Happy weekend! This week I read two ARCs, one new release, and two books from my TBR. I have to tell you I had an amazing reading week. Each book was different yet were all five star reads for me. I am thrilled to share my reviews with you and I hope they help you decide if you might like to add them to your TBR.
I wish everyone a wonderful week full of good books and lots of reading time.
Wild Tides (Puffin Bay #2) by Annie Dyer
ARC: Release Date- 05/25/2023
#SmallTown #RunawayBride #CinnamonRollHero
#SurprisePregnancy #ARC
5 STARS
Book two in the Puffin Bay series can be read as
a standalone and ends with a HEA. It is written in first person from an
alternating dual POV.
Fleur finally makes the decision not to marry
her fiancé on her wedding day. Stranded after making a run for it, she
gets rescued by Thane. They have known each other since they were teens
and the quiet lightkeeper saves the day.
I loved Fleur's resolution to move forward with
her life. Thane finally gets the opportunity to spend time with Fleur and
he takes it. He is a truly good man. I adored him. He is
quiet with a lot going on under the surface. Fleur's bubbliness is the
perfect counterpoint to him. I love the heat between them, but even more
I love their quiet friendship. I appreciate that they quickly learn to
communicate their feelings to each other. Navigating the surprise facing
them has moments that are touching and relatable. This was a steamy low
angst read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Puffin Bay is a quirky small town
and I wish I could visit and hang out with the gang. The author has also
kindly hinted at future book couples within this book. I am absolutely
excited to go back to Puffin Bay for more.
Liars Like Us (Morally Gray #1) by J.T. Geissinger
ARC: Release Date- 05/25/2023
#MorallyGrayHero #AlphaHero
#MarriageOfConvenience #Billionaire #ARC
5 STARS
Lies and secrets.
This standalone is written in first person from
Emery's POV and ends with a HEA.
Callum McCord will go to any length to get what
he wants. He wants Emery and makes sure he gets her. There are
times I really despised his character. I wanted to crawl into the book
and seriously do him harm. There are also times when he says the most
beautiful things; and I fully understood why Emery couldn't resist him and his
swoon-inducing words. This is a 5 x 🌶 book for
readers with explicit scenes with no holds barred. Light bondage,
spanking, BDSM and more are all there. (Make sure you have a fan
ready.) Callum has a dirty mouth, and their intimate scenes are filthy in
all the best ways.
This author always captivates me with stories
that twist and turn. Though I guessed the biggest plot twist early on, I
was still thrilled to learn why that plot twist took place. Emery doesn't
make it easy for Callum. She is feisty, witty, and very creative in her
words and deeds. Their relationship is different than your average
romance. Lies lead to punishment that is also pleasure. They both
employ a bevy of lies along the way. Not a big fan of lying in general;
that was a little bit of a turn-off for me personally. One thing this
author always does well is create emotions within the reader (or at least in
me). I was wound tight with anxiety for a large portion of this book.
There were moments that made me smile and even laugh. There were times
when I felt fear, rage, and absolute despair. My heart was
pounding, and my blood pressure was high while reading. Callum has some
swoony moments, but I absolutely have mixed feelings about him. Emery is
so strong, yet she allows Callum so much control: I struggled with liking her
at times too. I appreciated that the author helped me understand Callum better
toward the end of the book. Underneath his very rough exterior is a
marshmallow. It is just buried deep.
This book captured me and kept me on the edge of
my seat from beginning to end. I lost sleep because I didn't want to put it
down. The writing uses some truly gorgeous language to convey the
characters' emotions. It was so beautifully put together, and the story
unfolded at the right pace. In really just wanted to get to the end so
all the questions were answered, and they got to their HEA. Despite my conflicted
feelings toward the MCs, this was a solid five star read. Readers
who like the fifty shades vibe and a hero who lives in the area between black
and white will not want to miss this one.
#AgeGap #Virgin #BDSM
5 STARS
Holy Hotness!
Book one of the Alchemy series by Sara Madderson writing as Elodie Hart is five-alarm hot. It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV and ends with a monogamous HEA. The author lists some very clear potential trigger/content warnings at the front of the book. They can be read from the downloadable sample. Readers should read these warnings and decide if this is the book for them.
Belle is a 22 year old virgin who has been raised in an extremely strict Catholic way. A large part of Belle's journey in this book is coming to grips with her own feelings and beliefs as opposed to how she was raised. Her father's extreme beliefs and her relationship with both him and the church play a large role in her evolution into her own woman.
Rafe is fourteen years older than Belle and when he meets her he is smitten. Though he views her as off limits, he finds her irresistible. He is part owner to a club that caters to specific adult desires and offers a program named Unfurl for people just like Belle to relieve themselves of their virginity. Rafe was also raised strictly Catholic and has rejected the church in his adulthood. His background allows him to understand Belle in a way no one else can, and he is able to be at her side through her process.
Beautifully written language and explicit erotic scenes made this a book that I did not want to put down. Belle's transformation from timid to fierce as she learns to own her desires and beliefs was a beautiful thing to read. Rafe was steady and tender with Belle as he brought her fantasies to life. This was a high-heat, low-angst read that I absolutely loved. I really enjoyed their HEA and I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.
Undulate (Alchemy #2) by Elodie Hart
#SingleDad #AgeGap #BDSM
5 STARS
Book two in the Alchemy series can be read as a standalone and ends with a monogamous HEA. It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV. The author lists specific content/trigger warnings at the front of the book and is available in the downloadable sample. Readers should read those notes to determine if this book is for them.
I adored book one of this series, but I think this book is even better. I wish I could give it way more than five stars.
Zach is a widowed single dad of two beautiful little girls. He loved his wife, and he and his girls are buried in grief. When his character is introduced in book one, I was intrigued. In this book, I fell head over heels in love with him. He finds Maddie utterly irresistible. His struggle with new feelings toward a woman who is not his wife, who is so much younger, and who lives so freely is understandable and heart-wrenching. He struggles deeply with guilt leftover from his Catholic upbringing. Zach falls hard and fast for Maddy and I adored his all-in commitment once he made the decision.
Maddy is a heroine that was really something special. At the young age of 23, she has fully embraced her right to explore her $exuality and does so with abandon. I loved her as Belle's best friend in book one, and I adored her even more in this. What begins as her quest to help Zach get out of his own way, relieve stress, and feel better becomes a deeply intimate love story. I adore her desire to bring Zach happiness. She falls in love long before she realizes that is what she is feeling.
This book is seriously high heat. This is a beautifully written story about coming through grief and finding a second chance at love where it is least expected. I just-so-happens to contain detailed explicit and erotic scenes. That said, the emotion connection between Zach and Maddy while they are together physically melted both my heart as well as my panties. I really wish I could give this more than five stars.
(Royals of Sailfish Banks #1)
by Delancey Stewart and Marika Ray
#Royal #SingleMom #sSmallTown #OppositesAttract
5 STARS
The first book in this new series can be read as a
standalone and ends with a HEA. It is
written in first person from an alternating dual POV.
Cav escapes his royal life to the outer banks of North Carolina. He is a fish out of water which leads to some
funny moments. His meet-cute with Maxine
was one like I have never read before.
He is determined to make a life for himself despite not having any real-life
skills to apply. Maxine is the opposite. She is resourceful and has had to be
efficient and skillful in a lot of areas to succeed as a single mom. She has raised her son, Bo, alone for 17
years. I absolutely adored her. I love her determination and her relationship
with her son. Bo is a wonderful young
man and I adored him.
Cav and Max have sparks flying from the start. I love how she challenges him. He falls fast for her and appreciates how
different she is from anyone he has ever known.
I like that they work well together, and I love the relationship Cav
forms with Bo. Max and Cav have some
steamy times on page, but more than that, I love how sweet they are together. Max has a sticky note affirmation thing going
on. It plays a role in the book and made
me smile several times. Cav has some
cousins and an uncle nearby. This book
sets up the series with some of the secondary characters. I am super-excited to read more. I am especially looking forward to Ben
finding a HEA he definitely doesn’t want.
This was just the read I needed after reading a darker book just
before. Light-hearted, low-angst romance
plus shenanigans in a small town made this a very enjoyable read.
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