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Book reviews for the week of October 24th

 



I had a fabulous week reading with 3 ARCs (including an anthology of nine novellas) and one book on my TBR.  I was thrilled to read Toni Aleo for the first time as I prepare to meet authors at Indies Invade Philly.  I am hooked on her hockey series and I can't wait to read more.  Piper Rayne's next book in the Greene family allows jed to finally become the man I knew he could be. Stephanie Rose's addition to the All America Boys series allows our heroine to fall for her best friend's brother who is five years younger.  Their romance is sweet and steamy and was a perfect read.  Finally I read the Snowed Inn for Christmas Anthology.  Some of these authors were new to me, but I will certainly be reading more by them.  If you grab one Christmas anthology this year, you will want to get this one.  It is a cohesive story of nine couples whose characters overlap into the the other books.  Santa brought some Christmas magic to Winter Falls and you are going to love it.



My Sister's Flirty Friend (Greene Family #4) 

by Piper Rayne

ARC: Release Date- 11/2/2021

#BestFriendsBrother #FriendsToLovers #Singledad #SmallTown #ARC

5 STARS

Book four in the series can be read as a standalone though readers may find greater enjoyment of getting to know recurring family characters by reading the series in order.  This is the story of Jed Greene and his sister’s best friend, Molly. It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

I love that Jed and Molly both have baggage they recognize that that they must overcome in order to get to a HEA.  Molly is feisty, yet vulnerable.  I love her character and that she struggles between the self she presents to the world and her inner doubts and insecurities.  Jed has his own doubts and insecurities.  He is terrified that deep down he is more like his father than he wants to be. When he finds out he is a father, he is shocked, terrified, and completely overcome.  I felt like his reaction was realistic, though at times it felt more selfish than I wanted him to behave.  I love the relationship he forms with his daughter.  I love the friendship he shares with Molly, before and after they become physical together.  They have a lot of heat between them, yet it is their understanding of each other and their friendship that leads them to love.

I always enjoy the relationship and the banter among the Greene siblings and the elders.  This was no different.  Set in a small Alaska town, the story has both humor and heart. This was a wonderful friends-to-lovers story with steam and sentiment.  I cannot wait for the next book in this series.


The Boy I Shouldn't Want (All American Boys Series) 

by Stephanie Rose

ARC: Release Date- 11/4/2021

#BestFriendsBrother #InstaLove #ARC

5 STARS

Part of the All-American Boys series written by multiple authors, this can be read completely as a standalone.  It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

Sadie is a wonderful character who is intelligent, beautiful, and strong.  She has been hurt in the past, but she has moved on.  Mason is the younger brother of her best friend.  When they are thrown together, sparks are immediate and intense.  Mason is a man making his way in the world.  I love how hard and fast he falls for Sadie.  I love their connection, both emotional and physical.  There is a lot of steam and a lot of swoons between these two.  I just melted.  I kept rooting for them to overcome the obstacles that threatened to keep them apart.  The characters are likable and well-developed and their HEA is sweet and sexy.  This is a winner, and it definitely makes me want to read more books in this fun series of books tied to the all-American town of Bear Creek, Colorado.



Snowed Inn For Christmas Anthology

Brynne Asher, Elle Christensen, Lucy Darling, Fiona Davenport, Hope Ford, Layla Frost, Ella Goode, Frankie Love and Rochelle Paige

ARC: Release Date- 11/9/2021

#Holiday #Anthology #ForcedProximity #AlphaHero #InstaLove #ARC

5 STARS

This is probably the most cohesive Christmas Anthology I have ever read.  Though the stories are written by nine separate authors, the characters and story timelines are interconnected.  All of them are written in first person from an alternating dual POV. The characters are interesting and just waiting for that bit of Christmas magic that coincides with a huge snowstorm.  Santa has gifted these nine couples with a holiday they will always remember and a love to last forever.  The town is cute, and I love the way they find insta-love together.  Ella Goode includes a married couple second chance story with “Rowan and Charlie” that melted me.  Marriage isn’t always easy, and I loved reading as they find their way back to each other.  Brynne Asher’s story, “Logan and Demi”, is the longest read at 23 chapters and I fell hard for both nerdy characters.  They were both super smart and Logan’s driven alpha ways were just what Demi needs to push herself out of her comfort zone.  Other stories in the collection range from six to thirteen chapters.  All include an element of forced proximity because of the snowstorm, super steamy times between the couples, alpha heroes, and some include virgins. Together these nine stories took me several days to read, yet I didn’t want to put it down.  If you like Christmas reads with some heat, you need to grab this anthology and enjoy Winter Falls this season.



Juicy Rebound (Ice Cats #1) by Toni Aleo

5 STARS

#BrothersBestFriend #HealingLove #SportsRomance #SecondChance

This was my first book by this author, and the first book in the Ice Cats series. It can be read as a standalone and is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

Chandler is a professional hockey player with charm, intelligence, looks, confidence, and a ton of kindness in his character. He was amazing and I fell hard for him. I love how persistent he is in getting Amelia to date him and then in loving her back to having the confidence she used to have. Amelia has been hurt and I understood her hesitance to jump into another relationship. I was so happy when she finally gave Chandler a chance. Their chemistry and the friendship they renew along the way was special and emotional. I love the heat between them and the romantic scenes woven into their story. There is humor, and there are also several scenes that made me laugh, including the opening scene of the book. When a book hooks me in the first two pages, I know it is a winner. The secondary characters are well developed and likable. I liked the pacing and the depth of the story. I am 100% hooked on the Ice Cats. I am thankful I read this, as I will be meeting the author in a couple of weeks at Indies Invade Philly. I know I will most definitely be reading more of her work and I cannot wait.

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