Book reviews from the week of September 18th

 

Happy weekend!  I read three books this week including one ARC, and two new-to-me authors.  I love when children in books are more, and the two single-dad reads this week definitely deliver.  This week I also read my first monster romance, and I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.  The author did a wonderful job of making the relationship believable.  I couldn't help but root for their HEA.  I hope you had a good week too.  Happy reading!

In a Jam by Kate Canterbary

#SmallTown #SingleDad #FriendsToLovers #MarriageOfConvenience #GrumpyHero #ARC

ARC: Release Date- 09/20/2022

5 STARS

This standalone is written in first person from ana alternating dual POV and ends with a HEA.

Shay returns to Friendship, Rhode Island after her life implodes and she inherits a tulip farm.  When she runs into Noah, she realizes her high school friend has grown up to be a sexy, grumpy farmer with a whole lot on his plate of life.

This author is a one-click for me, and I was thrilled to read this new addition to her library.  I love the depth of her characters.  They are always complex, well-developed, and thought provoking.  This book is no exception.  Shay is vulnerable yet kind.  She is trying to find herself within chaos while dealing with abandonment issues and grief for the life she thought she wanted.  Noah is tough to get a read on at first.  I loved that the reader gets to experience him in a similar way to the way Shay does as they move from a surface relationship to something deep and meaningful.  I really appreciated how he keeps so much of his thoughts inside and gradually lets Shay become aware of the depths of his feelings.  Gennie was a wonderful character.  I loved that even her child character was complex and deeply emotional as she deals with way too much life for a six-year-old.  The relationship that develops between Shay and Gennie is really special and melted me. 

There are plenty of hot and steamy moments between Shay and Noah.  This author knows how to bring hot scenes to the page.  The emotional moments between Shay and Noah are just what I wanted from them.  The found family dynamics and the complex blood-family relationships reflect so many of our worlds today.  I love it when even secondary characters find a place deep in my heart and Shay’s teacher friends, especially Jaime, are buried in my heart now.    This was a wonderful read.  I can certainly see myself reading it again. 

Morning Glory Milking Farm (Cambric Creek #1) 

by C. M. Nascosta

#Monster #Erotica #BookClub

4.5 STARS

This was my first monster romance and my first read by this author.  It is written in third person from Violet's POV and ends in a super sweet HEA.

This five-alarm-fire read was picked for book club and I was intrigued.  The farm is exactly what I thought it was, but the book was so much more.  I quickly became invested in Violet.  I loved her determination to succeed on her own.  When she finds a job in a town full of diversity and many creatures she had previously not spent time with, she is open minded and accepting.  In fact she is fascinated by their new and different cultures.  When she is hired at the milking farm, she also has to accept that some cultures (the Minotaur) have a different perspective on the milking farm than humans do.  I appreciated that she is able to get to a point where her job provides a clinical function to most of the clients.  That she forms an immediate and non-clinical bond with Rourke is interesting and complex.

I adored the way Rourke wants to look after Violet.  I appreciated that there was no jealousy of her job, and that they are able to get to know each other outside of the sensual release her job provides him, before they truly become intimate on a personal level.  Their chemistry is a little overwhelming at times. I mean, intense. This is honestly the hottest book I have read all year.  At the same time, I loved the sweet romance between the characters and how Rourke courted Violet in a gentle and romantic way.  I did not expect to love this book as much as I did.  I will certainly be reading more monster romance in the future.  Best surprise of the month.

Big Balls by Anna Michael

#Sports #SingleDad

5 STARS

This was my first book by this author. I loved her complex characters and the growth they have over the course of their story. This book is written in first person from an alternating dual POV and ends with a HEA.

Ethan is a star wide receiver of a professional football team and the single father of Katy. Katy is a six year old doll who happens to be on the spectrum. I really appreciated that Katy was a complex character. I also loved the emotions the reader gets to see Ethan experience as he watches his daughter bloom under the care of the new nanny. I also really appreciated his feelings of inadequacy as a parent and his self-doubt about his ability to care for Katy in a way that she needs. Ethan can be not-very-nice at times, but I adore how his friends, his mom, and Zoe handle him when he gets out of line.

Zoe is very mature for just getting out of college. I love how she is able to stand up for herself against Ethan and how she fights for Katy to have a more normal life. I love the friendship she and Ethan form and I appreciated the angst and heartache when things fall apart. When they are together, they are on fire with chemistry and provide some smoking hot scenes. (You gotta love athletic stamina, right?)

I love how Zoe is a princess that saves herself then gets her prince. The complex characters and the story line that provided more than I expected made this a five star read for me. I can't wait to read more of this author's work.