Happy weekend. I have worked five twelve hour night shifts in the last seven days and I am tired. The good news is that I read four books including one arc and three reading challenge books. One was a new to me author.
I had a good week overall. I hope my reviews help you find your next favorite read.
Billionaire Grump (New York Billionaires #2)
by Julie Capulet
ARC: Release Date- 06/30/2024
#Billionaire #Celebrity #FakeRelationship #GrumpyHero #Instalove #OneBed #Virgin #ARC
This is book two in an interconnected series about the four
Maddox brothers. It can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA. It is
written in first person from an alternating dual POV.
Alexander is the oldest Maddox brother at 29, and notably the
grumpiest. He has devoted his life to maintaining and growing the legacy of the
family company. As the fourth generation CEO, he has a lot of pressure on his
shoulders and not a lot of time to think of his own desires or needs. When he
agrees to a fake date for a friends’ wedding weekend in the Hamptons, he never
expects it to change his priorities or the course of his life. Ivy (23) is a
semi-famous singer/songwriter and influencer who agrees to be the fake date
just to get out of town for the weekend. The cash doesn’t hurt either. Carrying
a ton of daddy and abandonment issues, Alex has his work cut out for him to
convince her that forever is a possibility.
I adored the instant attraction they felt toward each other. They are like magnets unable to resist each other’s pull. Alexander’s possessive and protective instincts are intense. As are his desires to claim her forever. His willingness to take away all her troubles and prove that he will stay melted me. He has a dirty mouth and a heart of gold. Ivy can’t resist falling for the guy despite her best efforts. I loved Ivy’s independent spirit and the care she has taken in raising her brother. I appreciate how fierce she is, and I love it when Alex gives her a chance to really dream of a future beyond her present. These two are H-O-T together. The intimate scenes are detailed and super-steamy. I adore a hot billionaire, insta-love, OTT story and no one does it better than this author. She reset the bar to a new height, and Alex is now one of my favorite heroes of all time. I am very excited for Colton and Noah to get their happy endings too. I can’t wait.
Life In A Rut, Love Not Included (Love Not Included #1)
by J.D. Hollyfield
#EnemiesToLovers
Written in first person from Sarah’s POV, this can be read as
a standalone and ends in a HEA.
Sarah is a hot mess at the beginning of this book. With a
little bit of a Bridget Jones vibe, she makes most hot messes look lukewarm.
She is very good at refusing to cope with the turns her life has recently taken.
Though she is 31, her maturity level seems much younger. Happily, she does
mature during the book. Part of that is due to Jack’s influence. There is no
shortage of baggage for either of them, but I love that they share that with
each other. I love that Jack falls first. I love that he helps Sarah regain her
confidence in herself and in her ability to adult in the world. They had a
bumpy moment that was painful to read only because it was a little dramatic. I was glad they made it to their happy ending.
This was a fun read, and I laughed out loud. I really loved Jack.
He was ooey gooey on the inside. Sarah was a riot in her misery and her embarrassing
moments. I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.
Teardrop Shot by Tijan
#Sports #FriendsToLovers #HealingLove
Written in first person from Charlie’s POV, this standalone
romance ends with a HEA. This was my first book by this author. I needed to
read a book by an author with one name for a reading challenge, and I have
heard so many good things about this author from other readers that I knew it
had to be one of them. Looking through the backlist, I chose this one because it
seemed lighter than some of the other stories in the author’s catalogue. To say
this book delivered more than I expected would be a huge understatement. There
was a whole lot of emotion packed into this book. Despite it being very
different than my expectations, I really loved this story.
Charlie is a broken heroine who has experienced loss:
including the loss of the woman she used to be. Her story unfolds gradually over
the course of the book. As Charlie rediscovers herself and heals, the reader
learns why she acts the way she does and what she has experienced that broke
her. Reese is at a career high while facing family drama in his personal life.
I loved how he understands Charlie and offers her friendship that she
desperately needs from a person new in her life. I adored how their friendship became
more. Their physical relationship progressed from almost only physical to so,
so much more very quickly. Their emotional connection grows but not without
running into challenges along the way. They finally got their happy ending, and
the bonus epilogue was exactly what I needed to see that they would be okay.
This was a very emotional read at times. There were funny
moments and cringey moments. Open door scenes provide heat. The first 30% of
the book develops slowly as both the reader and Reese get to know Charlie. She
has so much healing that occurs over the course of the book. I believe it was
critical that readers see what a mess she is in the beginning to appreciate her
growth by the end. Honestly, it was hard to read at times. She has been through
a lot. That said, the author addresses issues of addiction, mental health,
dementia, grief, and loss without flinching. This book impacted me because it
hit a little too close to home at times. I really understood the emotions these
characters experience along the way. I felt everything and experienced my own
feelings as they experienced theirs. I loved the author’s writing style, and
really appreciated the words she used to express some of the emotions the
characters felt. At times it was poetic. I have a lot of highlights in this
book because of it. This was a beautiful
read which makes me willing to dive into some of the darker themed books by
this author.
Conley (Heartlands MC #8) by Frankie Love
#AgeGap #Instalove#SingleMom #MC #SilverFox #Novella
Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this
can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.
Calico (31) is a single mom on the run with her 14-year-old
son when her car breaks down. Troy Conley (56) is the president of the local MC
and owner of the garage who receives her broken car.
Instant attraction , $mutty scenes, and a showdown between
two motorcycle clubs made this a fast and entertaining read. Cali’s son is the
real gem in the book as he is wiser than his years. Cali really just wants to
be loved and cherished and Conley is all about it. I loved his protective
nature that has him all in and confessing the L word within a day of meeting
Calico. The bonus epilogue is cute and steamy. This was a quick single mom read
with heat and it was just what I was looking for.
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