This last week I read four ARCs. They were all very different, which gave me a wonderful variety for the week. It was fabulous. You really can't go wrong with any of these. Check my reviews and see which ones you need to add to your TBR.
#Mystery #Paranormal #ARC
Written in third person from an alternating dual POV, this
series should be read in order for best effect.
I love Riley and how her self-confidence has grown
throughout the series. I love Nick. Sometimes oblivious, this book is where he
really begins to understand that he sees forever with Riley. His self-revelations
are funny and cute. They have wonderful chemistry and banter. There are steamy
moments and I love their intimate times together.
The mystery brings twists and turns and many laugh out loud
moments. The elderly battalion seems a little ridiculous at times, but since I
love those characters, I could look past it. I love how Riley and Nick’s
relationship moves forward despite the shenanigans.
This is a fun, lighthearted, cozy mystery with some heat. An excellent summer read for mystery, romance, and laughs.
#RunawayBride #Billionaire #FamilySeries #ARC
Written in third person from an alternating dual POV, this
book can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.
Samantha is a fierce heroine who makes immediate changes
when she realizes how her fiancé has fooled her before she walks down the
aisle. She calls off the wedding and makes a run for it. And when she runs into
Dex first thing, he comes along for the ride. I love how Samantha understands
her needs, though she doesn’t always cater to them. I love her strength. She is
savvy and knows when to get assistance to fully separate herself from her ex-fiancé/business
partner. Dex is a recently retired NFL quarterback who has known Samantha for
years through his old boss, her oldest brother. I adored his protective streak.
I love how he doesn’t try to make Samantha’s decisions for her, but instead is
there to offer her any support she needs while she makes her own decisions. I
love the friendship between them. They also have an undeniable attraction,
which leads to some hot times.
This couple faces some external challenges to their
commitment to each other before they fully realize how much they are feeling.
They persevere by continually choosing each other and I absolutely adored that.
This writer does an amazing job writing interconnected
family series and this is no exception. Each new family member that finds their
happy ending only leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy inside. I read this in one
sitting and I have no regrets. What is better than sitting outside on a summer
day with a book that makes you laugh, gasp, and smile? Absolutely nothing.
That’s what.
#Forbidden #ReverseAgeGap #Sports #Workplace #ARC
Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this
can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.
I think that reverse age gap is one of the hardest tropes
for authors to get right and have it be believable. Despite the main characters
in this book having a 13-year age gap, this author made their relationship seem
not only believable, but meant to be. Bexley (36) is the GM for the Colorado
Black Diamond hockey team. She is strong, powerful, and the only woman in the
league to hold the job. That means she is also intimidating to men: especially
the ones that lack self-confidence. The result is that her dating life is a
little deficient. Nick (23) is the starting goalie for Bex’s team, and he is
initially overwhelmed with how amazing he is but is not intimidated by her. He
is a little shy, has a huge, soft heart, and genuinely good character. He wants
to find the one but keeps having very short dates with the ones that are not
meant to be. When he finally goes for it with Bex it is like they both were
just waiting for each other. They can be themselves with each other. There is
an ease and a tenderness between them that is assisted by mutual admiration and
respect. Their chemistry and attraction are there, but almost seems secondary
to their feelings even in the steamy scenes on the page. They face some tough times, but I adore that
there is no third act break up. They cling together and persevere in the face
of adversity. I love that they fight for what they have together. I really
wanted these two to get their happy ending that they deserve, and they do.
I am loving this whole series. I really love the concept of
the second-generation spin-off of the Denver Mountain Lions series. Getting to
know these characters only makes me happy. I seriously can’t wait for the next
one.
Ivy's Arch (Puffin Bay #6) by Annie Dyer
ARC: Release Date- 08/01/2024
#FriendsToLovers #SmallTown #Celebrity #Letters #Penpal #ARC
Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this
book can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA. Readers who have read
this author before will be aware that the hero, Gulliver, is a secondary
character in many of Annie’s books going back to the Callaghan Green series and
is certainly prominent in the Puffin Bay series. He has been a secondary
character that has threatened to take the spotlight in many books and his
character has developed over those. I have waited a long time for Gully to get
his happy ending, but I should not have worried. The timing of his happy ending
was perfection.
New readers will
benefit from the structure of this book. The first 30% is composed of letters
between Gully and Iris that begin about 6 months after the sudden death of Iris’
sister, Ivy. Gulliver and Ivy had been best friends and colleagues. The letters
between them give their characters their voice. I loved hearing a recap of all
the events in Puffin Bay from Gully’s POV through the letters. They each
process their grief through these letters and form a deep friendship as they
attempt to move on with their lives. Because of this format, new readers will
not feel as though they missed anything if they jump in here. The rest of the
book takes the couple from a point in time through the next year or so to their
HEA (total time covered between letters and HEA is about 5 years). The epilogue
gives readers a glimpse into the distant future.
Gulliver and Iris are perfect for each other. I loved
reading as Gulliver falls hard for Iris. Their friendship and the support they
offer each other is tender, deeply emotional, and so much more than any other
relationship either of them has with anyone else. They start the IVF process as
friends (who both secretly want more) and end it as a happy couple who has
weathered the storm. Iris is strong, talented, and a little bit of a free
spirit. Her letters take her through an incredibly difficult year, her career
growth, and several failed relationships as she and Gully grow closer as
friends. I really appreciated her emotions regarding her infertility and her
dreams for her life. The loneliness and grief she and Gully both felt at times
leaps off the page. They have a little bit of a slow burn as they transition
from friends to more. It is full of teasing, banter, and undeniable chemistry.
I love how Iris captures so much of their relationship, and certainly so much
of her feelings, through her photography. The author does such an amazing job
describing these scenes that I could picture the images Iris was taking with
her camera.
This deeply emotional, steamy, romantic book is my new
favorite by this author. Even waiting a day to write this review, I am
overflowing with all the emotions and feelings generated by this story. If I
could give this book more than 5 stars, they would absolutely be deserved. It’s
worth all the stars and will undoubtedly be one of my top reads of the year.
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