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Book reviews from the week of July 17th


What a week!  I finally feel like I was able to get some quality reading time in.  I read three ARCs, and two other books for reading challenge purposes.  It was a good week with a little bit of everything.  Everything from steamy insta-love to deep emotions are in this week's reads.  I hope my reviews will help you decide which of these you need to add to your TBR.  Happy reading!




A Seal's Encounter (Real Hot Seals) by Mika Jolie

ARC: Release Date- 07/14/2022

#Military #Cowboy #SmallTown #OppositesAttract #AgeGap

4 STARS

Archer is a retired Navy Seal who has returned home to Montana to work on his family ranch.  Kaia is a big city marketing specialist who comes to Montana to help the ranch expand the footprint and grow.  There is a ten-year age gap between them.  Their story is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

This was a quick read with all the feels.  There is one steamy bedroom scene, and a couple that falls fast for each other.  I loved Archer’s protective nature and that he refused to hold Kaia back.  I really loved that Kaia is quick to comprehend how happy Archer and the ranch make her.  This was an enjoyable read, and I would love to read more of the Real Hot Seal series, which is written by 17 different authors.



Bro Code Hell (Hellman Brothers #2) by Marika Ray

ARC: Release Date- 07/21/2022

#BrothersBestFriend #SmallTown #OppositesAttract #FamilySeries #ARC

5 STARS

Blaze is the second Hellman brother.  When he returns home to Auburn Hill broken more than just in body, he finds himself unexpectedly living with his best friend’s sister.  That would be ok if he hadn’t just noticed that Annie was no longer a kid.  No, she was all woman, and he could not stop wanting to do more than notice.  Their story can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.  It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

Blaze is grumpy and gruff, and I adored how Annie could make him smile and laugh.  The heat between them, as well as their friendship, was undeniable.  I loved his protective nature toward Annie, but also loved his support of her dreams.  Annie is a mile-a-minute whirlwind who literally knocks Blaze over.  I adore her confidence and her recognition of her own worthiness.  Each character has an internal journey to complete.  There is plenty of heat, some laugh out loud moments, and a beautiful happily ever after moment or two.

I loved reading more about the Hellman family.  The banter between the brothers and the exasperation of their mother is on point.  I also really enjoyed Blaze and Ben’s friendship. There are a few swoony pet moments readers will not want to miss along the way.  This was a wonderful addition to the series and a book I did not want to put down. The second epilogue creates the perfect set up for the next book in the series.  I have to admit that I am really looking forward to the triplets finding their forever loves.


Heart Keeper (Manchester Athletics #3) by Annie Dyer

ARC: Release Date- 08/04/2022

#SingleDad #Sports #Workplace #SurprisePregnancy #ARC

5 STARS

Book three in the Manchester Athletic series can be read as a stand alone and ends with a HEA.  It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

Nate is coming through the worst of his grief after his wife died.  He has busy maintaining his career and raising his two daughters.  When he notices Amber, one of the team’s physios, he must deal with guilt and the other emotions that bubble up as he determines if he is ready to move on.  Amber is successful in her career and has sworn off footballers for romance.  Nate makes her want to change her mind. They have unbeatable chemistry.  Neither looks as their fling as anything but as something in the moment.  Neither pictures a forever relationship. 

Nate is such an amazing dad.  I also love how fast his feelings develop for Amber, even though he tries to fight them. I love the emotion in this book.  Both Nate and Amber must come to terms with what their future could look like together.  There are some seriously steamy moments.  Nate’s daughters are unbearably cute.  Amber must come to terms with the surprise resulting from their relationship.  She must make decisions about how to handle things.  I appreciate the struggle that Amber has as she weighs her options against the future she pictured.    There are some difficult subjects handled in a sensitive manner over the course of the story.  I really enjoyed this one.  It may be my favorite of the series so far.



Vegas Love (Crawford Brothers) by Jillian Dodd

#Celebrity #SecretRomance #Workplace #Billionaire

3.5 STARS

Ashlyn and Cash meet at a friend's wedding and decide to have a very good time together. That good time leads to Vegas and a quickie wedding.
This was a fun and very steamy read. It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV. I enjoyed the fantasy aspect of it. I really liked that Cash falls so hard for Ash and that she falls hard for him. I honestly didn't love Ashlyn in the beginning. I do not like it when the MC allows themselves to be manipulated by the people around them. Ashlyn is very guilty of this. What I loved was how she gains confidence over the course of the book and learns to believe in herself and her own judgement more with Cash's support.
Easy, steamy, and funny in the right places: this was an enjoyable read.


My Better Life (A Soul Mates in Romeo Romance) 

by Sarah Ready

#SingleMom #Amnesia #Billionaire 

4.5 STARS

When rich guy, Gavin, ends up in a rural West Virginia hospital with no memory, he isn't sure what to think when a read-headed woman claiming to be his wife picks him up and takes him home to a life he does not remember.  This story has a similar premise to the classic movie Overboard, but set in the mountains of West Virginia and is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

Jamie is insulted when she first meets Gavin.  She is struggling to hold her life and family together.  Her three kids are full of energy and what my mom would call orneriness.  When she brings Gavin home with her as payback for his insults and what she feels like he owes her, she never dreams that she and her kids will fall in love with him, or that he might possibly love her.

There were several laugh out loud moments and there are a few steamy scenes.  The kids totally steal the show.  I loved Jamie's spunk and I understood her vulnerability.  It did not take long for me to feel sympathy for Gavin.  After his initial disbelief, he throws himself into making the most of his life.  I adore the relationships he forms with the kids.  I especially love how he tries so hard to be a good husband and father.  I really fell kind of hard for him. (Until he regained his memory.  Then he had to work through tings and he did not act very nice.  But I did forgive him for it.)

There was a lot to love about this one.  I found it to be a very enjoyable read.

TW: H reflects on abusive moments in his childhood.

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