Happy weekend! This first week of the year, I only managed to read two books. I was getting my best of 2022 blog post together, and it is without a doubt the most labor intensive post I do each year. I was thrilled to start my year by reading the next book in the Blackwater pack series. It is a big book at well over 500 pages and I knew i would need time to read it. I also knew it would deal with some heavy topics because of everything the heroine had been through. It left me with quite the book hangover. Luckily, I had a romantic comedy ARC by Marika ray ready to go. Dax and Rita were everything I needed them to be. With two 5 star reads this week, my year is off to a fantastic start.
I wish everyone a fabulous week full of good books and the time to read them.
Cougar From Hell (Hellman Brothers #4) by Marika Ray
ARC: Release date 01/12/2023
#AgeGap #OWYM #SingleMom #SmallTown #FamilySeries #ARC
5 STARS
Book four in the series can be read as a standalone and ends
with a HEA. It is written in first
person from an alternating dual POV.
Daxon is the fourth Hellman brother to find love. I never thought I would love him, but I
really do. He never expected to find it with a woman 10 years older than him, a
single mom, or someone he had “met” briefly before. Rita is a firecracker. She and her daughter are spunky and full of
sass. The poking and ribbing that goes on between Rita and Dax is so much fun
to read. Their banter is on point. And you know what happens when the main
characters get riled up? That’s right! A
whole lot of heat is going on at the jobsite of Rita’s new house.
I love Dax and his vulnerability and soft heart that is
hiding under his gruff and grumpy exterior.
The way his heart melts for Rita’s little girl is truly special. I adore their relationship. I also love his relationship with his
mom. I never would have thought that Dax
was the mama’s boy; but is he ever. I
love the understanding that forms between Dax and Rita as they share their
vulnerable moments and learn to trust each other. They have a few hurdles to get there, and I
loved reading as they overcame them.
The small town of Auburn Hill (AKA Hell) continues to
provide readers with antics from the characters who live there. The brotherly banter between the Hellman
brothers is on point and laugh-out-loud funny.
This an excellent addition to the series.
Scars (Blackwater Pack #4) by Hannah McBride
#Paranormal #Shifter #SecondChance #FatedMates #HealingLove
5 STARS
Book 4 in the Blackwater Pack offers readers the story of Nik and Addie. This book ends with a HEA though this series should be read in order. There are underlying plot points in the series that continue throughout and will continue more in future books. This book is written in first person and offers chapters from both Addie's and Nik's POV.
Addie has been through nearly 2 decades of traumatic violence when she and Nik are reunited. They both have agreed to spending time together to see if their broken bond can be healed. Their road is not an easy one. Addie is struggling. My heart was broken for her. Her strength is amazing, and that she survived what she did with most of her sanity is truly incredible. Her character is one of the deepest, most developed characters I have read in a while.
Nik is patient and kind and carries a burden of guilt for what Addie endured. I love his protectiveness of Addie. I adored his gentleness and his patience as she healed. I appreciated so many things about him, really, words are not enough.
There are hot moments, moments that will break your heart, shifter violence, and mentions of the sexual violence and torture that Addie endured. Readers with triggers will want to be aware that Addie has been abused, violated, and tortured. This may be a book they will not want to read. Ultimately though, this is an incredible love story. Fated mates who were ripped apart find their way back together and piece together healing that takes a very long time to complete. This book is going to stay with me for a very long time.
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