Book reviews from the week of May 12th

 

Happy Friday!  This week I read two ARCs, one prequel, and one hot new release off my TBR. It was great to mix it up a little. I was thrilled to squeeze in Lilian Harris' new book when I was caught up on ARCs for a day. I highly recommend it, especially if you like mafia romance and a burly, Irish MMC. Piper Rayne brought me into their new series set on the Plain Daisy Ranch in Nebraska with their prequel and book one of the series.  I loved reading as Ben gets his HEA with the girl he thought was lost to him. Finally, I read the final book in Swati M.H.'s series as Hudson and Kavi overcome their age gap and a whole host of other obstacles because they were absolutely perfect for each other in every way.  

I had an amazing reading week and I hope you did too. Add some of these to your TBR and I guarantee you will not be sorry. Until next time, happy reading!

One Last Summer (Plain Daisy Ranch #0.5) 

by Piper Rayne

#Prequel #NewAdult #SmallTown

Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this prequel introduces Ben, Gillian, the Noughton family, and the Plain Daisy Ranch.

The prequel follows Ben and Gillian on the Fourth of July, the last day before Ben leaves Willowbrook to go to college and play football on a full scholarship. Their teenage romance is poignant and the foreshadowing of their coming separation is intense. I am sad at the time they will spend apart and hopeful that the author will help them find their way back to each other quickly in book one of the series.

The One I Left Behind (Plain Daisy Ranch #1) 

by Piper Rayne

ARC: Release Date- 05/14/2024

#SecondChance #SingleMom #SmallTown #ARC

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

At 32, Ben is returning home to his family ranch in Nebraska, and the small town of Willowbrook, after retiring from the NFL. Gillian, his high school sweetheart, still lives there with her 14-year-old son, Clayton (not his). There is no way to avoid each other in the small town, especially with meddling “helpers” who make sure they run into each other.  It doesn’t take long for these two to clear the air on the hurts of their past and find their way back to each other. They each must reevaluate the future they thought they wanted for one with each other. Clayton doesn’t make it easy for Ben. He has to work to earn the teenager’s trust.

Overall, these two get back together quickly. With a few hot times and a tiny amount of drama, their HEA is quick and swoony. This was a wonderful first book in the series and it does a good job of setting up the world to make me want more.

Abyss (Elements of Rapture #4) by Swati M.H.

ARC: Release Date- 05/23/2024

#AgeGap #BestFriendsDad #EnemiesToLovers #ForcedProximity #GrumpyHero #Workplace #ARC

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

Kavi (25) is a hard worker who has not had a lot of good luck in her life. In fact, she has suffered quite a lot of pain. Even with years of therapy, she still carries some baggage from some very difficult moments in her life. When her friend Madison gets her a job with her father’s company for the summer it looks like her luck is changing. That is, until she meets Maddison’s dad. Hudson (46) has raised his daughter to become a wonderful adult without her mother in the picture. He is beyond driven, uber-grumpy, a little bitter, and has extremely high standards for everyone in his life. Honestly, he is one of the grumpiest MMCs I have ever read. At times he is not very nice, especially when it comes to Kavi. I love that Kavi’s normally more meek personality takes a back seat with him though. She allows herself to come back at him with sarcasm, snark, and fierce self-possession. They have some incredible banter as they both battle each other and the chemistry that sizzles between them. Sparks lead to fire and the heat between these two is combustible in extreme.

I appreciated how the author allows the reader to see Hudson’s remorse after he says and does the wrong things. I felt like that was important to keeping his character likable. I adore how he becomes with Kavi. The way he worships and care for her and how possessive he is of her is incredibly sweet and more indicative of his heart than his words. Kavi’s character was so incredibly resilient and very relatable to me. I loved her inner strength and how she was able to bring out a lighter, softer side of Hudson. I adored the steamy scenes between them and loved their tender moments.  I have really loved how every book in this series was written and I can see a reread in my future. Gorgeous.

CW: This book does deal with themes of bullying and death and may be triggering for some readers.

Ruthless Savage (Savage Kings #1) by Lilian Harris

#AgeGap #Bodyguard #Mafia #Virgin

Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this first-in-series book can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA. This is my first book by this author, who I had the pleasure of meeting in Denver last month. When I saw the teaser (either as a reel of on TT- not sure) I was hooked and needed to know more. As I started the book, it was obvious that this series spins off another as multiple characters are mentioned along with a history that I did not know. Once the world building was done though, I felt like I had enough to continue reading without missing anything.

Eriu (18) is the youngest daughter of the boss of the Irish Mafia in Boston. Devlin (35) is her bodyguard and takes her well-being very seriously. Though Eriu has had a crush on Devlin for a long while, he does his best to resist her and to shut it down. Deep down he truly believes that he is not good enough for her, and that being closer to her will put her in even greater danger because of his secrets in his past. Eriu has been sheltered and she is somewhat naive in her youth. She makes several decisions that she should not, and has a habit of finding her way into dangerous situations. Devlin is always on her heels, doing his best to make sure she stays unharmed and innocent. When they get together things are both steamy and tender. I appreciated the care Devlin takes of Eriu both physically and mentally as the story unfolds. Eriu grows up quite a bit over the course of the book. I appreciated that the timeline of the book is over the course of many months, making that growth believable.

There are sweet moments and some angst along the way. Because this is a mafia romance readers should expect some violence because it does happen. (Check the author's trigger warnings prior to reading.) There were some twists and turns that kept me engaged and reading way too late. I literally had to put the book down only when my eyes refused to stay open any longer. I assure you I picked it up quickly the next day to read through to the end. I was surprised by the way events unfolded, which is always a thrill for me. 

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read for me. I liked the characters, the twists in the plot, the steam, and the deep connection between Eriu and Devlin. I am excited to read more in this series and also to go into the back list and read some of the other stories.

CW: Mafia violence and murder on page.