Book reviews from the week of October 29th

 

Happy weekend!  This week I read two books.  One was an ARC and one is a book that has been on my TBR for almost a year.  Both were five star reads for me.

Stephanie Rose delivers a beautifully real grumpy/sunshine romance with Raising the Bar.  Kelly Lakes is a fun little small town filled with characters I have grown to love.  Jude and Claudia are perfect for each other and their happy ending made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Swati M.H.'s "Adrift" has been on my TBR since Readers Take Denver earlier this year when Emily Silver recommended it as part of a book discussion we were having.  I downloaded then and it sat forlornly on my kindle until this week.  I am currently at the HEA Reader Event in Indianapolis, Indiana this weekend.  This is an inaugural event hosted by Emily Silver and Tina Snider.  When they decided to put this event together, I volunteered to help and this weekend I am assisting Swati M.H. during the signing.  I wanted to make sure I read some of her work before then so the book was squeezed in between ARCs, travel, and setting up for the weekend.  Now that I have read it, I am excited to read more and I look forward to binging the other books on her backlist.

I need to get ready for a very busy day, but check out my reviews.  See if either of these books are what you need in your day and add them to your TBR.  For KU readers, they are both in Kindle Unlimited.  

Wishing everyone a new week filled with good books and happy endings.

Raising the Bar by Stephanie Rose

ARC: Release Date- 11/03/2023

#FirstResponder #GrumpySunshine #SmallTown #ARC

5 STARS

Taking place in the small town of Kelly Lakes, readers who have read other books by this author will see some familiar characters around Jude and Claudia. This new book can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.  It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

I loved Claudia when she appeared in other books set in this town.  She is the perfect best friend for Peyton.  Strong, smart, successful, lovable, and loving; Claudia is a character I want to hang out with too.  When her successful career in the city takes an unexpected turn, she returns to Kelly Lakes for an extended visit to regroup and heal at Peyton’s house.  I adore their friendship and the support that her found family in Kelly Lakes offers her.  I also really appreciated that Claudia is an Asian character that has a strong family support system with her parents and cousins.  I actually really adored her relationship with her father and the way he encourages and supports her in her new path.

Jude is stoic police Sergeant who has returned home to Kelly Lakes after a divorce.  He is the primary caregiver for his dad, George, who is recovering from surgery.  Their interactions are sometimes funny and very realistic.  As one who has been in that role, I appreciated Jude’s concern, George’s frustration, and the complex relationship they have.  Honestly, I adored George.  The way he is with Claudia and Jude as he encourages their relationship is just plain fun and very special.  Jude has some high walls around his heart, but behind them he is a loving, all-in kind of guy who cannot resist Claudia’s sunshine.  His protective and possessive nature is seriously hot.

I appreciated that both characters are mature and that they communicate in a mature manner.  At 35 (Claudia) and 43 (Jude), they have learned how to act like adults.  They have an intense chemistry and attraction that is almost a slow burn before they finally go for it.  I adored how Claudia accepted Jude at each stage as she gained his trust.  Her love and acceptance help him lower his walls and enjoy his life instead of just existing within it.  There is heat, emotional depth, and a little drama on the way to their happy ending.  One of the things I love about this author is that the romance in her books feels real.  The couples have disagreements, occasionally argue, and resolve their relationship disconnects just like I do with my husband.  This was a joy to read, and I definitely recommend grabbing this one.

Adrift (Elements of Rapture #1) by Swati M.H.

#SingleDad #Forbidden #Nanny #SlowBurn 

5 STARS

Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this book can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.

Darian (32) is struggling to run his business and be a single dad after losing his wife in childbirth a year earlier.  When he unexpectedly reconnects with his dead wife's 19 year old sister, she offers to help him for the summer until he finds a more permanent solution.

Darian is a bit of a mess, but I loved him in all of it.  He was a character that felt so real! His struggles, doubts, and resistance to his attraction to Rani felt authentic.  Underneath his stoic exterior was a broken man who must come to grips with taking a chance on real happiness even in the face of external judgement.

Rani is amazing.  Though she is young, she is so in possession of herself, her needs, and her confidence, that she really inspired me.  She stands up for her beliefs, sets boundaries in difficult situations, and refuses to allow Darian to not communicate.  Her uncensored love for baby Arman and her willingness to wear her feelings on her sleeve made her a special woman who had a soul much older than her years.

There is a slow burn that leads to hot times. But ultimately this book is about the emotional relationship between Rani and Darian and their relationships with the people around them.  There is some angst, a twist or two, and some beautiful character development on the way to their happy ending.  The writing was very good and it kept me engaged to the point I hated to put this book down.  The characters are grieving the loss of Sonia and the loss of the future that might have been.  This element was handled beautifully.  This book has been on my TBR f.or almost a year, and I regret that it took me this long to read it.  Now, I want to binge this series as Darian's brothers find their HEAs