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Book reviews from the week of February 19th

Happy weekend.  This week I read one ARC and three books by new-to-me authors.  I am at Holidays with the Belles book signing in Dallas this weekend.  I am so excited to meet many of these authors that I am finally getting to read.  I am certain to leave with an even longer TBR.  

I hope my reviews hel you find some books to add to your reading list.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe week full of good books and happy endings.

 


Nice Guys Still Finish (The Ladies Who Brunch #5) 

by Harlow James

ARC: Release Date-03/02/2023

#CinnamonRollHero #FakeRelationship #ARC

5 STARS

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

Readers meet Jeffrey in the very first book of the series.  He is a little goofy and has no verbal filter.  He was a fun secondary character who supports his best friend as he finds his HEA.  I along with a lot of other readers waited along with Jeffrey as each of the four ladies find love and he was the odd man out. When he sees Ariel, he just knows what he feels is different. After she turns him down for a date, he convinces her to coach him so he can find love by telling him everything he does wrong while dating.

Jeffrey is a romantic soul.  He wants his HEA.  He is super swoony on the dates he takes Ariel out on.  He puts a lot of thought into her happiness.  Ariel has been hurt in the past.  She has some baggage to overcome.  Jeffrey and his enthusiasm scare her a little.  She is so afraid of falling and getting her heart broken.  Luckily for readers, it is inevitable.

Don’t think that just because Jeffrey is a nice guy that he fails to bring the heat.  Nope.  He definitely brings it.  Ariel doesn’t stand a chance.  Between the romantic dates he plans, the chemistry and heat between them, and the moments (both funny and emotional) they share along the way: they both fall fast.  Not every date goes smoothly (understatement) but that just adds to their story.  This was a wonderful end to the series while introducing characters for the new series coming later this year.


Captivated by You (Love in the Heartland #1) 
by Stacey Lynn

#Rockstar #Virgin #Escort #FakeRelationship

5 STARS

Book one of the Love in the Heartland series can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA. It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

Claudia has started over in New York City after running from what was left of her life in Georgia. I appreciated her drive to succeed and do whatever she needs to do to move forward in her life. Liam is a rock star plagued by a PR crisis. He needs a girlfriend who can help improve his image. When he runs into Claudia, he is overwhelmed by his desire to know her better.

I loved that Liam is a good guy under the tattoos and the rock star life. I loved his protective nature toward Claudia and I really appreciated that he took their relationship slowly. Claudia has to move beyond the events of her past and her very sheltered and controlled former life. I loved the domesticity they settle into and the friendship they form.

There are steamy moments and some deep emotions woven into the story. This was my first book by this author, and I loved it. I can't wait to get to now more about her and her books.



Gent (Bittersweet Heat #1) by Harloe Rae

#GrumpyHero #EnemiesToLovers #SmallTown #NewAdult

4 STARS

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

Trey is more than grumpy. He is angry, bitter, rude, and sometimes mean. Does he have reasons? Sure. But I found it really hard to like him, especially in the beginning. I wanted to put it down more than once. What kept me going was Raven. I loved her goodness. Her determination to look beyond the façade Trey presents to the world was admirable.

Trey is a dirty talker and the hot scenes are hot. There are moments when he drops his shields and lets Raven in, and those moments are beautiful. I loved everything about Raven. Sometimes I questioned her self-preservation skills though. Their relationship was not an easy one, even though the physical chemistry was all kinds of easy. It makes their HEA sweeter. Sometimes when you read a romance and the couple are in their early 20's, they seem older. That is definitely not the case with this one. These two felt really young to me. It was not my normal read, yet it was still enjoyable. I have read short stories by this author and this was my first full length read. It will not be my last.






Hawk (Men of Bird’s Eye #1) by Kat Savage

 

#SingleMom #OppositesAttract

 

5 STARS

 

Book one in the series can be read as a standalone and ends in a HEA.  It is written in first person from and alternating dual POV.

 

Hawk is a big tatted owner of a tattoo shop in Louisville, Kentucky.  He never thought he would settle down and never thought he would want a family of his own.  Drew and her daughter leave Philly after an ugly divorce and start over with nothing.  When she is hired for Hawk’s shop, she gains not just a job but a found family she never had before.

 

Hawk falls hard and fast but it takes a while for him to move past denial and accept it.  Drew tries to protect her heart, but it is a lost cause.  I love how fast they fall and all the little moments they share.  They have some seriously hot times, and I love that Drew didn’t have baggage when it came to a physical relationship.  I really adored the relationship Hawk forms with Drew’s daughter.  It is really a heart-melting piece of this story.  I appreciated that this was a relatively low-angst read with a super-sweet HEA.  This was my first book by this author, but her writing style hooked me from the beginning.  I will definitely be back for more.


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