I can't believe we are at the end of August! It has been a crazy busy month on the home-front, but I managed to read seven more books from the 18th through the 31st. (I am starting another book today, of course, but I won't finish before midnight.) Of those seven, four were ARCs and two were new-to-me authors. Two were also novella length reads.
The ARCs were phenomenal. You really should add them to your list. I also read Mel Walker for the first time. He has been on my list for a long time. Grounds for Romance was such a cute romance read! I read it in an afternoon and it gave me all the feels. Check out my reviews and add some books to your TBR. Here's hoping for more fantastic reads in September. Until then, happy reading!
Hero After Midnight (Gibson Hollow #0.5) by Kait Nolan
#Prequel #BrothersBestFriend
Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this prequel to a new series does end in a mild cliffhanger. It establishes the history between Alia and Ramsey and also why they didn’t get all the way together when they were in college. Though you can read book one without this prequel, I found it very valuable detailing the history of events and emotions that occur. That first kiss is one for the record books. One of my favorites of all time. It made me interested in the characters and the story of how they find their way back to each other. Book one picks up this story ten years after the end of the prequel.
Hero Ever After (Gibson Hollow #1) by Kait Nolan
ARC: Release Date- 08/22/25
#BrothersBestFriend #FriendsToLovers #SecondChance
#SmallTown #FamilySeries #ARC
I am voluntarily leaving this honest review after receiving
an advance reader copy of the book. Written in first person from an alternating
dual POV, this first book of a new series can be read as a standalone and ends
with a HEA.
To say that I loved this book would be a massive
understatement. I have read several books by this author, and this is my
favorite book of hers ever. Alia is strong, compassionate, creative, and
fierce. Ramsey is EVERYTHING. He is swoony, committed, loyal, insightful, kind,
and intimidating when he needs to be. He sees Alia and doesn't hesitate to take
care of her even if it means standing up for her where no one else has. I
adored the heat between them, but even more I loved their connection with each
other. It was soft, warm, and electric all at once. I appreciated that they
didn’t have a third act break up. They had spent so much time apart in the ten
years since college that they needed to be together more than anything.
I also loved the Gibson family and the small town of Gibson Hollow. The author set this series in the beautiful little town in the mountains of North Carolina. Drawing upon recent floods that ravaged that area, the Hollow is rebuilding after the devastation of a massive flood. The people of the town come together with solidarity and quiet strength to recover their town from the damage. The cast of secondary characters are truly special. Uncle Dee and the Sasspatch Society are a group of people I want to hang with. Alia's best friend, Blair, is a fierce, glittery, human and the ride or di3 friend everyone should have. The author has created a world full of inclusiveness, respect, and love on so many levels it is unmatched. It is a world I would hope that we could someday achieve. It is a world I longed to stay in.
The Spite Date (Small Town Sisterhood #1) by Pippa Grant
ARC: Release Date- 09/04/2025
#Celebrity #SingleDad #RomanticComedy #SmallTown #ARC
I am voluntarily leaving this honest review after receiving
an advance reader copy of the book. Book one in a new series is written in
first person from an alternating dual POV and is a standalone that ends with a
HEA. Set in Athena’s Rest, New York, there are small town antics, rivalries,
and characters who recognize that secrets don’t exist in a place like that.
Bea is 29, but due to circumstances in her life she has
developed a maturity far beyond her years.
I loved her dry sense of humor. I adored her relationship with her
brothers and her best friend, Daphne. I also really liked that she is beginning
to figure out what it means to consider her own wants and needs after a decade
raising her brothers and putting them first. Simon is a celebrity with total
golden retriever energy. He is a “fake it till you make it” kind of guy. He
wants to do the right things with his teenage twin sons and his co-parent,
Lana. He has a difficult relationship with his parents that has impacted how he
looks at life and at himself.
I adored that Simon fell hard and fast for Bea. He tried to convince himself that it was just going to be a physical relationship, but it was always more than that. I loved their banter in the beginning and the friendship they formed along the way. There are laugh-out loud moments, some spice, and all the feels. Found family is an important theme in this book as it is in many by this author. I also appreciate the variety of characters represented in the small town. One of the things this author does best is give readers a cast of secondary characters so defined that we yearn for their stories too. I can’t wait to see where she takes her writing next and what stories we may see later.
Breakaway (Nashville Knights Hockey #3) by Emily Silver
ARC: Release Date-09/05/2025
#CinnamonRollHero #FriendsToLovers #Forbidden #RunawayBride
#Sports #ARC
I am voluntarily leaving this honest review after receiving
an advance reader copy of the book. Book three in the Nashville Knights series
is written in first person from an alternating dual POV, can be read as a
standalone, and ends with a HEA. Because many of the secondary characters
appear in this book, readers may gain the most enjoyment from reading the
series in publication order.
Dax is the gooiest cinnamon roll hero ever and I absolutely love
him. He has been in love with his best friend, and his brother’s fiancée forever.
When his brother (who is his complete opposite and the wrong kind of guy in so
many ways) gets left at the altar, Dax is all too happy to drive the getaway
car. I loved how he supported Chloe. He is there when she wants to do things
that scare him. He is there when she needs a shoulder to cry on. He is there to
support her dreams. He builds her up in the way she deserves. Like I said: I
loved him.
Chloe makes the decision to run and that is followed by a
decision to put herself first for the first time. Her list of “how to not be
boring” things to do is just the beginning of her evolution into a woman who
stands up for herself. She no longer fears standing up to her ex, her parents,
or even her ex’s parents. I loved her fire and determination to make her own
way.
The best thing about friends-to-lovers romance for me is the way the characters have a history and know each other so well. They can read each other and have a language all their own. When the friend curtain begins to drop and they start to see each other as more- those are the moments I live for. I couldn’t put this down as I experienced the romantic and steamy moments between Chloe and Dax. I adored that there is not a third act break up. I love that karma finds her ex. I enjoyed the found family aspect of the book and how the friends they make are so much more. I loved it.
The Run Home (Wolfe Brothers #3) by Marika Ray
ARC: Release Date- 09/16/2025
#SingleDad #SurprisePregnancy #FamilySeries #SmallTown #ARC
I am voluntarily leaving this honest review after receiving
an advance reader copy of the book. This final book in series is written in
first person from an alternating dual POV, can be read as a standalone, and
ends with a HEA. Because it is a family series, there may be spoilers of the
first 2 books in this book if you read it first.
Shae is a lovable heroine. She has accepted her nerdiness
and moved past many of the insecurities from her childhood and her first
marriage. There is some damage though, that rears its ugly head from time to
time. I adored her HAGS friend group, her sense of humor, her feisty spirit,
her compassion, and her independence. Boon begins this book as a man who can’t
quite get it together. After recently retiring from pro baseball, he is a
full-time parent to his 17 -year-old daughter for the first time and he is
floundering. He comes across as a bit of a jerk until we get to know him.
Underneath that façade is a man with a soft heart that is full of his own
insecurities.
The banter between Shae and Boon as they figure each other
out at the adult level is top-notch. There is plenty of spice as what begins as
a hate-fling quickly becomes a whole lot more. Childhood crushes become real
love as Boon falls first, fast, and hard for the nerdy teacher. Her position as
his daughter’s volleyball coach and the relationship she forms with Kinsley is
icing on the cake. I loved that they are around each other at home as
neighbors, and at work as teachers giving them lots of time to interact. I also
loved that they are mature characters at 39 and 40.
I loved the layers in this story, especially Boon’s character arc. This was the perfect end to a wonderful series, and I cannot wait to see what the author allows Gigi to get into next.
Sold to her Professor (Hunter Valley Bachelors #1)
by Milly
Kent
#AgeGap #Forbidden #Virgin #Novella
Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this standalone ends with a HEA. This was a quick and steamy read with a FMC virgin and her professor who buys when she auctions off her virginity. I liked the characters, especially Willow’s supportive friend group. I liked King’s dominant personality in the bedroom, though the Daddy thing is not my jam. Due to length of the novella, readers don’t get a lot of character development, and the story moves quickly. I really liked the author’s writing style and the premise of the book. This was a fast read that was perfect to squeeze in between longer books. It was my first book by this author, and I do plan to read more.
Grounds for Romance (The Coffee Loft Series: Fall Collection) by Mel Walker
#FriendsToLovers #SecretIdentity
Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this
standalone ends with a HEA. I met the author earlier this year at Charm City
Romanticon and I finally had a chance to read one of his books. It makes me
happy to read from diverse authors, and with a BIPOC male romance author, this book
made me very happy. It was a romantic feast full of longing glances, sweet
brushing touches, and devastating kisses. Seriously, where is Hallmark? This
deserves its movie already.
Zara (28) is a fashion designer who is frustrated with her
day job but still dreaming. Devon (27) is a struggling actor with a shot at the
part to make his dreams come true. I appreciated Zara’s fierce nature and the
joy that radiated from her character. Even when she was frustrated or angry, I
knew she was a good person. Devon struggles with his role, and with not being
completely transparent with Zara. I loved his desire to pursue his dreams and
his recognition that his omissions left Zara open to hurt. He does bring a
grand gesture to the table to win back a chance at the girl. Zara holds the cards,
and their HEA delivers all the swoon. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Comments
Post a Comment