Happy weekend! I worked at my job a lot this week but I still managed to read five ARCs including one new-to-me author. All of these books have been or will be released between 11/29 and 12/8.
This was a wonderful reading week for me. The newest release by the Stewart/Ray team is a sweet and funny small town romance that would make a fabulous Hallmark movie. Just One Taste by Carly Phillips is everything you want in an age-gap, billionaire romance. Melanie Moreland's latest was an incredible read with one of the swoon-iest heroes ever. Target Man by Annie Dyer has Jesse, who manages to be both dominant and vulnerable at the same time. (Keep your fan ready.) And finally, I read the upcoming release by S. Jones. She is a new-to-me author and I loved her sports romance that starts with a smoking hot one night stand.
I seriously can't complain about being able to read these fantastic books before they released. I am going to try to do a better job highlighting favorite quotes and including them in my reviews to give readers a taste of the writing. I managed to do it in a few this week. Let me know if you like the addition. Check out my reviews and see if you need to add any of these to your TBR.
Until then, happy reading!
Falling for Mr. Safety (No Place Like Home #2)
by Delancey Stewart & Marika Ray
ARC: Release Date- 11/29/2022
#SmallTown #ARC
5 STARS
This is book two in a series but can completely be read as a
standalone. It is written in first
person from an alternating dual POV and ends with a HEA.
Carter is Trey’s brother (from book one in the series). Juniper is Iris’ best friend (also from book
one). They are both a little quirky, intelligent, and driven to succeed in
their careers. I loved Carter and Juniper
so much. They are both incredibly
awkward at times. I really appreciated
that neither character is particularly smooth in the way they interact with the
world. They are both a little nerdy and
I am here for that. Carter is a walking
encyclopedia of statistics on every way you can get hurt. He is overly cautious, and that has served
him well building his security business.
Juniper is sweet and funny and comes from a family that is definitely
not typical. I loved her struggle to
find joy in who she is even when she is not like the rest of her family. I adored that Carter quickly comes to
appreciate Juni for everything that she actually is as a person. They both fall fast for each other but there
are a few complications to overcome along the way.
"The man couldn't crack a joke to save his life but he kissed like civilization depended on it."
This was a sweet, low angst romance with some funny moments that had me laugh out loud. There are also animals: dogs, cats, a duck, and even a raccoon. Family is an important part of the story, as are friendships with the people who support them. Set in the small town of Solano Creek, California, this was a fun read that made me smile. This would make an excellent Hallmark movie. (Hint, hint, Hollywood.)
#AgeGap #Billionaire #BrothersBestFriend #OppositesAttract
#FamilySeries #ARC
5 STARS
In book 7 in the Kingston Family series love finds Asher
Dare and knocks him for a loop. This
book can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA. It is written in third person from an
alternating dual POV.
Asher (33) is a grumpy billionaire. The oldest of nine children, he has given up
on relationships and love. When his best
friend asks him to look after his sister while getting her out of town during a
scandal, he has to agree. Never in his
wildest dreams did he think he would fall for her.
One of my favorite things is when the hero can’t help but fall. Asher, in his stoic locked up ways, is
completely bowled over by Nikki (21) and her optimistic attitude and her ability
to find the good and the fun in her life.
I loved Asher. I appreciated his
struggle with his feelings about their age gap and betraying his friend. Nikki was a true breath of fresh air. I loved her patience with Asher and her
ability to accept what he was able to give her even when she wanted more. She
is so much older and wiser than her age would suggest because of her family dynamics
and her career. I adored how these two
characters understood each other early in the process and could both support
each other and push each other outside of their boundaries to grow. Asher’s protective and loving nature was
exactly what Nikki needed.
Nikki and Asher share a passionate affair that leads to forever in this quick, steamy, low angst read. I loved it.
The Image of You by Melanie Moreland
ARC: Release Date- 12/1/2022
#SecondChance #Amnesia #FatedMates #ARC
5 STARS
Part one of this book is written in first person from Adam’s
POV. Part two is written in first person
from an alternating dual POV. This standalone romance ends with a beautiful
HEA.
Part one begins in the present day as Adam confronts Ally
and realizes she doesn’t remember him.
The rest of part one consists of flashbacks that tell their story. Readers learn how they met, how they fell for
each other, and get to live their relationship through Adam’s POV. Knowing that
they will be apart makes reading part one more than a little bittersweet. Their relationship is so beautiful. The way
they know, support, and love each other was breathtaking to read. Part two
begins back at present day. Adam learns what happened to Ally. As he fights to win her back, despite her
memory loss, I was cheering him on. The
level of betrayal that Ally experienced from nearly everyone in her life apart
from Adam is revealed and was heart-breaking. When they find their way back to
each other, even my eyes gathered a tear or two.
"I only met you a couple of days ago, Ally, but I've been waiting for you all my life. Waiting for you to find me."
This book! It is a swoony, romantic read with just the right
amount of heat. Adam falls so hard for
Ally. The draw they feel to each other
is undeniable. I love that they spend
time getting to know each other before they become intimate. I love that they have the occasional
argument. It was all very real. It was also very romantic. When they were apart, my heart ached with
theirs. When they found their way back
to each other, my heart was a ball of gooey mush. This one is all about the feelings their
relationship has in its ups and downs, and they have more than their fair
share. I would definitely read this book again; it was so good.
"I know you're not a perfect person. But all your little imperfections, all the things you think you have to change, make you perfect for me."
#Sports #BrothersBestFriend #OneBed #ARC
5 STARS
Book four in the Manchester Athletic series can be read as a
standalone and ends with a HEA. It is
written in first person from an alternating dual POV.
Jerrica is the younger sister of team goalie, Nate. She has been around a lot over the last few
years helping her brother when his life fell apart and was rebuilt again. She has gotten to know Jesse during that time
as friends. And she had a crush on him a
bit too. Jesse is the team captain of
the Athletics. He keeps his private life
private. He has never had a
relationship. Only a few know what a
horrible childhood he had and why he avoids getting close emotionally.
“He was every father’s nightmare and every good girl’s
wet dream, including mine.”
I adored Jesse. He is
vulnerable but hides it well. I love
that he goes to therapy and has for long enough that he can talk himself
through difficult moments. He knows and
accepts himself as he is. That is an
extremely attractive quality. In the
bedroom, he likes to be in control.
There have been rumors about his proclivities, but none have been
confirmed. I love that Jesse is just as
attracted to Jerrica as she is to him.
When they spend time together, that attraction gets stronger until it
cannot be denied.
This book is steamy.
I mean, smoking hot. Annie never
disappoints in this area, but this one is steamier than her more recent books
and I am here for it. Along with the
heat level there is an emotional connection the characters share. They support each other but don’t push each
other. I love that their black moment
turns out to be low angst. I was afraid
it would be a big thing and it was not.
There are a few favorite moments that will stick in my brain for a
while. There is a locker room scene with
the guys with some amazing team banter.
There is a wonderful scene with the ladies in the garden as they form
closer relationships. Chapter 11 has a
well-deserved warning to not make it your “just one more chapter”. And of course, some highlighted quotes that
were perfection. This was an excellent
read. I can’t wait for the next in the
series.
“Life wasn’t about just surviving the dark times. It was about dancing in the light.”
I am voluntarily leaving this honest review after receiving
an advance reader copy of the book.
TW from author: This book contains references to childhood trauma and the death of a parent. There are no graphic details, and the book charts the character’s resilience and growth with the support of therapy. There is a HEA.
#Sports #BestFriendsBrother #OneNightStand
#SurprisePregnancy #ARC
4 STARS
This is a standalone romance that ends with a HEA. It is written in first person from an
alternating dual POV. This is also my first book by this author.
Maverick is a star NFL quarterback for the Atlanta
Arrows. He is also the older brother of
Kinley’s best friend from childhood. When
they run into each other I an airport in NYC and he doesn’t recognize her, she
is mortified. It is the cherry on top of
her bad day sundae, and she pitches a fit.
When they run into each other again; later that evening, sparks of a
different kind fly- leading to a night they will never forget.
Maverick starts off a little too cocky for my taste. Over the course of the story, he is sometimes
sweetly romantic, sometimes says all the wrong things, sometimes does all the
right things, and sometimes makes some really dumb choices. Ultimately though, I adored reading as Kinley
knocks him off his feet and he falls hard.
Kinley is a likable character. She is a good person who is occasionally
a little clueless. She was already partially
in love with Maverick from her childhood crush, so it didn’t take her long to
fall into real love with him. I
appreciate that they maintain decent communication through their romance, even
in the dark moment. I absolutely loved the sweet moments between them as they
navigate their new relationship.
This was a steamy read with characters that were fun and
likable. There are secondary characters
who create drama between our couple. One
is a very vile snake. I would have loved
to have had more closure to that character and how they get what they deserve
in the end. The HEA was sweet and fun,
though the book felt like it wrapped up just a little too fast for me. I found this to be a very enjoyable
read. It is set during the holidays but
didn’t give me a holiday romance feel so I left that tag off of this book.
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