Book reviews from the week of October 30th

 

This was a light reading week for me after a long weekend working a lot of hours.  I read two fantastic ARCs that will release this month.  Both authors will also be at Indies Invade Philly on November 19th and I am excited to see them. No one writes a slow burn like Kathryn Nolan.  Off the Mark is going to blow people away.  Chelle Sloan is releasing her next book in the Nashville Fury series and readers finally get to see Cole find his happily ever after.  He is 100% swoony and there are some seriously romantic moments in the book.  Add these two to your TBR today.  have a great week filled with wonderful books.  Happy reading!

Off the Mark by Kathryn Nolan

ARC: Release Date 11/11/2022

#FriendsToLovers #FakeRelationship #Sports #SlowBurn #ARC

5 STARS

This is a standalone that shares characters with “On the Ropes” and ends with a HEA.  This hero, Rowan, is first introduced in that book as are many of the neighborhood characters that reappear in this book.  Readers may find the most enjoyable experience to read “On the Ropes” before reading “Off the Mark”.  This book is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

Rowan is a ginger hunk of burning love.  He has never had a real relationship, but he has loved the women and they have loved him.  I adore that he is a former athlete and still built like one.  I love that he is a ginger.  He has the biggest, softest heart under his playboy exterior.  It is more than obvious in his interactions with his grandmother and with Dean and Tabitha as well as other neighbors.  Charlie is fierce.  A pro-motocross racer, she is at the top of her game professionally.  She has been known as the bad girl of MotoX.  She is tattooed and pierced with a fun sense of style a give no F’s attitude.  I LOVED her character.  Underneath her tough girl exterior is a woman who is steal dealing with baggage caused by family events of her childhood.  Her fear of vulnerability is real and understandable.

I absolutely loved the banter and the friendship Charlie and Rowan share.  They joke, and eventually open up to one another. I adore how they support each other’s dreams and goals.  Meanwhile, the heat between them as they pretend to be a couple is palpable.  This author is the master of slow burn.  It takes quite a while before they even kiss, but that makes the book no less steamy.  And when they do decide to make the relationship real?  Whew!  Get your fan.  Smoking hot! Thankfully, their black moment is relatively low angst.  They both have professional growth and change going on over the course of their relationship and that impacts their focus on each other.  Rowan in love is something read, and I promise it will make you swoon.  Philly is a character in these books on its own.  I felt like I was right there in the South Philly neighborhood.  I could almost smell the dinners being cooked, hear the kids playing, and feel the heat and humidity of the summer evening.  The found family dynamic of the neighborhood is something truly special.

This was a romantic and steamy read that I didn’t want to set down.  But this author always brings so much more to the table in her books than just a love story.   She tackles bias and misogyny in the treatment of female athletes in a sport traditionally dominated by men. She addresses poverty, bigotry, and discrimination. Her background in the non-profit sector is apparent, as is her passion for non-profit projects that benefit the community.  The function of the community rec center and the programs it provides to the South Philly neighborhood is an important part of this story.  Because it is an important part of the book, it shines a light on community needs not just in the inner city but everywhere. It inspires me to look around me and ask what I can do to help my town.  I can always count on this author to give me a story filled with inclusivity, love of all kinds, and strong family and friend connections. Her writing is always elegant, and her characters are deep and well-developed.  This was a joy to read and worth so much more than 5 stars.

Off Limits (Nashville Fury #4) by Chelle Sloan

ARC: Release Date- 11/17/2022

#BrothersBestFriend #Sports #Forbidden #ARC

#4.5 STARS

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

I have loved Cole in every book of this series.  He is a strong and steady presence with a soft heart.  Reading the background of how he fell for Brenna was fun and heart breaking at the same time.  He knew that Bryce would not be OK with it, and Brenna didn’t see him that way.  Brenna is the best friend to her twin brother’s wife.  I met her in book three as she supported Lucy during the tough times.  She is bubbly, a little rebellious, and totally fearless at times.  I love how she goes after life.  Reading as she fell for Cole, and finally realizes she has had feelings for him for a while, was perfect.  There are some beautiful dialogues between the couple.  I am talking about some serious romantic swoon.  I highlighted a lot of those passages to look back on later because they were so romantic.  I also really loved the hot times between this couple. Cole is such a big guy and Brenna is so much smaller than him; it makes for some smoking hot moments in the bedroom.   I love, love, love them together. There are also several funny moments.  Cole has a crazy ex that provides some comic relief with her crazy.

The black moment is all about Bryce and his reaction to his friend being with his sister. Cole and Brenna have to navigate those rough waters to stay together and get their HEA.  I read this series out of order.  I started with Bryce’s book (#3) then went back and read one and two.  I didn’t hate Bryce in his book.  I felt like he was able to redeem whatever he had done wrong in one & two.  I know other readers who were not able to forgive him for his actions in the first books and had a difficult time with his story.  He plays a big part in this book.  I honestly hated him in this story.  He is utterly ridiculous. I can’t say I have ever had that reaction to a former hero before.  He does eventually come to his senses and Cole and Brenna get their HEA.  Though I think they may have been too forgiving of Bryce, because I am still angry at him. Or maybe I just hold a bigger grudge. 

Overall, I liked this book a lot.  Cole and Brenna have something special.  I love their relationship.  The writing is very good (see romantic dialogues mentioned above) and Cole is by far my favorite hero of the series.