Well now, I now know way more about horses than I ever thought I’d want to know. Honestly, the horses were a lot, for me. I get it, we’re at a ranch, Well now, I now know way more about horses than I ever thought I’d want to know. Honestly, the horses were a lot, for me. I get it, we’re at a ranch, but, really? SO MUCH HORSES *blink* #twitchy Almost 100% of this story takes place at the ranch so yeah, scenes with the animals was expected but again, it was a lot. On the flip side, I didn’t know much about horses going into the story and it seems to me that the author does and that aspect I commend her for. I’m not going to Google fact check her, but it all came across as legit to me.
That brings me to the length of this book. It seemed to go on forever and frankly, I blame the horses! LOL And possibly the fact that it seemed to me the story concentrated more on Landon’s personal circumstances and hurdles than Landon and Ty as a couple. There’s no denying that with Landon’s background and circumstance there would be some fleshing out which would include narrative on the current status of the justice system and its many failings, but GAH, I just wanted a romance story! And for the love of all that is holy, must every plot point and scene be so dissected and dragged on and on? *sigh*
Somewhere in these 350ish pages there is a really good romance journey, but you have to dig thru some serious other circumstances to get to it. Some of you may love that, I dunno, and I’m not saying that I hated it. I just can’t say I liked it that much either. *shrug* 2.5, closer to 2 than 3, STARS. ...more
I love a good romantic romance journey and Unmanageable rocked my romantic heart to its core! So absolutely adorbs I just cannot express! I loved bothI love a good romantic romance journey and Unmanageable rocked my romantic heart to its core! So absolutely adorbs I just cannot express! I loved both Luke and Scott’s characters so much. They were different, on the surface, but if you dig a little bit, they’re two perfectly fit puzzle pieces that belong together! They balanced each other out and their story was a huge *happy sigh* for me!
After I finished reading this book, I went on a bit of a stalking spree to find out if there were any other Leslie McAdam stories lurking around I could devour because I just don’t think I’ve read enough by her and she makes me happy every time I read her work! I found four. Btw, and I am giddy with excitement! LOL
I not only highly recommend Leslie as an author, but also this entire World of True North that Sarina Bowen has opened up to various authors because there’s a little bit of everything and I am positive everyone will find at least one or two stories n there that will please them!
Wildfire grabbed my attention from the very beginning and did not let go until the end. It’s a hearteBook & Audiobook Review
5 STAR story 4.5 STAR audio
Wildfire grabbed my attention from the very beginning and did not let go until the end. It’s a heartfelt journey of growth and acceptance and a romance so swoony my heart almost exploded on more than one occasion. The slow-burn of the story lent so much to its realistic and relatable nature that I can’t really see any other way these two men could have been written. This was the best choice the author made in this story, and she made a whole bunch of great choices when she penned this storyline! She incorporated very real circumstances in both lead characters with reverent respect to real life. Well done!
I had the opportunity to not just read this story in advance of publication, but also to listen to it (which I do with many books) and I can honestly say I do not favor one over the other. Most times, I can easily tell you which of the two will give you the best experience, but not this time. Both formats made for an excellent experience! Except this one tiny thing (lol) � Dan Calley (narrator for Joss) has a very thick brogue and sometimes speaks quite fast so it will take a minute (at least it did for me) to get used to it and push thru. It was worth it :)...more
There are multiple plot points in this story outside of Aaron & Jeremy’s journey that took a lot of the shine right off this story and that saddens me. They felt like they were put in the story for dramatics and that makes me #twitchy because had they been fleshed out properly, they would have enhanced the storyline but as they are, they just dragged the real focus away from what was important. I’m not going thru a play-by-play because I never do. I don’t think it’s enough to not recommend this book, but they happened so *shrug*
Overall, I enjoyed this story a lot more than Booklover and if half star rating existed, you’d see this as a 3.5 star, but they don’t and it’s not a 4 so 3 it is :)
Shenanigans for the #win!! What ridiculous fun this story turned out to be. It wasn’t just the storyline itself that was fun but so were Kolby andShenanigans for the #win!! What ridiculous fun this story turned out to be. It wasn’t just the storyline itself that was fun but so were Kolby and Adam! This was a genius set-up that I could have read for a long while! The improv class alone entertained me to no end! Shenanigans!! *sigh* This binge-read I did with the last 5 stories in this series was truly epic and Showstopper added the best comic relief I’ve read in a while! This is one story I wish were longer and longer for that alone! That’s not to take away from all the other goodies this story had to offer, though. It was well written with no plot points just hanging there or dramatic events milling around just for drama’s sake. This was a total #funfest I would highly rec to every reader out there!
Sidebar: I love the fact that the story has a thin attachment to Moo U hockey which highlights it's versatility in The World of True North! So props for that :)...more
I binge-read the last five books of the Vino & Veritas series and although they weren’t all 5 star reads for me, it was a heck of an epic binge all arI binge-read the last five books of the Vino & Veritas series and although they weren’t all 5 star reads for me, it was a heck of an epic binge all around!
You guys � I really enjoyed this story, until I didn’t. *sigh* I love the choice the author made for their meet-cute, it fit them both perfectly. However, the conflict, that didn’t fit them so well. They’d only known each other a short period of time when *secrets* are revealed so the level of drama over said secrets felt way over the top and it stole a lot of shine for me. It just didn't fit the story as a whole, in my opinion, so I was disappointed. You never know what might trigger a reader into not enjoying a story and altho I can’t say I did not enjoy this story; the overly dramatic situation took a whole lot of shine away from it for me. It’s a rather easy story, aside from the OTT with likeable characters that for the most part fit really well. Like I said, I didn’t not like the story but my eyes rolled so � 3.5 but not enough for 4 stars! ...more
I binge-read the last five books, starting with this one of the Vino & Veritas series and it was an epic ride! The story of Jud and Sky was a heartwarI binge-read the last five books, starting with this one of the Vino & Veritas series and it was an epic ride! The story of Jud and Sky was a heartwarming swoon-fest for me. I love second chance-to-get-it-right stories and this one had the added pleasure of getting a childhood friendship back on track and it made it that much sweeter for me.
I must give the author mad props for handling the whole miscommunication conflict of the story maturely and respectfully. I don’t want to give details of this story away, so you might have to read the book to fully understand what I mean but I will say this about it, too many times past problems with characters are dragged into the narrative of the present journey and not dealt with efficiently and in my opinion, that is a sure way to ruin a story quick. This one didn’t do that, so mad props!
This is my first read by this author and I am left with a very happy heart and a huge smile. The storyline unfolded well and the choices she made for the characters read true to characters in their late 20s; realistic and relatable. I’m looking forward to reading a bit more of her work in the future!...more
Okay, here’s the thing, I can’t exactly pinpoint why, but this story lit me up from the inside out from beginning to end. I wish I could tell you it wOkay, here’s the thing, I can’t exactly pinpoint why, but this story lit me up from the inside out from beginning to end. I wish I could tell you it was because of this that or the other but I’ve put some thought into it the last couple days and I mean I think it’s all of it. Rita and Jake had nothing but spark exploding at every turn. The story wasn’t light but yet read light. It wasn’t weighed down by the circumstances surrounding both Jake and Rita. I know, I know � that’s vague AF but the blurb gives away enough and so do other reviews so that’s all you get LOL There’s a lot of heart in this story and hope, lots of hope, and I liked it!
I'm super picky about the authors I read that write stories with characters over forty and beyond out in the world seeking a HEA because more than likely, these characters have already experienced a great deal of life and even more likely are a bit prickly / set in ways that make it that much more challenging to grab that HEA with a snap, and their stories need to reflect that, and it's overlooked too many times for my taste. LB Dunbar doesn't overlook any of it. Ever. ANd she's really good at it! SO, go do the thing!
I’m going to tell you two things about this reading experience that caught me off guard, in a really good way. See, the story doesn’t really have any I’m going to tell you two things about this reading experience that caught me off guard, in a really good way. See, the story doesn’t really have any *drama*, or shall I say *dramatics*, and also, there’s not much to the story that is a *surprise*. Now, when you read that, you’re probably thinking boring and predictable right? That’s basically what those aspect in a story would mean, in my opinion anyway. But it was the total opposite. The story had conflict, of course, but it was realistic, non-twitchy and dealt exactly how it should have been; in a grown and mature manner. As for the predictability, you don’t even realize it because the relationship build is fun and sexy with a lot of heart and spark and before you know it, you’re at the end with a huge smile on your face. Okay, that was me. I had a huge smile on my face :)
This is my first experience with this author duo, and I am happy to report that I will looking out for their contemporary romances in the future (I don’t really read paranormal romance). I like their style, or at least I liked this story LOL and their writing was good with well developed characters and plot. It’s not an especially long story but it also does not come across as insta in any way. Soooooooooooo, I say go do the thing,k.
Who isn’t going to read former Marine turned Goat farmer � C’mon, you know you want to! (You should lol)
I liked this story. A whole bunch actua[image]
Who isn’t going to read former Marine turned Goat farmer � C’mon, you know you want to! (You should lol)
I liked this story. A whole bunch actually. It was fun and sexy with just the right amount of suspense and a dollop of #feels all swirling in a whole lot of swoon! Mason and Heather made for quite the spark in this opposites/ close proximity romance journey. I was invested in the two of them from the beginning but there isn’t a specific plot-point in the story that put me there. I just liked them *shrug* and the choices the author made for their development made for an enjoyable afternoon read.
Sidebar: I’d reeeeeeally love to see a story between Amelia and Kevin <3 *hint hint*
There are enough reviews out there that give you the gist of this story so I’m going to go in a different direction and talk about how this story madeThere are enough reviews out there that give you the gist of this story so I’m going to go in a different direction and talk about how this story made me feel because that’s just as important as knowing what happens in a story.
I’ve thought about this for a few days on and off and the best feeling I have for you that encompasses the journey as a whole is, happy. That simple. Just happy. Were there times I ugly cried and felt Sasha’s struggle deep in my soul? Yes, but I was still happy. Were there times I wanted to reach into my kindle and give both Sasha and Penley a bear-hug to end all hugs because, life? Yup, and yet I was still happy.
As you’ve figured out by all the reviews you’ve read, Sasha has some circumstances she is trying to survive and learn to live with and Penley has his own set of circumstances that he brings to the table. Together, on the surface, it looks like a whole lot of circumstances to handle in order to sustain a HEA, and that would be a realistic viewpoint, but what is also realistic is writing two characters that enhance each other, help each other, make each other better, support each other and are willing to sacrifice for each other and be there for each other. That’s what Alexa Gregory wrote, and it made me happy. It made me hope. It made me believe. I couldn’t have asked for more :)
I don’t have any experience with Sasha’s circumstances, but I know the author does as she made a note in the book, and it showed in the respectful and realistic manner this story unfolded. Alexa put herself out there when she made that note and I appreciate and thank her for taking such a difficult subject and incorporating it into a romance fiction story that could help anyone who finds themselves in such circumstances to believe.
Okay kids, that’s all you get, now go do the thing,k �
I went into this story already #winning. Wanna know why? Because the blurb is sassy, not too wordy and grMy heart is so full it might just burst .....
I went into this story already #winning. Wanna know why? Because the blurb is sassy, not too wordy and grabs your attention. At least it did mine, and it carries a bit of spark to it which I was hoping would jump into the storyline, and it did! The blurb has a hook to it, a feel if you will, and I’m happy to report that it delivered, 100%!!
There’s a lot more than the story of two people finding love between these pages. There’s a story of growth for both our leads, as individuals and as a couple. It also deals with some life circumstances respectfully and in a relatable and realistic manner. I don’t say that lightly. I’ll be the first with a pitchfork if you decide to integrate the type of subject matter that is part of this book and don’t treat it with the respect it calls for. And I am as picky as they come on this point.
The blurb does an exceptional job of luring you in without giving details and honestly, I wish there weren’t that many reviews out there that do, because the element of surprise is part of the #winning of this story. There were at least a couple times I told the author (in my head), well played! which is not an easy feat with me. I read a lot, and not seeing something coming is not usually something that happens but I didn’t see this entire story coming. It is sexy and sassy, heartbreaking yet hopeful, well developed and written, and made my heart sing from almost the beginning. I went thru a lot of different emotions while I read this book and every single one was worth it!
Go do the thing now � this book will rank in your top reads this year! #betme
I am sitting square in the middle of like/dislike for this story. The problem with it for me is an absolute me thing because the writinhmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
I am sitting square in the middle of like/dislike for this story. The problem with it for me is an absolute me thing because the writing is solid, and the story is not half bad. But see, if I can’t invest in what’s happening or rather if I want to scream because a character is just so hmmmmmm, even if the writing is solid, I’m not going to enjoy myself reading and what do I always say about a reader’s feelings � they are of the upmost importance but a writer has zero control over a lot that may or may not go into how a reader feels while reading their book. So here I am, as the reader, completely blah about a story that I probably should feel more than blah over and if I’m being honest, it falls squarely on the shoulders on my connection with Sean.
Sean isn’t just young in age, he’s young mentally also. He’s naïve and just too much, for me. Let me repeat for those in the back, for me. This is in no way the author’s fault, but I couldn’t shake it so it kinda bummed me out for the rest of the story and maybe even caused Cooper to lose a bit of his shine. Copper� character was shinny for me. He was perfect and so were his circumstances. I really think the author did an excellent job representing him in the story. And also the build-up of the relationship itself. See, there’s a lot that was shinny but gaaaaaaaaah, I just couldn’t root for Sean. I tried guys. I really did. I even stopped reading and came back and still, too much.
So that’s my 2 cents for anyone out there who cares :) Don’t spend them all at once! ...more
I’ve mentioned in the past that I very rarely read blurbs as a means to deciding if I should read a book or not. I’m more of a fly by the seat of yourI’ve mentioned in the past that I very rarely read blurbs as a means to deciding if I should read a book or not. I’m more of a fly by the seat of your pants kind of reader. Give me a cover that pops and you’ve pretty much won me over. There’s an exception to this almost 100% of the time and that’s with new-to-me-authors. There are way too many plots that can go awry in a flash and way too few hours in the day to read so you do the math LOL
Anywho, I read this blurb and yes, I cringed at the bet scenario because it takes the guessing game of what will be the conflict before we even begin. Also, it’s a ridiculous plot point for grown adults to be a part of in my opinion so I was cautious with my hopes on this one. Turns out this author made some pretty good choices in this story and pulled this entire thing without me rolling my eyes too many times and that’s a thing kinds so don’t discard it. My eyes roll, twitch, and blink quite a lot but on the flip side, my heart soars and I get giddy quite a lot as well. I’m a well-rounded reader :) I think I’m digressing �
There’s a lot to like about this story but my favorite part is the growth in our characters, especially Logan. He came into the story as one character and journeyed thru or rather navigated himself into a more beautiful soul because of his pursuit of Brody and where that took him. I know what you’re thinking, vague much, but you didn’t think I’d spell it out for you did you? HA! Like I ever. I’ve given you enough information from my perspective that should lead you to the conclusion that this story was a hit for me, not without some problematic areas, but the good outshined! Do with that information what you will :)...more
It’s been a hot minute since I read a story by Karen Stivali and I’m super stoked she’s back in it (or at least I hope she is)! This was an excellent It’s been a hot minute since I read a story by Karen Stivali and I’m super stoked she’s back in it (or at least I hope she is)! This was an excellent start to a brand-new series in The World of True North.
I think the best word to describe the growth in the journey of Sam and Phoebe is charming. There are a ton more adjectives I could add to that, but I think charming is the best because it not only describes them as characters, but also their journey. The unfolding of their friendship rolling right into a relationship made me all kinds of happy. They both connected instantly and didn’t really fight it. It was all very grown-up and if you follow my reviews, you know that’s my favorite of favorite things! I like relatable stories I can see myself in and/or happening around me and this story had that in spades. I enjoyed the atmosphere surrounding the story and I loved seeing some not new to me secondary characters incorporated.
I have to tell you guys that the decision I made to invest in this world has been one of the greatest reading experiences I have had as of late. I’ve met a ton of new authors and gotten reacquainted with old ones but best of all, it’s an inclusive world that showcases all kinds of circumstances, people and love and it makes me *happy sigh*
Sidenote: I love that Karen picked a chef to be one of her leads in this story because she’s always baking or cooking something or other and posting all her creations on social media and they always look delish!
So obviously, go do the thing if you haven’t already done so :) ...more
There is nothing more satisfying than reading a story with what some might call life altering circumstances and it being respectful of that circumstanThere is nothing more satisfying than reading a story with what some might call life altering circumstances and it being respectful of that circumstance and realistic! Well done! *slow clap*
Primarily, I’d say this story was about growth, moving forward, walking your path and owning your choices. I’m finding really hard right now to come up with a way to review this story without giving away any plot points and it is frustrating the heck out of me LOL You could say this was a second chance story and you’d be right, but not a second chance romance. That’s confusing, right? I know. I feel you, but there it is LOL Yes, Belle and Ty knew each other in the past, but there was no relationship in my opinion. The second chance I refer to is about life; your journey; your path. Both Belle and Ty envisioned one path but *shrug* they were mistaken because life threw them each a curveball and they had to change course.
That’s how we navigate to the now where they are once again in the vicinity of each other, and sparks are still flying and burning! These two haven’t had the best of luck in life but the author turned what could have been an angsty story into a heartfelt swoony one and I for one was delighted!
So, if you’re looking for an afternoon read that’s not too heavy and will make you smile and swoon, you know what to do :)...more
I looooooooooooooooooove when two leads struggling to get past their past and move forward as individuals. Did that make sense? Lol What I’m sayinI looooooooooooooooooove when two leads struggling to get past their past and move forward as individuals. Did that make sense? Lol What I’m saying, hopefully, is that when characters are facing circumstances they need to slay right along side navigating a romance journey, it makes me giddy with reader happiness. So yes, from the blurb, you already know that Preston & Rosalie “add up to one really sad country song� so I don’t have to tell you about the what/why/where but I want to say it was spectacularly planned. The story that is. It unfolded beautifully. The friendship, the fake dating, all of it was a huge package of heart and hope. Spectacularly sexy with excellent character development and a story you can get lost in. There’s nothing more you could ask for out of an afternoon read :) This author is new-to-me with this story but I’ve already downloaded quite a few of her backlist and can’t wait to dig in!...more
Loading...
