Book reviews for the week of September 19th

 

Happy Friday!  I am publishing this early since I am traveling to Dallas this weekend to meet authors at Holidays with the Belles book signing.  I have tried to read something by each of the authors and I almost made it.  I am only missing reading nine authors out of twenty-nine now attending.  Some of the authors I had read are unfortunately not attending now or my number would be higher.  I have books picked out for the last nine and I will be adding those in over the next few months.  I have thoroughly enjoyed reading new-to-me authors in preparation for this and I believe I have found some new favorites in the process.

This week I read two ARCs , one newer release and three from my Dallas author list.  One of those was read & listen in Kindle Unlimited so I was able to get a few things done around the house while listening.  Check out my reviews below and have a fantastic weekend.  I hope you read something great.

Not in the Plans (Best Laid Plans #2) by Erin Hawkins

#BrothersBestFriend #WorkplaceRomance

5 STARS

Samantha and Luke's story is the second book by this author and I loved it. It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

Sam is a driven, determined and successful businesswoman. I loved her independence and her commitment to her ethics and beliefs. I love that she has had a crush on Luke for more than half of her life and when they meet up again for him to help her with opening her stores, the sparks fly. I love Luke and how he tries to resist his best friend's little sister. He is kind of grumpy to begin with. I love that once he decides to give into his feelings, he is all in. Luke is a successful businessman in his own right as he learns to pursue his real passion and find happiness over the course o the story. I love that family and friends are so important to both characters and are a big part of who they are as people.

There are funny moments, lots of hot times, and sweet romantic times as their relationship goes from frenemies, to friends, to lovers. I love the relationship they build so quickly and that makes their black moment even more devastating. The author does an excellent job of making the reader feel both the euphoria of new love and the heartbreak the characters feel before they get their HEA. The story is perfectly well-developed and the secondary characters are interesting and well-rounded. I found Samantha and Luke to be complete, likable characters with both flaws and redeeming qualities. I am impressed with this newer indie author and I highly recommend her work. Grab and read both her books: you will not be sorry.

Faking It With #41 (Hockey Hotties #3) by Piper Rayne

#SingleDad #SportsRomance #EnemiesToLovers #FakeRelationship #ARC

5 STARS

This book is book 3 in the Hickey Hotties series but can be read as a standalone.  It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV and ends with a HEA.

Ford grows up a lot over the course of this book.  I loved seeing him as a good father to Annabelle.  I adored his protective and sweet side.  I really felt like I understood him as I read the book.  I really loved Lena.  I loved how she overcame so much to get where she is and understood why she would agree to marry Ford, even though they fought like cats and dogs.  Her character is strong and intelligent. She takes risks after considering the consequences and I really liked that about her. The attraction that simmers between Ford & Lena is intense and contributes to their initial animosity.  As they got to know each other better, their initial opinions change and that is where their love begins to grow.

This was steamy, well-written, witty, and funny.  Ford as a daddy was heart-melting.  The relationships formed among the girls and the supportive relationship offered by Ford’s team is always so much fun to read.

Room for You (Cranberry Inn #1) by Beth Ehemann

Audible Narration by Carly Robins and Will Damron

#SingleMom #SportsRomance 

4 STARS

This was my first book by this author in preparation of meeting her at Holidays with the Belles in Dallas next weekend.  This is book one in a three book series that follows Kacie and Brody.  Though they are together at the end of the book, readers can tell that they will be navigating some trouble in the next two books as they find their forever together.  This book is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

I borrowed this book through kindle unlimited and read and listened to it with the audible narration.  I felt the narrators did an excellent job with the many characters and the children in particular.  I enjoyed the story and I loved how hard and fast Brody falls for Kacie and her twin girls.  The girls are absolutely adorable and they add a sweetness to the story and depth to Kacie as she parents as a single mom.  Kacie has a lot of baggage and the couple is successfully working through it in the story.   There is plenty of heat between Kacie and Brody, who is a very romantic hero.  I especially loved reading as he falls hard for the little girls and how surprised he is by the deep emotions he feels for them as well as Kacie.  I really liked the secondary characters in the book and I will be going back to the authors list to see if any of those couples are there.  I am looking forward to reading more of their story and meeting the author.

The Virgin Replay (Rules of Love #3) by Lauren Blakely

ARC: Release Date- 9/24/21

#FakeRelationship #SportsRomance #ARC

5 STARS

This book is part of the baseball world created by this author, but it can function completely as a standalone.  It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

I have really been looking forward to Chance and Sierra.  Sparks flew between them even in earlier books.  I really appreciated how much they have in common, how comfortable they are with each other, and the friendship they develop.  They both have some baggage and trust issues to overcome along the way. There is a lot of heat between them, and I loved Sierra’s confidence as she seized the day.  I also loved Chance’s willingness to let Sierra call some of the shots.  Together they do some impulsive things that work out for the best.  I read this book in pretty much one sitting.  I hated to put it down even for a moment.  The HEA is sweet and funny.  This was an excellent addition to the series, and I look forward to more books focusing on characters introduced here and elsewhere in the series.

Surface (Guarding Her #1) by Anna Brooks

#Bodyguard #Forbidden #AlphaHero #AgeGap

4 STARS

This is the first book in this series.  It can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.  It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

I liked Royce and the possessiveness he felt toward Paisley.  I appreciated that he recognized that he needed to be away from her until she was over 18 because of their age difference.  I completely understood how Paisley could have strong feelings for Royce as a 16 year old and how teenage boys were not really a temptation.  I love the way Royce and Paisley are together.  I found their relationship both sweet and hot.  

Since this book is the first in the series, there is a lot of character introduction and set up for future stories that takes place.  There are also a lot of plot points built into this book because of that.  There are times when it feels like there is a lot going on.  I was really impressed that the author was able to make so much happen and introduce so many characters in a relatively short book. I love the world she created and would love to read more of the books.  At the time of this review, the books are not in Kindle Unlimited, so I will be watching for sales and hope that they go into KU down the road.  This was my first book by this author in preparation of meeting her at Holidays with the Belles in Dallas this weekend and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Falling for the Chance by Kennedy L. Mitchell

#LoveTriangle #SportsRomance

3.5 STARS

This is my first book by this author as I am trying to read books by the authors attending Holidays with the Belles in Dallas this weekend.  It is written in third person from multiple POV.

Emily is trying to get back into dating, with the help of her best friend Christine, after losing her fiancé two years ago.  She has fears and insecurities as she pursues a relationship with one of her clients and a former coworker.  I like Emily.  She has been through a lot.  I had trouble liking both Mike and Martin. I am not sure how describe my feelings.  Maybe the characters were too flawed?  I just wanted more.  Overall it was an interesting read and I will be reading more by this author in the future.