bo is from a wealthy background and is the university football star. I loved how Bo immediately fell for Millie. I loved the chemistry and passion they share. I appreciated that they had both waited and then more felt right with each other. I absolutely loved Millie and her survival instinct. I adored Bo and his immediate desire to protect and care for Millie. This OTT alpha hero fell hard, fast, and completely. There is a lot of dirty, sm-exy heat between Bo and Millie when they let go. I also really enjoyed the multiple epilogues which take the reader years into the future to verify that Bo and Millie really do get their HEA, despite finding each other so young. Their story is written in first person from a dual POV.
My Hero (McCabe Brothers #2) by Julie Capulet
#MilitaryRomance #WoundedHero #HealingLove #AlphaHero #InstaLove
#NewAdult
5 STARS
Caleb is a beautifully broken hero who has experienced
trauma in both life and through his service in the military. He if shrouded in darkness as he tries to
reenter society after recovering from a war injury. Violet is like sunshine; mostly happy and
optimistic despite having her own shadows.
They feel an instant connection, even without speaking. I love that from the beginning, Caleb is protective
of Violet and recognizes that he is in a place that feels too dark for
her. But he underestimates her
strength. Violet is young but strong and
determined. They fall hard and fast for
each other, and I love that. Their
physical passion is scorching hot. My
heart aches for Caleb as he comes to terms with the amount of healing he needs
to achieve after everything he has been through. I love that they tackle healing together and
that Violet helps and supports him. At
one point he calls her his dream angel and I swooned out of my chair. This author does an amazing job generating a
believable instant connection and super steamy physical scenes. They must work for their HEA, but their
instant love is strong, and their future is bright. This book is written in
first person from a dual POV.
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