REVIEW: The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

OUR REVIEW

 The Dead Romantics, on my initial perusal, isn't my usual read but something about the synopsis piqued my curiosity so I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did. The story of Florence and Benji is so wonderfully unlikely and yet so addictive that even if you don't normally read a novel that requires that you suspend belief about ghosts, you willing do so and you love every second of it. 

Florence comes from a family who runs a funeral home and they're every bit as wonderful and quirky as you'd want them to be. She's escaped their small town to write in NYC (and to escape the unwanted and mean spirited attention of her peers...because of a ghost story) which is how she meets Benji. He's her new editor who refuses her request for a deadline extension...one that she's pushed back quite a few times. Her night only becomes worse when she discovers her dad is gone and she must get home to help bury him and navigate a hometown she hasn't been in in over ten years. You can only imagine her dread and then her surprise when Benji shows up as a ghost.

While their story is unlikely, it's so much fun to read. Both of them have interesting personalities that compliment each other, if for no other reason than for how different they are. She's free spirited, he's a little more uptight; she seems to be in avoidance mode, he tends to be more direct but it works. As she works through her grief, he does too. As she remembers what she loved about love, he also learns some things about himself when it comes to love and relationships. As the novel and their relationship progresses, you can't help but root for them.

While the big reveal wasn't all that much of a surprise to me, I didn't care because I loved all the moments leading up to it. The execution of the funeral, her fun family, the interesting townspeople, and both Florence and Benji's backstories all made this such a fun read; I really hated saying goodbye to them at the end. 

BUY IT HERE.

BLURB:

The New York Times Bestseller and Good Morning America Book Club Pick!

"I LOVED this book! ...Funny, breathtaking, hopeful, and dreamy.”—Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

"One of the Summer's Hottest Reads"—Entertainment Weekly

A disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own, has to find her way back home in this sparkling adult debut from national bestselling author Ashley Poston.

Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem—after a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love. It’s as good as dead.
 
When her new editor, a too-handsome mountain of a man, won't give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye. But then she gets a phone call she never wanted to receive, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to help her family bury her beloved father.
 
For ten years, she's run from the town that never understood her, and even though she misses the sound of a warm Southern night and her eccentric, loving family and their funeral parlor, she can’t bring herself to stay. Even with her father gone, it feels like nothing in this town has changed. And she hates it.
 
Until she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor’s front door, just as broad and infuriatingly handsome as ever, and he’s just as confused about why he’s there as she is.
 
Romance is most certainly dead . . . but so is her new editor, and his unfinished business will have her second-guessing everything she’s ever known about love stories.

REVIEW: Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis

OUR REVIEW:

 I decided that I needed one of those sweet romances to distract me from the fact that my oldest daughter is leaving to go to college next weekend and Eight Perfect Hours did the trick. This British romance features the continued chance meetings of Noelle and Sam. It starts with him being a good Samaritan to Noelle when they are both stranded on the road during a snow storm. They go from being awkward strangers to friendly strangers over the course of eight hours and when Noelle walks back to her car, she just knows there's something there but feels weird about taking things further. As the novel continues, Noelle and Sam keep running into each other and we get to know them and see that they really do seem to belong together. They have all of these threads that seem to connect them and yet they can't seem to connect. Both of them are testing the waters with their exes and both of them have family things that hinder them, but ultimately, it's their fear of the unknown that seems to halt any progress...at least for a while. 

This was a charming and sweet, clean romance. Easy to read and enjoy and the perfect distraction from my pending melancholy. 

BUY IT Here.

SYNOPSIS:

In this romantic and heartwarming novel, two strangers meet in chance circumstances during a blizzard and spend one perfect evening together, thinking they’ll never see each other again. But fate seems to have different plans. From the acclaimed author of the “swoon-worthy…rom-com” (The Washington Post) Dear Emmie Blue.

On a snowy evening in March, thirty-something Noelle Butterby is on her way back from an event at her old college when disaster strikes. With a blizzard closing off roads, she finds herself stranded, alone in her car, without food, drink, or a working charger for her phone.

All seems lost until Sam Attwood, a handsome American stranger also trapped in a nearby car, knocks on her window and offers assistance. What follows is eight perfect hours together, until morning arrives and the roads finally clear. The two strangers part, positive they’ll never see each other again but fate, it seems, has a different plan. As the two keep serendipitously bumping into one another, they begin to realize that perhaps there truly is no such thing as coincidence.

With plenty of charming twists and turns and Lia Louis’s “bold, standout voice” (Gillian McAllister, author of The Good Sister), Eight Perfect Hours is a gorgeously crafted novel that will make you believe in the power of fate.

REVIEW: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

 

OUR REVIEW:

Love on the Brain is currently my new fave. It's one of those novels that haunts you when you put it down because you just have to know what's going on with these characters and what will happen next. In the case of Bee and Levi, these enemies turn into the best lovers. 

It all starts with a series of unfortunate misunderstandings, misreadings, and frankly, some lies thrown in and all of those things fester for years until the best/worst thing happens: Bee and Levi working on a huge, important project. As work has now thrown them together, truths are revealed, feelings are explored, and denial is not just a river in Egypt. I enjoyed watching how all of this played out--how Bee had to basically twist herself into a pretzel in order to force herself to believe the ideas she had about Levi and how patient and accepting Levi was of her process. I also enjoyed the idea of the project they were working on and all of the intelligent little bits and pieces that were woven into their dialogue and plot. Additional, the twitter subplot and the funny things Bee would say or do (along with her hilarious assistant) created a nice balance between the smart, more serious scenes. 

Love on the Brain hits so many of my sweet spots: smart characters, funny characters, interesting, well paced plot, and a happily ever after that is completely satisfying.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/3b31vfk

BLURB:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis—with explosive results.

Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project—a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia—Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.
 
Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school—archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.
 
Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?

REVIEW: Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean

 

OUR REVIEW:

I am completely in love with the Hell's Belle's and every book in this series just gets better and better. In Hearbreaker we get to know more about Adelaide, the best pickpocket in all of London. She comes from a ne'er-do-well father--'king' of a dangerous street gang--but had the chance to escape and become part of the gang of 4 women who are out to right wrongs and uplift other women. 

In Heartbreaker, Adelaide is working with her counterparts to help protect a woman from her evil father. Mixed up in this mission is a certain Duke--the Duke of Clayborn--because of his brother's interest in marrying the young woman who desperately needs to go into hiding; he's also been mixed into this because he also poses a threat to the evil father, as we find out after Adelaide thieves some things from her father, including a box belonging to the Duke. Complicating all of this, both Addie and Henry (the Duke) find themselves in her dad's office both trying to steal something important to them. Increasing the complication? The Duke almost gets them caught.

As the plot progresses we learn that both Addie and Henry have been watching each other for a while. Addie finds him intolerable and Henry finds her intriguing. When they race to find and protect Henry's brother and his love, he learns that Addie is more than capable of handling herself, much to his surprise and delight and she learns that he's not quite the entitled toff that she imagined him to be. Over the course of a couple of weeks, their being thrown together reveals more and more and their mutual affection blossoms. This was part of my pure enjoyment of this novel--their discovering each other--their secrets and who they really are--and how they were more alike than I think either suspected. I love a good reveal and when people are forced to admit, despite their grumpy resistance, that they really actually like the person standing in front of them.  

Equally delightful is seeing and learning more about the Hell's Belles. They are pure joy--they made me smile and laugh and I could read their interactions and shenanigans all day long and not ever be bored with them--I cannot wait to read Imogene's book! Additionally, seeing how their 'network' worked filled me with admiration. 

I cannot recommend this series enough--it's a great mix of romance, chemistry, humor, and plot and I cannot wait for the next book in this series. 

BUY IT HERE.

BLURB: 

New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean follows her highly acclaimed Bombshell with Heartbreaker, featuring a fierce, fearless heroine on a mission to steal a duke’s secrets…and his heart. 

HEARTBREAKER Hell’s Belles, Book 2

A Princess of Thieves

Raised among London’s most notorious criminals, a twist of fate landed Adelaide Frampton in the bright ballrooms of Mayfair, where she masquerades as a quiet wallflower—so plain and unassuming that no one realizes she’s the Matchbreaker…using her superior skills as a thief to help brides avoid the altar.

A King of Reputation

Henry, Duke of Clayborn, has spent a lifetime living in perfection. He has no time for the salacious gossip that arises every time the Matchbreaker ends another groom. His own reputation is impeccable—and the last thing he needs is a frustrating, fascinating woman discovering the truth of his past, or the secrets he holds close.

A Royal Match

When the two find themselves on a breakneck journey across Britain to stop a wedding, it’s impossible for Clayborn to resist this woman who both frustrates and fascinates him. But late-night carriage rides make for delicious danger…and soon Adelaide is uncovering Clayborn’s truths, throwing his well-laid plans into chaos…and threatening to steal his heavily guarded heart.

REVIEW: The Close-Up by Kennedy Ryan

After a dream of a trip with the who's who of Hoops stars, Kira and Naz come back to the real world, with its real world problems. But true to the world of Kennedy Ryan, they find a way through and their happily ever after is the perfect ending. 

The Close-Up, an all-new moving second-chance novella set in the Hollywood Renaissance/HOOPS world from New York Times bestselling author Kennedy Ryan and 1,001 Dark Nights is available now!

OUR REVIEW:

 The Close-Up is such a wonderful blend of Kennedy Ryan's worlds; there's Takira from Reel and Naz-who connects us to the Hoops Series. I love a good mash up of worlds but even more than that I love everything about this book. Takira is, as seen in Reel, a poised, confident, body and sex positive role model for the ages. I love how bold she is and how she takes no crap from anyone. She's loyal, almost to a fault (when it comes to her brother), and she loves fiercely. Her love interest, Naz, is the yin to her yang. He's observant of her needs and desires, respectful of her space and her wishes, and absolutely worships the ground that she walks on--what's not to love?!

This novel reads like a fantasy--one that any one of us would love to live. Kira and Naz meet up after a decade of living their lives, establishing names in their careers, and quietly keeping up with each other from afar. When an accidental meeting shows everyone with eyes how much chemistry they have, the matchmakers begin their work and they end up on a yacht in the Mediterranean for two weeks...living the dream. They reconnect on every, and I do mean e-v-e-r-y, level; they'll steam up your kindle and melt your heart. The sexy times are so sexy and the way Naz romances her is so perfect; he treats her like the queen that she is and you can tell he's really paid attention to everything about her. 

Annnnd I just realized that I'm writing about them like they're real people. That's the beauty of Kennedy Ryan's works. She creates characters that feel so real--you find yourself laughing with them, grieving with them, loving with them, and hoping that they get everything their heart desires, which is exactly what I wanted for Takira and Naz.

SYNOPSIS:

I met Nazareth Armstrong when I was eighteen years old. From the beginning, my brother warned me to stay away from him. Told Naz to stay away from me.

Our hearts didn’t listen.

I shared one magical night under the stars with my brother's rival, thinking it was the start of a once-in-a-lifetime something.
But one awful moment ended it all.

Years later when we meet again, we’ve both pursued our dreams, lived a little, found success…but never found love. What began as a tiny flame when we were young now threatens to consume us. I’m more drawn to Naz than ever, but his complicated history with my brother makes whatever this could be…nearly impossible.

But Naz accepts impossible as a dare.

Through his clever maneuvering and dogged determination, I find myself on a yacht with him and his friends cruising through the Mediterranean. It’s a whirlwind set ablaze. Away from reality, surrendering to the tender heat of his touch, I forget that everything could burn.

*This is the love story of Takira, who first appears in Reel, book 1 of the Hollywood Renaissance series. Characters from the HOOPS series also make appearances, but you do not have to read any of those books to enjoy this one.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Grab your copy today, exclusively on Amazon!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3a9gD87
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/theCloseUp
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3nRG2Jl
Audible: https://adbl.co/3AE4iWV

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3nkcnq8

Keep reading for a look inside The Close-Up!

Naz has abandoned his cabin completely and has spent every night over the last week with me. Why front? He brought me here, and we can’t get enough of each other. I’m glad we’re on this yacht with a bunch of couples who also can’t get enough of each other because we’d be pretty obnoxious otherwise.
He’s rich as hell and could shower me with material things. And he does. At every port, I find some keepsake from the local shops he’s left for me in the room—an ankle bracelet, clips for my hair, diamond earrings. There has been no shortage of gifts, but the real gift has been his attention. The way he cares. The man bathes me. He wraps my hair up at night. He washes my face. I don’t know what this is, but I feel spoiled. Doted on. Adored. At first I was like…is this cringe? Is it weird? But then I recalled all those times when I didn’t feel valued in a relationship. All those times a guy disrespected me by looking at other women all night. All those times I didn’t feel this almost embarrassing amount of single-minded focus from a man who’s determined I’ll know how much he enjoys me. How much he likes me. Cherishes me, even. He’s constantly pulling me onto his lap. We sneak away from the group anytime the mood strikes us. Last night at dinner, he fed me from his plate.
From his plate.
Who am I right now?
I’m that girl, living out a fantasy on a half-a-billion dollar yacht floating on dreams along the coast of Italy. Forget Black girl magic. This is pure sorcery, and if it’s a spell, we’re both under it.

About Kennedy Ryan
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Kennedy Ryan and her writings have been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Cosmo, TIME, O Mag and many others. A RITA® and Audie® Award winner, Kennedy writes empowered women from all walks of life and centers those who have found themselves perennially on the margins of traditional storytelling.

Her Hoops Series (Long Shot, Block Shot and Hook Shot) and All the King's Men Series (The Kingmaker, The Rebel King and Queen Move) have been optioned for television.

An autism mom, Kennedy co-founded LIFT 4 Autism, an annual charitable initiative, and has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as an advocate for autism families. She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son.

Connect with Kennedy
Text KennedyRyan to 797979 for release alerts!
Subscribe to Mailing List: subscribepage.com/kennedyryan
Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2GY6eyb
TikTok: @kennedyryanauthor
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2TaYiAi
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2GUq0uF
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2Fvhqiz
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/kennedy-ryan
Website: http://kennedyryanwrites.com

For More information about 1,001 Dark Nights, visit
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3ONzTtZ
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rTZdo3
Website: https://bit.ly/2AIIr3A
Stay up to date on all 1001 Dark Nights releases, join their mailing list today! https://bit.ly/2zgxaHu

NEW: The Close-Up by Kennedy Ryan

 

What began as a tiny flame when we were young now threatens to consume us.

The Close-Up, an all-new riveting and emotional Hollywood Renaissance/HOOPS novella from New York Times bestselling author Kennedy Ryan and 1,001 Dark Nights is available now!

I met Nazareth Armstrong when I was eighteen years old. From the beginning, my brother warned me to stay away from him. Told Naz to stay away from me.

Our hearts didn’t listen.

I shared one magical night under the stars with my brother's rival, thinking it was the start of a once-in-a-lifetime something.
But one awful moment ended it all.

Years later when we meet again, we’ve both pursued our dreams, lived a little, found success…but never found love. What began as a tiny flame when we were young now threatens to consume us. I’m more drawn to Naz than ever, but his complicated history with my brother makes whatever this could be…nearly impossible.

But Naz accepts impossible as a dare.

Through his clever maneuvering and dogged determination, I find myself on a yacht with him and his friends cruising through the Mediterranean. It’s a whirlwind set ablaze. Away from reality, surrendering to the tender heat of his touch, I forget that everything could burn.

*This is the love story of Takira, who first appears in Reel, book 1 of the Hollywood Renaissance series. Characters from the HOOPS series also make appearances, but you do not have to read any of those books to enjoy this one.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Grab your copy today, exclusively on Amazon!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3a9gD87
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/theCloseUp
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3nRG2Jl
Audible: https://adbl.co/3AE4iWV

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3nkcnq8

About Kennedy Ryan
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Kennedy Ryan and her writings have been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Cosmo, TIME, O Mag and many others. A RITA® and Audie® Award winner, Kennedy writes empowered women from all walks of life and centers those who have found themselves perennially on the margins of traditional storytelling.

Her Hoops Series (Long Shot, Block Shot and Hook Shot) and All the King's Men Series (The Kingmaker, The Rebel King and Queen Move) have been optioned for television.

An autism mom, Kennedy co-founded LIFT 4 Autism, an annual charitable initiative, and has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as an advocate for autism families. She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son.

Connect with Kennedy
Text KennedyRyan to 797979 for release alerts!
Subscribe to Mailing List: subscribepage.com/kennedyryan
Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2GY6eyb
TikTok: @kennedyryanauthor
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2TaYiAi
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2GUq0uF
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2Fvhqiz
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/kennedy-ryan
Website: http://kennedyryanwrites.com

For More information about 1,001 Dark Nights, visit
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3ONzTtZ
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rTZdo3
Website: https://bit.ly/2AIIr3A
Stay up to date on all 1001 Dark Nights releases, join their mailing list today! https://bit.ly/2zgxaHu

REVIEW: For You & No One Else by Roni Loren

For You & No One Else is the first Roni Loren novel I've read and now I'm clamoring for all of the novels on her back list. The combination of Eliza and Beck are fire and I could not get enough of them. I adored how they started their friendship and how it built into a love that both of them needed and neither of them thought would happen...at least the way it did. They are seemingly so very opposite in so many ways but as you get to know them, they really have so much in common which you discover as Beck convinces Eliza of going "analogue". This allows for them to explore each other in a non-digital way learning their histories and reasons for how they've become who they are (or were) which leads to conflict and understanding and love.

These two were funny and their chemistry was FIRE. And bonus points for setting it in New Orleans and using accurate names and places--this NOLA girl appreciates it. Grab this read--you will not be disappointed. 

BUY IT  HERE.

BLURB:

New York Times and USA Today bestseller Roni Loren brings the heat in this compelling story of:

• A woman struggling to find her place in the world
• A man with a secret inner life
• An unexpected friendship with sizzling benefits
• And an emotional turning point that changes everything

Eliza Catalano has the perfect life. So what if it actually looks nothing like the story she tells online? As a therapist, it's part of her job to look like she has all the answers, right? But when Eliza ends up as a viral "Worst Date Ever" meme, everything in her Instagram-filtered world begins to crumble.

Enter the most obnoxiously attractive man she's ever met, and a bet she can't resist: if she swears off social media for six months, Beck Carter'll teach her the wonders of surviving the "real world." No technology, no dating apps, no pretty filters, no BS.

It seems like the perfect deal—she can lay low until her sudden infamy passes, meet some interesting new people, and maybe even curate this experience into a how I quit the online dating racket book along the way. But something about Beck's raw honesty speaks to Eliza in ways she never expected. She knows he's supposed to be completely hands-off...but as complex feelings grow and walls come tumbling down, rough-around-the-edges Beck may be exactly what Eliza needs to finally, truly face herself—and decide who she really wants to be.

REVIEW: Broken Play by Alison Rhymes

 

OUR REVIEW:

You should know that if you don't like cheating, this is definitely not the book for you. The first pages plunge us into Drew cheating on June and the rest of the book is the aftermath of this decision. I wouldn't say that I avoid cheating books nor do I necessarily seek them out but I think when I think about cheating books, it's usually something that happens after we've gotten to know and care about the characters. I don't know that I've read a book that's begins with that poor decision and then follows the struggle to figure out where the characters go next. I liked that this was something unexpected and so honest. 

Having been cheated on in my dating life experience, I know how painful it can be--the way you start to second guess and doubt yourself and those around you. The way you constantly ask why or when or who or how many times and these are things that June cycles through from the moment she walks in on Drew cheating. Her pain is immediately and deeply felt and it all rang true to me. As she begins to make a plan for how she wants to move forward, her anger and hurt and sorrow also felt all too real. Alison Rhymes didn't have June wallow though, she gave her a chance to grow and become even stronger than she already was. I really appreciated the fresh start she gave June--a new location, job opportunity, time with her best friend, and a friend, Noah, who had the potential to be a real hindrance in any kind of reunification with Drew. Her evolution was heartening to read.

Drew. Ugh. I really really wanted to hate him so much more than I did. Nothing he said excused his behavior and I'm not sure I honestly 'bought' what his excuses were. But, he did all the things I'd want to happen if I were in June's shoes. He makes all the efforts, takes ownership, and has hope but no expectation. What I appreciated about Drew's sections were how she showed him learning and messing up and learning from those messes. He didn't cheat and then suddenly become perfect--his evolution was also heartening to read.

And then there's Noah. It appears that he might be the next book in this series and I'm verrrry curious about his story and what he's thinking. He was a wrench in Drew's plans. A dreamy, delicious wrench and some of the scenes with him are hotttttt hotttt hottt. I mean. Whew boy. I wasn't expecting some of those scenes but I wasn't sad that they were there and am hoping to see more of those when his book comes out. 

All of this is a recipe for disaster--cheating, separation, and a new friend that may have intentions that aren't friendly. Throw in that Drew is an NFL quarterback and June and Noah are co-hosting a series of shows leading up to the Superbowl and the under the microscope pressure on this relationship just elevates an already tough situation.

I won't reveal how the HEA comes about or with whom but I will say that I was content with the choices made. I also love the Nola setting and am hoping to see more of that with Noah's book (and hopefully Love's book too). 

BUY IT HERE.

SYNOPSIS:

They have ties that bind.

June grew up in the shadow of her brother and his best friend, Drew McKenna. She stood back while Drew dated his way through high school and college, watching and waiting. Waiting for him to realize he loved her as much as she loved him.

When he did, it was the happiest she’d ever been. Until she found him with another woman only five years after their marriage.

Leaving her husband was a simple decision, but there was no easy way to cut him out of her family. When June receives a fresh start to her career, she also finds what could be a new lease on love. Reality hits Drew with a vengeance.

He wants her back.
She wants to make him suffer.

REVIEW: True North by JB Salsbury

Choosing her may ruin his life.
But he doesn’t want a life without her.

True North, an all new forbidden, workplace contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author JB Salsbury is now available!

OUR REVIEW:

 The North Brothers series has been such an addictive series for me. Every time a new book comes out, I manage to read it in a matter of hours because I get completely sucked into their world and don't want to leave it until I'm forced to. So the good news is, all of the novels are highly rated reads for me and the bad news? They're over so quickly and I'm left dying for more. 

In True North, we get to know Hudson better and he's my new favorite North (though to be fair, I've probably said that before). He's thoughtful and kind and such a fighter for the things and people he cares about. There's so much to adore about him but I especially adore how he treats Lillian (Lily). From the start, he is nothing but kind to her and sees all the things that others may see as detriments about her as her superpowers. He encourages her and supports her and gosh I just love him, if you can't tell. 

Lily, if I'm going to be truthful, was a little harder for me to connect to because I felt like I didn't really understand her backstory at first. As more was revealed, though, I came to understand her and I really enjoyed how and where her story ended. I liked how she could appear to be a set of contradictions--sometimes she seemed a little meek or easily embarrassed but then a page later, she'd be bold and honest. The thing that felt a scattered about her at the beginning, made everything make sense later and what she viewed as flaws, were the things that made her unique and interesting and led her to a job of a lifetime. I appreciated that she never tried to deny herself or Hudson the attraction she felt for him and that as the novel progressed, her strength was more and more on display. The more empowered she felt, the less crap she took from people--whether that was her brother, her former bosses, or even Hudson. 

Honestly, there wasn't anything I didn't enjoy about this novel. Hudson was a delight, as was Lily. I've enjoyed getting to know these brothers and their significant others and I'm very curious about the story it looks like we're getting with Hayes. Don't sleep on this series, it's a good one!

The North name is a heavy burden. Two things I learned young—the best way to keep my head on is to keep my head down, and… never fall in love.
But I’m a sucker for a damsel in distress.

Lillian came into my life swinging. Mistaking me for my abusive twin brother, she greets me with a swift kick to the balls and a busted lip. Then she really shakes up my world.

She needs her job, but she needs a break just as much. And nothing silences my demons as efficiently as playing the hero.

To protect her from my jerk twin—her boss—I take her on a business trip and quickly learn that she’s different. Blunt. Honest. Intriguingly strange. I’m transfixed, so when she unknowingly sinks a multimillion-dollar deal, I don’t speak up. Something my family won’t forgive.

Now, I have a choice to make. I can go against my own blood and burn the North legacy to the ground, or play it safe, commit to my self-imposed rules and predestined future. Choosing her would ruin my life as I know it, but I’m starting to wonder if a life without her is worth living.

Download your copy today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/37GpaAM
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/TrueNorthJB
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Keep reading for an exclusive excerpt from True North!

Hudson

We stroll down the street, taking turns with the fried bread and looking at each booth that offers some variation of Native American cuisine. Lillian finds a way to strike up a conversation with everyone. The woman likes to talk. And I’m getting an unexpected level of enjoyment watching her.
“Let’s head to the arts section.” She tugs on my jacket sleeve. “I want to get a souvenir—oh, look! A bouncy house!” She hooks her hand into the crook of my elbow.
I startle a little at the contact, even though, so lost in her excitement, she doesn’t seem to notice she’s even touching me.
“We have to jump in the bouncy house!”
“Why? We’re not six years old.”
She drags me closer to the jungle-themed contraption, complete with inflated palm trees, monkeys, and bananas decorating the entrance. “Because it’ll be fun.” She whirls around, her pale blue eyes dancing. “You do remember what fun is, don’t you?”
“My idea of fun isn’t making a fool out of myself in front of a bunch of kids.”
“Why not?” She toes off her shoes. “Kids don’t care if you look like an idiot.”
“You go ahead.”
“You’re missing out,” she calls as she ducks through the strips of green plastic made to look like hanging vines.
Within one minute, she’s laughing with the kids, jumping in a blur of black, with her golden hair flying in every direction. I don’t mean to stare, so I pull out my phone, sure that there’s an email I can attend to, but her laughter keeps my eyes from the screen. I’ve never heard a sound so authentic, free from the constraint of social expectation or acceptance. Have I ever met a person who gets this much joy from something so simple and childish? Lillian balks at a three-Michelin-star meal and finds a contagious kind of joy from a bouncy house.
She’s breathing hard as she has an in-depth discussion with the kids about what she dressed up as for Halloween and who would win in a fight between Sophia the First and someone named Doc McStuffins. A little girl asks her where Lillian’s mom is and if she wants to have a playdate tomorrow.
“See that guy there?” Lillian points me out to her new friends. “He’s afraid of bouncy houses.”
The group of littles reply in multiple forms of shock.
An evil smirk tilts her lips. “I think he might feel brave enough to try if you guys go talk to him.”
“Oh, come on…” I grumble.
Three kids who I wouldn’t guess to be older than five come barreling toward me.
“Don’t be scared!”
“My little sister isn’t even afraid!”
“You can hold my hand.” A small hand slips into mine and holds on. The little girl with bright brown eyes and black hair tilts her head back to look up at me, and something warm seeps into my chest. “Just hold on, okay?”
Only an asshole would say no to that face.
I kick off my shoes and let her drag me to the bouncy house. The kids are still shouting their encouragement while Lillian dissolves into a fit of laughter.
“Don’t be a wussy!” one of the boys calls out while jumping furiously.
I release the little girl’s hand and walk straight into Lillian’s space. Her laughter dies, and I watch her throat bob with a hard swallow.
“I’m going to pay you back for this,” I say low so the kids don’t hear, which makes my voice rumble.
A spark fires in her eyes. “You’ll have to catch me first.”

Read more here>>> https://bit.ly/3oFoTD6

Start the Wild North Series of standalones now!
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About JB Salsbury
JB Salsbury, New York Times Best Selling author of The Fighting Series, lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband and two kids. She spends the majority of her day lost in a world of battling alphas, budding romance, and impossible obstacles as stories claw away at her subconscious, begging to be released to the page.

Her love of good storytelling led her to earn a degree in Media Communications. With her journalistic background, writing has always been at the forefront, and her love of romance prompted her to write her first novel.

Since 2013 she has published six bestselling novels in The Fighting Series and won a RONE Award.

Connect with JB
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3stLCRV
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3mZRQaR
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3stsCms
Twitter: https://bit.ly/3dtpF0X
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Website: http://jbsalsbury.com/

REVIEW: Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey

 

OUR REVIEW:

Love Her or Lose Her is unlike anything I've read in romance, or at least it's unlike anything I can recall reading in my recent past. The focus on Rosie and Dominic isn't about the lead up to their romance or how they fell in love, it's about how to foster and grow the love they used to have. What made Love Her or Lose Her interesting was reading this as someone who has been married for 22 years and knows how easily relationships can hit that slump and stay there, if you're not vigilant. I really appreciated a romance that focused on married love and how challenging it can be when the lines of communication aren't open--and how easily fracture in things can go from days to months before you even realize that it's happening. At first you make excuses, then you get used to it....until it's just not okay anymore, which is where we start with Rosie and Dom. The novel follows their journey to find their footing in their marriage, which means doing things outside of what's become comfortable and really examining your own role in contributing to how things are going. 

As heavy as all this seems, there were still many moments of humor and heat. The humor really came in with all of the secondary characters; I can tell I need to go back and read all of the books in this series. And the heat? Well, that's never been a problem with Tessa Bailey books and seriously not a problem with these two characters. As a matter of fact, their chemistry was one of the best things going for them. 

I enjoyed the self-reflection that Love Her or Lose Her provided as I was reading and am looking forward to delving into more of this series and pretty much everything Tessa Bailey writes. 

BUY IT HERE.

BLURB:

Named one of the Best Romances of 2020 by Insider and Oprah Magazine + Marie Claire's Best New Books of 2020

New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with a unique, sexy romantic comedy about a young married couple whose rocky relationship needs a serious renovation... 

Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be anyway. Now Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with ten years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp. 

Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to-emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippie. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous—yet surprisingly helpful—assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret... and it could demolish everything.

“Her voice feels as fresh and contemporary as a Netflix rom-com.” —Entertainment Weekly

NEW RELEASE: True North by JB Salsbury

 

She’s his total opposite.
But she could be his everything.

True North, an all-new opposites attract contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author JB Salsbury is now available!

The North name is a heavy burden. Two things I learned young—the best way to keep my head on is to keep my head down, and… never fall in love.
But I’m a sucker for a damsel in distress.

Lillian came into my life swinging. Mistaking me for my abusive twin brother, she greets me with a swift kick to the balls and a busted lip. Then she really shakes up my world.

She needs her job, but she needs a break just as much. And nothing silences my demons as efficiently as playing the hero.

To protect her from my jerk twin—her boss—I take her on a business trip and quickly learn that she’s different. Blunt. Honest. Intriguingly strange. I’m transfixed, so when she unknowingly sinks a multimillion-dollar deal, I don’t speak up. Something my family won’t forgive.

Now, I have a choice to make. I can go against my own blood and burn the North legacy to the ground, or play it safe, commit to my self-imposed rules and predestined future. Choosing her would ruin my life as I know it, but I’m starting to wonder if a life without her is worth living.

Download your copy today!
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Start the Wild North Series of standalones now!
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About JB Salsbury
JB Salsbury, New York Times Best Selling author of The Fighting Series, lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband and two kids. She spends the majority of her day lost in a world of battling alphas, budding romance, and impossible obstacles as stories claw away at her subconscious, begging to be released to the page.

Her love of good storytelling led her to earn a degree in Media Communications. With her journalistic background, writing has always been at the forefront, and her love of romance prompted her to write her first novel.

Since 2013 she has published six bestselling novels in The Fighting Series and won a RONE Award.

Connect with JB
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3stLCRV
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3mZRQaR
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3stsCms
Twitter: https://bit.ly/3dtpF0X
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3x7WCbh
Website: http://jbsalsbury.com/

REVIEWS: 4 Football Themed Romances

This summer I went on a little bit of a football romance bender and it was so much fun that I thought I'd put together a few mini-reviews of what I liked about all of them. 

REVIEW | BUY

I started my bender with I Dare You by Ilsa Madden-Mills. This novel starts with Delaney and Maverick one night their freshmen year of college and jumps forward to their senior year. She's coming off a bad break up and he's a seemingly notorious player. She's a proud nerd girl and he's the king of football. Seems like they're pretty opposite, right? Well, for as opposite as they are, they're also really kind, loyal, good people. Of course it's never that easy; there are secrets and lies and hurt feelings. There are mitigating factors with his sister and it never fails that a miscommunication makes for some angtsy moments but overall the angst was low, the romance was high, and the happily ever after was perfect for these two.

Synopsis:

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills returns with an all-new swoon-fest of a novel about what happens when you look beyond labels and take a chance on love. 

Bad Boy Athlete: I dare you to…
Delaney Shaw: Who is this?

The late night text is random, but "Bad Boy Athlete" sure seems to know who she is…

Delaney Shaw. 
Good girl.
Lover of fluffy kitties and Star Wars. 
Curious.

His dare? Spend one night in his bed—a night he promises will be unforgettable—and she can solve the mystery of who he is. 

She knows she shouldn't, but what else is she going to do with her boring Valentine's Day? One sexy hook-up later, her mind is blown and the secret's out.

Maverick Monroe.
The most talented football player in the country.
Just ask him.

Too bad for him Delaney's sworn off dating athletes forever after her last heartbreak.

But Maverick wants more than one night and refuses to give up on winning Delaney’s heart. She isn’t one to be fazed by a set of broad shoulders. 

Will the bad boy score the nerd girl or will the secrets they keep separate them forever?

I DARE YOU is a full-length college football romance.

This series of stand-alone sports romances also includes: I Bet You, I Hate You, and I Promise You.

REVIEW | BUY

Next, I read The Varsity Dad Dilemma by Lex Martin. Single parent, football players, and a little enemies to friends to lovers? Sign me up! Gabby and Rider started out as friends their freshmen year and then he basically ghosted her. Here we are senior year and he and some of his football players, including her brother, live across the street. She pretty much hates everything about that house across the street but when a baby shows up, she puts her type A organization skills to the test and helps them out until they can figure out what to do with the baby. Along the way, Gabby and Rider fall for each other and battle through some obstacles to find their HEA. 

SYNOPSIS:
★ A sexy, small town sports romance from USA Today bestselling author Lex Martin! ★

What’s worse than having Rider Kingston, the star quarterback, give you the big brushoff because he doesn’t want to get serious? You’d probably think living across the street from him where you get a first-hand view of his hookups, right?

That’s what I thought. Until someone drops off a baby with a note pinned to her blanket that says one of those jocks—either Rider or one of his roommates—is the father. The problem? Baby mama doesn’t mention which of these numbskulls is the sperm donor.

I wouldn’t care about their paternity problems—not the slightest bit—except my brother lives there too. Which means that adorable squawking bundle might be my niece, and there’s no way I’m leaving her unattended with those bumbling football players.

They need my help, even if they don’t know it yet. Once we solve this dilemma and figure out who’s the daddy, I’m out.

I’ll just ignore Rider and those soul-searing looks he gives me every time I reach for the baby. He broke my heart three years ago. He won’t get a second chance.

REVIEW | BUY

Tight Ends and Tiaras is the second book in this series by Lex Martin and just when you think the surprise dad trope is done in this series, it's not! This time it's Ben who finds himself in a situation he didn't expect and the sweet Sienna finds herself trying to help him out. He's trying to make his way into the NFL, despite a dickish coach, and she's trying to find her way outside of a manipulative dad, and they're both trying to figure out how to parent a one year old who has basically been abandoned by a good for nothing ex. They find themselves in a fake dating situation, that very quickly turns into more. Throw in a little angsty times and one heck of an explosive scene and before you know they've broken up and found themselves back together again and if you're like me, you've inhaled yet another football romance and are ready for more.

 SYNOPSIS:
★ USA Today bestselling author Lex Martin delivers a swoony, single dad romance about a college football player and the fake girlfriend he knows he should resist.

Football is one hundred percent the focus of my life—until a squawking toddler, with a temper to rival my own, lands in my lap and flips my life upside down.

I'll never be Dad of the Year. Anyone will tell you that. Except maybe Sienna, my sister's former roommate, who somehow manages to make my broody ass laugh and sees something in me no one else does.

When Sienna offers to let me and my little princess move in with her, I'm not sure if it's to help or because she wants revenge on my teammate and long-time rival, who broke her heart.

Either way, I'm game. Because I need to get my ex off my back, and Sienna doesn't mind pretending to be my girlfriend.

Only neither of us is ready for the sparks that fly between us or the consequences when they do.

REVIEW | BUY

That leads us to my most recent football romance, Beauty and the Baller by Ilsa Madden-Mills. Truthfully, the eye catching color of the cover is what initially grabbed my attention and the synopsis was interesting, so I dove in. The way that Ronan and Nova initially hook up was a little bit off for me, if I'm going to be honest but I quickly put it aside as the story moved past that to a few years later when they find themselves as neighbors. Nova immediately recognizes him but it takes him a little bit longer to put two and two together. He's now the coach of the local high school team, she's moved home to take care of her younger sister in is in need of a job, and low and behold, there's one available at his school and part time as his assistant. Between the nosy small town boosters trying to settle him down and her ex, they decide fake dating is a thing they should do to buy them some time and space. During their fake dating, we get to know them and I felt like the thing that was off about the initial hook up is explained. Lots of humor and heart and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. 

SYNOPSIS:

An NFL quarterback turned small-town coach gets sacked by a Texas beauty queen in this swoony, passionate romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills.

Gorgeous, talented, and brilliant, NFL quarterback Ronan Smith has the world in his hands. But after losing his career and his fiancée in a car accident, he falls into a pit of grief and bad choices. When a mysterious girl shows up to his party, he feels drawn to her and makes her his…for one night.

Former beauty queen Nova Morgan is on a mission. Scantily clad as a princess from a galaxy far, far away, she sneaks into a high-profile party to capture the attention of her favorite quarterback. But her hopes crash after an awful one-night stand.

Fast-forward two years. Broke and desperate, Nova returns home to Blue Belle, Texas, where, by a cosmic twist of fate, her broody neighbor is none other than Ronan, the shiny new football coach everyone adores. But he has no idea who she is.

The booster club keeps shoving women at Ronan to keep him in town. His solution? He proposes fake dating to Nova. But things heat up for real under these Friday-night lights when he realizes she’s the one who slipped away.

Has this jaded beauty found her forever baller, or will his past keep them apart?

REVIEW: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

 

OUR REVIEW:

After Whelan wrenched my heart in My Oxford Year, I was eager to see what damage she'd do to me in Thank You for Listening and I'm happy to report that I made it out alive and heart fully intact. 

I've been in a weird reading space where I'm either zooming through books in a day or laboring over them with half a mind to DNF them but stubbornly persisting. In many of these cases the end result is a mixed bag. I don't know what's going on with me, because let's face it--it's most likely a me thing and not the book, but I have been seeking something with a little more to it than just the feel good glow at the end. Thank You for Listening gave me that thing that I've been looking for. It gave me those much needed moments where I put down the book, stared off into space, and reflected on how certain things applied to me, if they applied to me, and what I could foresee doing about them, if I did anything at all. I guess what I'm saying is that I appreciated the opportunity to reflect and ponder and get lost in the story and myself all at the same time. 

So needless to say, Sewanee's story of cynicism and loss transitioning into that one that shows her emboldened and content at the end was just the story I needed today. While there were sections that were more introspective and serious, there were also just as many times I laughed out loud or found myself smitten by one of the other characters. And now having enjoyed both of her novels, I can definitively say that Julia Whelan is a definite one-click, must read for me.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/3GzsfPX

SYNOPSIS:

For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger. 

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her. 

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.