Book reviews from the week of August 21st

 

I am excited for this weekend.  I had a productive week where I read three ARCs, a book for book club, and a novella of a new-to-me author. The book club author was also new-to-me so this week I was able to read two authors I have been wanting to read  for a while. This week I will let my reviews speak for themselves, but I enjoyed every book I read.  

I will be on an actual vacation for the first two weeks of September so my reviews for the next couple of weeks will be delayed.  I wish everyone happy fall and happy reading.  

After We Fall (Dare with Me #6) by J.H. Croix

ARC: Release Date- 08/30/2022

#SmallTown #FriendsToLovers #ForcedProximity #ARC

4 STARS

Book six in the Dare with Me series can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.  It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

We finally get Harley and Grant’s story.  Readers first meet Harley when she comes to visit her brother in Alaska and ends up staying.  She has been roommates to her brother’s friend for a long while and though they have a mutual attraction, neither has given in.  Until now.

I have always loved Grant.  As Flynn’s younger brother, he has been a little bit of a playboy.  I always knew he had a marshmallow heart, and this book proves it.  He has a little baggage from his parents’ relationship and from losing them both at such a young age.  I really like how straightforward he is.  There are events in the book that he handles very much like a typical Alaskan man, and I say this from firsthand experience.  I really enjoyed his character and how hard he falls for Harley.

Harley is very independent and overly stubborn.  There are times that she kind of got on my nerves.  I was just thinking, “Get over yourself already.” Ultimately, she figures out that it is okay to be vulnerable and take comfort from someone else.  It was nice to see her get to that point.

There is a plenty of heat as they embark on a fling that quickly becomes much more than either of them bargains for.  The relationship dynamics of the gang in the small town are fun, as always.  This was an enjoyable read and I am happy to see Grant get his HEA.

Just For Show (Juniper Ridge #5) by Tawna Fenske

ARC: Release Date- 09/02/2022

#Celebrity #FirstResponder #FriendsToLovers #SmallTown #ARC

5 STARS

Book five in the Juniper Ridge series can be read as a standalone and ends in a HEA.  It is written in first person with an alternating dual POV.

I confess that I have been waiting for Cooper’s love story.  He was so broken at the beginning of the series.  As I have gotten to know him through his siblings in the previous books, I have only loved him more.  When it became obvious to be that he was smitten to Amy, the police chief, I have been beside myself with anticipation.

Their love story is 100% swoon worthy.  I love that Cooper thinks he is not worthy of Amy.  Amy is besotted with Cooper and feels he is out of her league.  She is 100% bada$$ and I have loved her from the beginning. When they finally cave to their mutual attraction, sparks fly.   I really liked getting to know each of them better.  They each have issues that they grow through over the course of their love story.   There is a lot to be said for youthful mistakes and personal growth.  I love the fact that they support each other with a belief in each other that is truly inspiring.  There are some side stories that I hope will allow for set-ups for future love stories, and I adore the bromance Cooper has with Nick.  Juniper Ridge is a fun small-town experiment.  I love everything about it.

This story packs some humor, heat, and a ton of heart.  There are kittens and cows too.  There is so much I want to say.  Let it suffice to say that you need to read this one.  The story I waited for is absolutely, swoony perfection.

Now's The Time (The Ladies Who Brunch #3) 

by Harlow James

ARC: Release Date- 09/04/2022

#Sports #OneNightStand #Forbidden #HealingLove #ARC

5 STARS

This is book three in an interconnected 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 will start by saying this is my favorite book of the series so far, and I loved the other two.  I did not love Penelope in the first two books.  She reminded me of Samantha from Sex and the City and I did not connect with her.  Then I started this book, and I loved her.  The author does an amazing job developing her character.  I could feel her reasons for why she acts the way she does.  I understood her, and I appreciated why she tried to protect herself the way she did.  Maddox: what a hero!  He is swoony, sexy, perfection. Honestly, I could never have resisted this guy.  Talk about hotness personified!  He is alpha with a marshmallow heart.  He is confident in himself and living with true purpose.  He is exactly what Penelope needs.  I love how patient he is with Penelope.  I love how he fights for her and breaks down her walls.  She has a journey she needs to take before they reach a HEA.  It is handled with sensitivity and understanding, and I loved that she comes through the other side better and ready to commit to Maddox. 

This book is hot.  I mean, seriously hot. It is sometimes emotional.  There is romance and beyond that, there is love.  It demonstrates that there are different loves a person experiences in life that depend on who the person is at that moment in time.  I love the friendships the girls and their expanding group share.  (At this point, I will say that readers will benefit from reading the series in order to better understand the women and the men in their lives.) I feel like this author just keeps getting better.  I am thrilled that I got to be an early reader of this book so I can tell other readers about it.  They need this one in their life.  I 100% recommend.

Wolf Gone Wild (Stay A Spell #1) by Juliette Cross

#Paranormal #FriendsToLovers #SlowBurn #BookClub

5 STARS

This is my first book by this author.  It has been on my TBR for more than a year.  When I met the author in Dallas this summer, I was really sorry I hadn't read it yet.  Then it was picked as a book club read.  I was so excited to finally get to push it to the top of the list.  Book one in the Stay A Spell series follows Evie, one of six Savoie sisters, as she finds love in a place she never thought to look.  It can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.  It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

I loved that this book is set in New Orleans within a thriving supernatural community.  New Orleans is a city that always seems to function as it's own character in books. I loved Evie and her sisters.  I am excited to read more of the series as I hope they each find their one true love in the process.

Evie is spunky, creative, and smart.  I loved her nerdiness. Her relationship with her family is full of all the sibling banter and love families often share.  I really understood how her confidence was shaken by her past relationship.  Mateo is a a wolf shifter with a problem.  He comes to Evie, a hex-breaker, to see if she can help him and lift his curse.   I appreciated that Evie could see his hurt, and her heart wouldn't let her say no.  When the sisters pull together to help him, it is a beautiful thing.  I adore the friendship they form, despite their mutual attraction to each other.

Mateo and his wolf are something else.  I love that readers hear the dialogue between Alpha and Mateo in Mateo's head.  He is one seriously dirty-talking wolf.  I loved the way he was so opposite of Mateo's sweet and kind-hearted personality.  Mateo's encouragement of Evie's dreams was something special.  I adored his artistic soul so, so much.  The heat between Mateo/Alpha and Evie is intense.  And when they finally come together it is a beautiful thing.

Romance, friendship, magic, hot times, and a suspense plot looking for who cursed Mateo and his wolf: the book comes to a very satisfying conclusion at the end.  I loved this book and I am dying to read the next one.  I want to get lost in this world.

Plane Love (Honoring Those Who Serve #4) 

by Avery Kingston

#Military #WoundedHero #BrothersBestFriend

5 STARS

This is my first read by this author.  This standalone novella is written in first person from an alternating dual POV and ends with a HEA.

Lainey and Xavier meet on the plane to Ireland for her brother's wedding, though they do not realize at the time they are going to the same place.  Their interactions on the plane allow them to get to know each other a little bit, and their attraction is instant. I love that Lainey is afraid of flying.  I adored Xavier. I appreciated the way the author dealt with his paralysis without making him seem weak.  At the same time, she gives the reader an inside look at what that mean for X both emotionally and sexually.  I love that Lainey never sees his wheelchair as something that takes away from the man he is. She is perfect for him.

This was a quick read full of heat, romance, and friendship.  I can't wait to read more.