I cannot believe that the year of 2021 is half gone already! As of the end of June I have read 138 books of my 2021 goal of 200. I think that I will surpass the goal, and I am very happy that there are so many good books available to read with happily-ever-after attached to the characters. The world around us is not always a happy place and I love that I can escape into a world where the characters can go through difficult times, yet always make it through to a brighter future. I guess I am feeling a little philosophical today, but there you go.
I read 4 books and a novella this week. The prequel novella for Piper Rayne's new series sets the stage perfectly and is a read you should not miss. Their venture into hockey romance is a treat that I really enjoyed this week. Carly Phillips' next Kingston family book was terrific and I fell hard for the hero, Beckett. Annie Dyer delivers the perfect summer fling romance that becomes forever with her latest release. Escape to Ibiza; a world of decadence and indulgence that is beautifully described beyond anything I could have imagined. I also read new-to-me author, Liz Paffel, this week to meet a June reading challenge requirement of a heroine who works in a bakery. Liz has delivered a new bear shifter community that I loved and I really want to read more of her series.
I hope the reviews here give you a better idea of these books as you search for your next read.
Happy reading!
#SportsRomance #SlowBurn #ARC
5 STARS
Aiden is not normally bound by the superstitions that other
hockey players rely on. That, is, until
he goes into an 8-game slump. His future
depends on his ability to play well and score and get out of his slump
fast. Saige swears she will never again
fall for a pro-athlete after he ex broke her heart. Their story is written in first person from a
dual POV.
Aiden is sweet and down-to-earth while remaining charming and cocky about his athleticism. Saige is smart, beautiful, and determined to avoid getting her heart broken. Their relationship is complicated. Though they are attracted from the beginning, things keep them apart. In the process, they become friends. They learn to read each other and rely on each other. I love they way they support each other. When they finally give in, they have kindle melting heat matched with tenderness and love. I appreciated the depth given to the characters and how much I felt like I really knew them. I really enjoyed this book, and I had a hard time setting it down to deal with daily life things that demanded my attention. I am seriously looking forward to the other books in the series. The secondary characters who will become main characters are set up perfectly. I am 100% hooked on these hockey players and the stories of their HEAs.
#FamilySeries #Billionaire #ForcedProximity #Roommate #ARC
5 STARS
Beck and Chloe’s romance is book two in the Kingston Family
series. It is written in third person
from a dual POV.
I love that beck helps Chloe out after she is left at the
altar but refuses to take advantage of her.
I love that he is an honorable and good guy. He looks after Chloe in a way that leads him
to have feelings he really does not want to have. I love Chloe and her acceptance of Beck and
his self-imposed limitations, even knowing that it will break her heart. I love her maturity and her willingness while
still afraid to pursue the life she really wants. I love that they both have a family support
system. They have intense chemistry
between them that becomes irresistible and burns up the page. More than anything, I adore the friendship
they form along the way.
The author does an excellent job creating likable characters
with scars that make them realistic. I
love how well-developed they are. I love
the relationship between Beck and Linc and that they can finally put some
differences aside for Chloe. This was an
excellent addition to the series of interconnected stand-alone books, and I
look forward to the next book in the series.
I know I am going to fall hard for Xander.
Bartender by Annie Dyer
ARC: Release Date- 7/7/2021
#FlingRomance #RomanticSuspense #ARC
4 STARS
A decadent setting for a steamy story.
Written in first person from dual POV, Jameson and Tommy
have a summer fling set on the wild island of Ibiza. The setting and the atmosphere of Ibiza is a
character of its own within the story, as is the lifestyle of the people who
holiday there.
Tommy is a bit of a bad boy.
I appreciated that he was not looking for love after losing the love of
his life. Jay-Jay is getting over her
last romance when she arrives on Ibiza for the summer before heading to New
York to finish her education. Their
attraction is mutual and intense, leading to some smoking hot moments between
them on the isle where anything goes.
Tommy has a past, and Jameson end up in danger along the way. I was
trusting the author to give them their HEA when it seemed like it might not
happen, and she did.
The writing style of this book is a bit different than
others written by this author. I felt
like the story moved dreamily through the first 80% of the book, and there were
times I struggled to stay in it. I liked
the characters, but I am not sure I ever felt like a really knew them in a way
I have known some of her other characters.
The setting was new to me, and the lifestyles of the rich and famous
playground was beautiful but difficult for me to relate to my own life. I feel like this is a good beach read with
lots of heat, a little suspense, and an escape from reality into the world of
overindulgence that Ibiza represents.
Bear In A Bakery (Estes Park Shifters #1) by Liz Paffel
#FatedMates #InstaLove #ShifterRomance #ParanormalRomance
4 STARS
This was my first book by this author and I really liked it. I felt like the character development, the shifter pack history and shifter theology was well-developed, and the characters were well rounded, likable, and interesting. It is written in third person from a dual POV.
Allie has been hurt and is having some really awful things happen to her bakery. There is also her ex constantly threatening her and a town mean girl who I wanted to punch. When sexy Dax comes into her life, a relationship is the last thing she is looking to find. All she wants is to overcome all the obstacles and build a successful business. Dax is under pressure to find his mate. He has pretty much given up on true love till he meets Allie. Their connection and the draw between them leaps off the page. They steamed up my kindle when they give into the massive heat between them. They have to learn to communicate and overcome some challenges on the way to their sticky sweet HEA. I really enjoyed the book and would have rated it higher except there were a lot of editing and proofreading errors that drove me a little crazy. If those had been corrected, this would have been a five star shifter read for me.
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