en-US Thu, 17 Apr 2025 12:24:39 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 217453509 A small-town waitress and a Hollywood star’s worlds collide in this new romance by Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date.

Once upon a time, Ramona Riley was a student at a prestigious art school, with dreams of landing in Hollywood as a costume designer to the stars. But after her father’s car accident, she had to quit and return to her small New Hampshire town, Clover Lake, to help take care of her younger sister. Twelve years later, Ramona is still working at the town’s café, all but given up on her dream. But when a big-budget romantic comedy comes to Clover Lake to film, she wonders if this could be her chance. There’s only one problem—Dylan Monroe, her first kiss and Hollywood’s favorite wild child—is the star.

Dylan Monroe has always lived an unconventional life, having famous rock icons for parents. But she wants to prove that s���’s not some chaotic, talentless nepo baby, that she has actual skills, that s���’s just a normal person. To do that, Dylan takes on a project at a charming lake town—she even works at the town’s café (very quaint), shadowing a local waitress there (very cute), and asks her to take Dylan around to do Normal People Things.

But Dylan soon realizes it’s not just some small-town waitress s���’s getting to know—Ramona Riley is someone s���’s met before, someone who remembers her even more vividly. Before long, however, reality hits them, and both women must decide if the spark between them can fan the flames of their individual dreams, or if it will extinguish their light.]]> 416 Ashley Herring Blake 0593815998 Stacee 0 4.30 2025
author: Ashley Herring Blake
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: currently-reading, edelweiss, theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats
review:

]]> 218267243 'Compulsively readable, Love Sick is equal parts sexy and angsty' JULIE SOTO

'Heartfelt and smart, Love Sick is just what the doctor ordered' EMILY WIBBERLEY and AUSTIN SIEGEMUND-BROKA

'Bursting with laughter, the joy of found family and spicy will-they-or-won't they tension . . . the perfect book for Grey's Anatomy fans' ASHLEY WINSTEAD

Grey's Anatomy meets The Hating Game by way of Ali Hazelwood in this fiery enemies-to-lovers debut rom-com.

First year of residency is hell, and Grace Rose, a brilliant new OB-GYN resident, starts off in the deepest circle. Her social anxiety is on high alert after she discovers she's battling a rumour that she slept her way into the program.

Um. False.

Grace sets the record straight by putting on her devil-red lipstick and putting her rude - and frustratingly handsome - co-resident, Julian Santini, in his place. But rumours take on a life of their own, and no amount of studiousness, or support from her co-residents, can course-correct her reputation. Ironic, given Grace hasn't been physical with anyone since her ex broke her heart in med school.

Julian is exhausted from years of studying. Despite that, he's determined to prove he deserves the residency position he narrowly landed. If only he could buckle down and concentrate. Instead, he's preoccupied by the judgy girl grappling with an absurd rumour - a woman he unintentionally offended on day one.

Yeah, he put his foot in his mouth. But he has no interest in participating in the hospital's frat house culture that continues to slut-shame Grace.

Stuck together as residents, Grace and Julian begrudgingly set aside their mutual hatred to focus on training, and as their attraction grows, the cracks in the thin ice between love and hate start to appear.]]> 336 Deidra Duncan 1335507523 Stacee 3
I loved the synopsis for this one and was eager to get into the story.

I liked Grace and Julian well enough. They have chemistry and animosity and there's button pushing galore. There's also a lot of stress and insecurities and I wish they would have talked about substantial things a bit more. There are a good amount of characters in this book and I couldn't keep track of all of them.

Plot wise, it's okay. There's loads of slut shaming, misogyny, and shitty men being shitty. And the main conflict of the story was not at all resolved to my liking.

Overall, it was a quick read that kept me interested and rooting for the MCs.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.07
author: Deidra Duncan
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.07
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/16
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2025, ily-so-lets-break-up
review:
3.5 stars

I loved the synopsis for this one and was eager to get into the story.

I liked Grace and Julian well enough. They have chemistry and animosity and there's button pushing galore. There's also a lot of stress and insecurities and I wish they would have talked about substantial things a bit more. There are a good amount of characters in this book and I couldn't keep track of all of them.

Plot wise, it's okay. There's loads of slut shaming, misogyny, and shitty men being shitty. And the main conflict of the story was not at all resolved to my liking.

Overall, it was a quick read that kept me interested and rooting for the MCs.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 217388007 A witch and a shifter get a second chance at love in this new paranormal romantic comedy from USA Today Bestselling author April Asher.

At the bright-eyed age of eighteen, witch Harlow “Harry�� Pierce attended her first Fates Haven Finding Ceremony certain the Blue Willow Wisp would lead her to her Fated match, her cougar shifter boyfriend, Jaxon Atwood. But Fate had other plans, guiding her best friend to him instead. With a broken heart, all her belongings, and a vow to never return, Harry did the only thing a broken-hearted witch could do. Run.

Thirteen years later, she returns to her magical hometown—with her half-human, half-shifter goddaughter in tow—hoping that not only would the town work its magic on the troubled teenager, but that the local Alpha of the Rocky Mountain Pack could help Grace identify—and control—her fiery abilities.

Jaxon Atwood was a shifter of few words and even less patience�� until his mother retired as Alpha of the Rocky Mountain Pack and left the running of things to him. It’s a headache he didn’t need, and one that brought the witch who’d ripped his heart from his chest knocking on his door.

Ever since the disappearance of the town’s Fate Witch over a decade ago, Fates Haven’s magic has been slowly going haywire. There hasn’t been a Fated Match made in thirteen years, putting the town in serious jeopardy of losing its title of Most Fated Mates Per Population. But now, something is stirring in Fates Haven, Colorado, and it smells like the past, tastes like change, and looks like A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE.]]> 352 April Asher 1250357853 Stacee 4
First off, there are a lot a lot a lot of characters here and most of them are supernatural. At times it did feel a bit overwhelming to keep track of everyone, but here we are.

Harry and Jax have history and chemistry galore and they spend a good portion of the book ignoring both. It was fun reading them figure things out and actually have a damn conversation. Grace might have stolen every scene she was in and was a damn delight.

Plot wise, due to the above mentioned eleventy billion characters there are the same amount of moving pieces. Somehow it all worked for me and I was basically grinning the entire time I was reading. I definitely wanted more at the end because it felt sort of unfinished.

Overall, this was a fun book and I'll just be over here hoping there's more.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.85 2025
author: April Asher
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/15
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: netgalley, physical-arc, theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats, read-in-2025, title-in-the-story
review:
I'm always here for an April book and this one sounded a lot of fun.

First off, there are a lot a lot a lot of characters here and most of them are supernatural. At times it did feel a bit overwhelming to keep track of everyone, but here we are.

Harry and Jax have history and chemistry galore and they spend a good portion of the book ignoring both. It was fun reading them figure things out and actually have a damn conversation. Grace might have stolen every scene she was in and was a damn delight.

Plot wise, due to the above mentioned eleventy billion characters there are the same amount of moving pieces. Somehow it all worked for me and I was basically grinning the entire time I was reading. I definitely wanted more at the end because it felt sort of unfinished.

Overall, this was a fun book and I'll just be over here hoping there's more.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 43701060 The second novel in USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins�� compelling new Women Who Dare series follows a female rancher in Wyoming after the Civil War.

A reporter has come to Wyoming to do a story on doctors for his Black newspaper back east. He thinks Colton Lee will be an interesting subject…until he meets Colton’s sister, Spring. She runs her own ranch, wears denim pants instead of dresses, and is the most fascinating woman ���’s ever met.

But Spring, who has overcome a raucous and scandalous past, isn’t looking for, nor does she want, love. As their attraction grows, will their differences come between them or unite them for an everlasting love?]]> 384 Beverly Jenkins 0062861719 Stacee 4 library, read-in-2025
I love a good strong FMC paired with a cinnamon roll MMC and these two were wonderful together. My only complaint would be that I wish we would have gotten a future take, but that's just me being greedy. ]]> 4.02 2021
author: Beverly Jenkins
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: library, read-in-2025
review:
This was my first book from Miss Beverly and I'm excited to get into more of her books in the future.

I love a good strong FMC paired with a cinnamon roll MMC and these two were wonderful together. My only complaint would be that I wish we would have gotten a future take, but that's just me being greedy.
]]> 222376526 Death imitates art in the brand-new crime thriller starring homicide cop Eve Dallas from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author J.D. Robb.

Manhattan is filled with galleries and deep-pocketed collectors who can make an artist's career with a wave of a hand. But one man toils in obscurity, his brilliance unrecognized while lesser talents bask in the glory he believes should be his. Come tomorrow, he vows, the city will be buzzing about his work.

Indeed, before dawn, Lt. Eve Dallas is speeding toward the home of the two gallery owners whose doorway has been turned into a horrifying crime scene overnight. A lifeless young woman has been elaborately costumed and precisely posed to resemble the model of a long-ago Dutch master, and Dallas plunges into her investigation.]]> 368 J.D. Robb 1250370825 Stacee 5 netgalley, read-in-2025 Full review to come.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.64 2025
author: J.D. Robb
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.64
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/10
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2025
review:
Excellent plot idea.
Full review to come.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 212924099 not a meet-cute but a chance encounter with a charming man whom she will sleep with exactly once��and go on her way. Easy enough...until she runs into him again at a Christmas market straight out of a Hallmark holiday movie.���ձ�> 343 Erin Connor 153875942X Stacee 4 This was delightful. 3.79 2025
author: Erin Connor
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: library, read-in-2025, title-in-the-story
review:
This was delightful.
]]> 210492763
Married odd couple Arthur and Sal are totally normal. They wear sunscreen, not because the sun can kill them, but because even the undead need a skincare regimen. They eat garlic whenever they want, though it gives Sal indigestion. They can talk to creatures of the night, but only the raccoons that rifle through their garbage. Really, they don’t bite�� except into delicious baked goods.

Ready to settle down and stay out of trouble, the two have opened a bed & breakfast in the idyllic, if not-so-paranormal-friendly, town of Trident Falls, Oregon. But trouble finds them when the mayor is discovered dead in their begonias with two puncture wounds in his neck. With the help of a werewolf barista, the elven town coroner, and a very human city manager, Arthur and Sal will need to prove they aren’t literally out for blood by catching a killer…]]> Kat Hillis Stacee 0 to-read, netgalley 4.67 2025
author: Kat Hillis
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: to-read, netgalley
review:

]]> 217245608 Falling in love with your husband is anything but convenient in this steamy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Business or Pleasure.

Dani Dorfman has somehow made it to her thirties without knowing what she wants to do with her life. So when an office romance ends poorly and gets her fired, she applies for a job in Amsterdam, idly dreaming of escaping the mess s���’s created, but never imagining she'll actually get it.

Except she does. By the end of her first week in Amsterdam, s���’s never felt more adrift or alone. Then she crashes her bike into her high school ex-boyfriend—and suddenly life is blooming with new opportunities.

Wouter van Leeuwen was a Dutch exchange student Dani’s family hosted, a forbidden love that ended in a painful breakup. Years later, there’s still sizzling chemistry between them, and okay, maybe a little animosity. More importantly, Wouter needs to be married to inherit a gorgeous family home on a canal—and when Dani's job falls apart, she needs a visa.��As the marriage of convenience pushes them together in unexpected ways, Dani must decide whether her new life is yet another mistake—or if it's worth taking a risk on a second chance.]]> 384 Rachel Lynn Solomon 0593548558 Stacee 4
RLS has quickly become an autobuy for me, so I didn't even read the synopsis for this one before I started.

I really liked Dani. She's unsure and maybe a little unstable, but absolutely certain in her want for something more, even if she's doesn't know that is. Wouter is polite and soft, loyal and maybe a little stuck. Together, these two have a spark that was wonderful to read as it organically morphed into something substantial.

Plot wise, it's a bit of a slow meandering. The chemistry is undeniable, but I really wanted them to have a conversation that wasn't so superficial. Once The Talk happened, the connection started to build and I couldn't get enough. And while the epilogue was delightful, but the time I got there, I wanted more more more.

Overall, another fantastic story that has me wanting to get to Amsterdam as soon as possible.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.10 2025
author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: edelweiss, hair-swoons, read-in-2025, theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats
review:
4.5 stars

RLS has quickly become an autobuy for me, so I didn't even read the synopsis for this one before I started.

I really liked Dani. She's unsure and maybe a little unstable, but absolutely certain in her want for something more, even if she's doesn't know that is. Wouter is polite and soft, loyal and maybe a little stuck. Together, these two have a spark that was wonderful to read as it organically morphed into something substantial.

Plot wise, it's a bit of a slow meandering. The chemistry is undeniable, but I really wanted them to have a conversation that wasn't so superficial. Once The Talk happened, the connection started to build and I couldn't get enough. And while the epilogue was delightful, but the time I got there, I wanted more more more.

Overall, another fantastic story that has me wanting to get to Amsterdam as soon as possible.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 224004049 “So clever and fresh with a wild and incredibly satisfying twist at the end.�� —Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author

A dinner party in a beautiful Notting Hill townhouse turns into a sinister game, as six old friends are forced to spill their darkest secrets…or else.

Six friends reunite in London to celebrate the life of their recently deceased ex-employer, a professor that brought them together in 1999 to help build a dating website based on psychological testing.

But what is meant to be a night of bittersweet nostalgia soon becomes a twisted and deadly game when the old friends find themselves held at gunpoint. They are given an ultimatum: reveal their darkest secrets to the group or pick each other off one-by-one.

It soon becomes clear that their current predicament is related to their shared past. The love questionnaire they helped develop in 1999 for the dating site was also turned into a tool for weeding out The Wasp Trap. This and the other tragic events of that summer long ago may help reveal the truth behind a killer hiding in plain sight.

Alternating between the past and present with a colorful ensemble of characters, The Wasp Trap is a fast-paced and twisty thrill ride that is perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Alice Feeney.]]> 336 Mark Edwards 1668204770 Stacee 0 to-read, edelweiss 4.31 2025
author: Mark Edwards
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: to-read, edelweiss
review:

]]> 217387739 From the bestselling author of If Something Happens to Me, comes one of the year’s most anticipated thrillers.

In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families plan on a night of dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up at dinner.

At first, everyone thinks that they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours click by and another night falls with not so much as a text from the students, panic ensues. Soon, the campus police call in reinforcements. Search parties are formed. Reporters swarm the small enclave. Rumors swirl and questions arise.

Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths call them—come from five very different families. What led them out on that fateful night? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers come to cause them peril or a threat to the friend group from within?

Told through multiple points of view in past and present—and marking the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller from Every Last Fear and The Night Shift—Parents Weekend explores the weight of expectation, family dysfunction, and those exhilarating first days we all remember in the dorms when our friends become our family.]]> 320 Alex Finlay 1250360722 Stacee 4
This story has a good amount of characters and POVs. The one constant is Sarah Keller and I loved getting to be back with her navigating.

Plot wise, it's a bit of a slow meandering. It wasn't nearly ad tension filled as I was expecting, yet the way it unfolded was quite satisfying. (Yes, I'm being vague on purpose.)

Overall, it was another great read and I'm eager to see what comes next.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.66 2025
author: Alex Finlay
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2025, title-in-the-story
review:
Alex Finlay has become sort of an auto-request because I've enjoyed eveything I've read of his.

This story has a good amount of characters and POVs. The one constant is Sarah Keller and I loved getting to be back with her navigating.

Plot wise, it's a bit of a slow meandering. It wasn't nearly ad tension filled as I was expecting, yet the way it unfolded was quite satisfying. (Yes, I'm being vague on purpose.)

Overall, it was another great read and I'm eager to see what comes next.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 190165394 ASIN moved from less recent edition

A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that interrogates the roots of consciousness through Artificial Intelligence.

"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid �� a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.�� Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.]]> 156 Martha Wells Stacee 4 library, read-in-2025 4.24 2017
author: Martha Wells
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: library, read-in-2025
review:
Nothing like finding a murderbot relatable.
]]> 216950599 New York Times��bestselling author Eloisa James returns to the Accidental Brides series with a romance about a forced marriage between a feisty heroine and a Scottish laird... neither of whom have plans to marry, let alone fall in love.

Desperate after her Season comes to a spectacularly disastrous end, the Honorable Miss Clara Vetry jumps into a carriage hired to take a housekeeper to Scotland.

The laird of Castle CaerLaven has no interest in a wife, especially a love match—but when Caelan sees his new housekeeper, he changes his mind. Marriage to a delectable bookworm strikes him as a perfect arrangement.

To his surprise, Clara refuses his proposal once…and again…yet again.

When her true identity is revealed, and they’re forced to marry, Caelan realizes he has a far more crucial challenge.��

He finally has Clara’s hand—but how will he ever win her heart?��


]]> 384 Eloisa James 0063347466 Stacee 4
I loved Clara. S���’s smart and strong and knows what she wants out of her life. Caelan is gruff and loyal and is (mostly) happy in his life. Together they have a hilarious meet cute, loads of chemistry, and a good amount of open conversation. There are some great secondary characters and yes, I’m looking at the nephew with a chicken for a BFF.

Plot wise, it was (mostly) good. The whole thing with Isla could have been solved if these two would have actually talked about it, instead of the snippets and bits that happened. It was annoying to a point to have this constant obstacle in the way, especially when everyone kept swearing it wasn’t an obstacle. I will say that it made the epilogue sweeter, but seriously.

Overall, this was another great story with characters that I was easily invested in. I can’t wait to see who is next.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.16 2025
author: Eloisa James
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/27
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2025, title-in-the-story
review:
I had read and enjoyed the previous book in this series and I’m always here for a new Eloisa book, so there was no way I was going to miss this one.

I loved Clara. S���’s smart and strong and knows what she wants out of her life. Caelan is gruff and loyal and is (mostly) happy in his life. Together they have a hilarious meet cute, loads of chemistry, and a good amount of open conversation. There are some great secondary characters and yes, I’m looking at the nephew with a chicken for a BFF.

Plot wise, it was (mostly) good. The whole thing with Isla could have been solved if these two would have actually talked about it, instead of the snippets and bits that happened. It was annoying to a point to have this constant obstacle in the way, especially when everyone kept swearing it wasn’t an obstacle. I will say that it made the epilogue sweeter, but seriously.

Overall, this was another great story with characters that I was easily invested in. I can’t wait to see who is next.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 216750978 352 Bridget Morrissey 0593817125 Stacee 4
I really liked Tatum and Eleanor. They're both struggling in different ways and it was a delight to be in both of their heads. There are a good amount of characters, but the story stays firmly on the two MCs and their love interests.

Plot wise, there are a good amount of moving pieces and threads to follow, yet its cohesive. The connection of Eleanor being surrounded with Tatum's family after the switch made things a lot of fun and on Tatum's side, we have Dawn who damn near stole every scene she was in.

Overall, it was so easy to root for these characters and get invested. I can't wait to read whatever comes next from Bridget.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.03 2025
author: Bridget Morrissey
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2025, title-in-the-story
review:
Bridget is quickly becoming and auto-read author and I didn't even read the synopsis before grabbing this one.

I really liked Tatum and Eleanor. They're both struggling in different ways and it was a delight to be in both of their heads. There are a good amount of characters, but the story stays firmly on the two MCs and their love interests.

Plot wise, there are a good amount of moving pieces and threads to follow, yet its cohesive. The connection of Eleanor being surrounded with Tatum's family after the switch made things a lot of fun and on Tatum's side, we have Dawn who damn near stole every scene she was in.

Overall, it was so easy to root for these characters and get invested. I can't wait to read whatever comes next from Bridget.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 223420465
Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for comfort and help. Together they dream up a wild, fantastical scheme to free Arthur from the cruel trap in which he finds himself. Wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren suggests using the unnerving Crane journal (bound in the skin of its author) to summon a dragon to do their bidding. The others—brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen—don’t hesitate to join Colin in an effort to smash reality and bring a creature of the impossible into our world.

But there’s nothing simple about dealing with dragons, and their pact to save Arthur becomes a terrifying bargain in which the six must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow every year—or become his next meal.]]> 896 Joe Hill 0062200607 Stacee 0 to-read, edelweiss 4.48 2025
author: Joe Hill
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: to-read, edelweiss
review:

]]> 217388273 #1 NYT-bestselling YA author Renee Ahdieh's adult debut novel, about a young lawyer who gets pulled in to manage a crisis with her firm's biggest client, a family whose Korean beauty brand is worth a billion dollars, pitched as CRAZY RICH ASIANS meets SUCCESSION

Jia Song was always destined for greatness. As the daughter of Korean bodega owners, she promised herself that she would have every Fifth Avenue luxury when she grew up, and it is all within reach. She has just made junior partner at her prestigious Manhattan law firm, she has two best friends who are always there for her, and she is even about to score the ultra-luxe Birkin bag of her dreams. Sure, maybe her love life is in shambles and s���’s spending too much time at the office. But she is set up to become the firm’s next star. So when her boss asks her for a Friday morning favor, sitting in on the hush-hush family implosion of a high-level client, she accepts without hesitation—only to find out that the client in question is one of the most famous Korean families in the world.

The Park family’s net worth is estimated at a billion dollars, and their mega-successful Korean beauty brand has shaped the culture for the past two decades. But the patriarch is filing for divorce while his wife is dying, and their three children can’t stop snapping at each other. With both the family fortune and legacy under threat from the worst kind of scandal, it’s up to Jia to set things right—and she only has a month to do it. Suddenly, Jia is thrust into the three Park siblings�� back-stabbing family politics and embroiled in a drama that feels straight out of a Korean soap opera. As Jia sorts through the lies and subterfuge, chasing the truth across the globe on private jets, she finds herself falling for this broken, badly-behaving family in ways she can’t quite explain. But it is also becoming all too clear that the Parks are hiding dark secrets, from themselves and from Jia. Can she separate the truth from the lies in time to protect the Parks�� fortune and secure her success at the firm? And can she hold on to what’s most important, even if it means admitting that what she always wanted isn’t what she actually needs?]]> 320 Renée Ahdieh 1250897955 Stacee 0 to-read, physical-arc 4.08 2025
author: Renée Ahdieh
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: to-read, physical-arc
review:

]]> 216247464 Geography professors in a failed marriage of convenience inconveniently reconnect for an emergency mission in this swoony historical-fantasy rom-com.

Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her--except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves.

Gabriel is also an expert in magic disasters. And nothing fazes him either--except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife. They've been estranged since shortly after their wedding day, but that hasn't stopped him from stoically pining for her.

When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, threatening catastrophe for the rest of England, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. With the fate of the country in their hands, they must come together as a team in the face of perilous conditions like explosions, domesticated goats, and only one bed. But this is easier said than done. After all, there's no navigational guide for the geography of the heart.]]> 368 India Holton 0593641477 Stacee 4 netgalley, read-in-2025
I requested this on a whim and I'm so glad I did.

Elodie and Gabriel are pure opposites in personality who just happen to work in the same field, are a bit awkward, and are secretly pining away for the other.

Plot wise, it's a mash up. This story is all about magic and the like, but the star is the relationship and reading these two trying to get out of their head long enough to have a real conversation. There are long passages of inner monologue, which usually brings me down a bit, but both Elodie and Gabriel are so wrecked for each other, I loved getting both sides or the story.

Overall, it was a delightful slow burn that I couldn't get enough of. I can't wait for the next book.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.13 2025
author: India Holton
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2025
review:
4.5 stars

I requested this on a whim and I'm so glad I did.

Elodie and Gabriel are pure opposites in personality who just happen to work in the same field, are a bit awkward, and are secretly pining away for the other.

Plot wise, it's a mash up. This story is all about magic and the like, but the star is the relationship and reading these two trying to get out of their head long enough to have a real conversation. There are long passages of inner monologue, which usually brings me down a bit, but both Elodie and Gabriel are so wrecked for each other, I loved getting both sides or the story.

Overall, it was a delightful slow burn that I couldn't get enough of. I can't wait for the next book.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 216536383 From the acclaimed author of Old Flames and New Fortunes comes��a steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy about a paranormal skeptic who is roped into a ghost hunting romp by the charming boy next door . . . who might just show her what real fantasies are made of.

Paranormal skeptic Zelda Tempest is hoping for a much-needed creativity boost for a new paranormal mystery novel. But despite the alleged magic of her hometown, Moonville, Ohio, s���’s as stuck as ever.��

With two witch sisters, not believing in magic is strange for a Tempest, but no one is more disappointed than Morgan Angelopoulos, the charming man next door. So, to cure her of her writer's block and her disbelief in magic, Morgan ropes her into a ghost-hunting romp, only for Zelda to discover something else bizarre, never-before-seen creatures that appear as ordinary pets to everyone else.��

Curious about what else might be lurking in Moonville's woods, Zelda and Morgan embark on a quest to uncover the true magic that lies in their midsts . . . and perhaps, just maybe, they will find that the magic they're searching for has been with them all along.]]> 397 Sarah Hogle 059371508X Stacee 2
I’ve read and enjoyed a few of the other books from Sarah and I’m wondering if maybe I would have liked this one more if I would have read the previous book in the series (which I didn’t realize this was part of a series.)

I think I liked Zelda and Morgan. They’re both chaotic and messy and their relationship started out cute then Morgan showed his ass a bunch and then maybe it was cute again? I did like Zelda’s sisters and how supportive they were, but the real star of the book was Zelda’s niece Aisling.

Plot wise, it’s all over the place. I spent a good part of the book wondering if magic is actually real in this world or if everyone was just delusional (again, something that might have been established for me if I read the first book.) I skimmed portions of the pages and pages of inner monologue to find what was likely supposed to be sassy banter disguised as flirting, but by then, I just wanted answers.

Overall, something kept me reading this story, yet I can’t tell you what it was.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 3.29
author: Sarah Hogle
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.29
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/18
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: netgalley, doctor-who-reference, read-in-2025, skimmidy-skim-skim-skim
review:
2.5 stars

I’ve read and enjoyed a few of the other books from Sarah and I’m wondering if maybe I would have liked this one more if I would have read the previous book in the series (which I didn’t realize this was part of a series.)

I think I liked Zelda and Morgan. They’re both chaotic and messy and their relationship started out cute then Morgan showed his ass a bunch and then maybe it was cute again? I did like Zelda’s sisters and how supportive they were, but the real star of the book was Zelda’s niece Aisling.

Plot wise, it’s all over the place. I spent a good part of the book wondering if magic is actually real in this world or if everyone was just delusional (again, something that might have been established for me if I read the first book.) I skimmed portions of the pages and pages of inner monologue to find what was likely supposed to be sassy banter disguised as flirting, but by then, I just wanted answers.

Overall, something kept me reading this story, yet I can’t tell you what it was.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

]]> 48580056 A glamorous media darling, a surprise heiress, and the magical competition of a lifetime.

At sixteen, Honora “Nora�� Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in all of Walstad. Her family controls all the money–and all the magic–in the entire country. But despite being the center of attention, Nora has always felt like an outsider. When her mother is found dead in an alley, the family throne and fortune are suddenly up for grabs, and Nora will be pitted against her cousins in the Veritaz, the ultimate magical competition for power that determines the one family heir.

But there’s a surprise contestant this time: Lotte, the illegitimate daughter of Nora’s aunt. When Lotte’s absent mother retrieves her from the rural convent she’d abandoned her to, Lotte goes from being an orphan to surrounded by family. Unfortunately, most of them want her dead.

And soon, Nora discovers that her mother’s death wasn’t random–it was murder. And the only person she can trust to uncover the truth of what happened is a rakish young reporter who despises everything Nora and her family stand for.

With everyone against her, Lotte’s last hope is hunting for the identity of her father. But the dangerous competition–and her feelings for Theo, one of the Holtzfalls�� sworn protectors–turns her world upside down.]]> 320 Alwyn Hamilton 0451479661 Stacee 4 netgalley, read-in-2025
There are a lot of characters, a lot of moving pieces, and a lot of backstory. It took a while for the story to really get moving (and it's sort of a beast at 500+ pages), but once it's set up, the story just flows.

I'm being vague on purpose because spoilers, but know that after the ending, my eyeballs will be on book 2 as soon as they can be.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.28 2025
author: Alwyn Hamilton
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2025
review:
I'm always going to be here for anything Alwyn writes and I loved the synopsis on this one.

There are a lot of characters, a lot of moving pieces, and a lot of backstory. It took a while for the story to really get moving (and it's sort of a beast at 500+ pages), but once it's set up, the story just flows.

I'm being vague on purpose because spoilers, but know that after the ending, my eyeballs will be on book 2 as soon as they can be.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 219301746 A hitmaking songwriter and a bitter musician share a startling and inexplicable connection that they’ll do anything to shake, in the next sparkling, magical book from Ashley Poston.

Joni Lark is living the dream. S���’s one of the most coveted songwriters in LA…and she can’t seem to write. There’s an emptiness inside her, and nothing seems to fill it.

When she returns to her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, she hopes that the sand, the surf, and the concerts at The Revelry, her family’s music venue, will spark her inspiration. But when she gets there, nothing is how she left it. Her best friend is avoiding her, her mother’s memories are fading fast, and The Revelry is closing.

How can she think about writing her next song when everything is changing without her?

Until she hears it. A melody in her head, lyric-less and half-formed, and an alluring and addictive voice to go with it—belonging, apparently, to a wry musician with hangups of his own.

Surely, ���’s a figment of her overworked imagination.

But then the very real man attached to the voice shows up in Vienna Shores. He’s aggravating and gruff on the outside—nothing like the sweet, funny voice in Joni’s head—and he has a plan:

They’ll finish the song haunting them both, break their connection, and hope they don’t risk their hearts in the process.

Because that song stuck in their heads? Maybe it’s there for a reason.]]> 384 Ashley Poston 0593641000 Stacee 0 to-read, edelweiss 4.28 2025
author: Ashley Poston
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read, edelweiss
review:

]]> 223854541 A down-on-her-luck woman makes a deal with a crafty demon to win back her ex-girlfriend after a proposal gone awry, only to discover the girl of her dreams might��be the devil she knows, from nationally bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur.

Samantha Cooper is having a day from hell.

In less than 24 hours, her life has unraveled, leaving her single and with nowhere to live. Adding insult to injury, s���’s trapped in an elevator with a gorgeous woman claiming to be a demon.

Daphne is not at all what Samantha expected from someone claiming to be an evil supernatural entity. S���’s pretty, witty, dressed in pink, and smells nice. And s���’s here to offer Samantha a deal she can’t refuse. Six wishes in exchange for one tiny trade—Samantha’s soul. There’s a glaring loophole in their contract, one Samantha fully intends to exploit so she doesn’t fork over her soul. After all, she only needs one wish to win her ex back.

Hell-bent to gather the last of the one thousand souls she needs so that she can be free of her own devilish deal, Daphne grants each of Samantha’s wishes . . . with a twist, so that Samantha is forced to make another.

As Samantha’s wishes dwindle and Daphne offers her glimpses into the life she thought she wanted, the unlikely pair grows close. Perhaps the girl of Samantha’s dreams is actually the stuff of nightmares, but Samantha and Daphne will have to outsmart the Devil himself if they want a chance at happily ever after.]]> 336 Alexandria Bellefleur 0593952502 Stacee 0 to-read, edelweiss 3.95 2025
author: Alexandria Bellefleur
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read, edelweiss
review:

]]> 228313667 They say fake it till you make it, and I’ve been a faker my whole damn life. But it was a lot easier pretending I didn't want my best friend before I needed her to be my wife.

Just as I’m on the brink of making my dreams a reality, tragedy strikes. One minute I’m chasing a record deal, and the next, I’m temporary guardian of my niece and nephew.

In order to prove to the judge I’m the best fit, I need to show stability. I need…a wife.

Even though Natalie Haven swore she left Havenbrook for good, she comes the second I call—no questions asked.

But Nat’s always been too big for this small town, and s���’s only back long enough to help me fool everyone. Trouble is, we’re starting to fool ourselves.

It was easier faking it with half a world between us. Now that we're playing house by day and sharing a bed every night, it’s impossible to deny how much I want her. And how much I love calling her my wife.

Pretending to love Nat is the easiest lie I’ve ever told. Because the truth is I never stopped. The real problem is figuring out how to let her go when it’s all over.

*This book was originally published as Small Town Pretender in 2021 and significantly edited and updated in 2025*]]> 270 Brighton Walsh 1685180469 Stacee 5 read-in-2025
Nat and Asher are probably my favorite. I love their shared history, the way they know each other so well, and the fact that they can push each other’s buttons perfectly. They’re both so similar and it was a damn delight reading them go from best friends to more. Of course, it’s always fun to read the sister dynamic, but even more when the boys are included.

Plot wise, it’s good. There are a few moving parts, but it’s mostly focused on Nat and Asher and how they’re going to navigate this new reality together. The angsty times don’t last very long (thank you, Nash) and the future take slash epilogue was satisfying.

Overall, this is a great series to binge read and I can’t flail enough about how much I love Brighton’s worlds and characters. If you haven’t read her stuff yet, I would change that immediately.

**Huge thanks to Brighton for providing the arc free of charge**]]> 4.32
author: Brighton Walsh
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.32
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: read-in-2025
review:
This series has been extensively reworked from the previous release and I’ve been loving getting to binge them.

Nat and Asher are probably my favorite. I love their shared history, the way they know each other so well, and the fact that they can push each other’s buttons perfectly. They’re both so similar and it was a damn delight reading them go from best friends to more. Of course, it’s always fun to read the sister dynamic, but even more when the boys are included.

Plot wise, it’s good. There are a few moving parts, but it’s mostly focused on Nat and Asher and how they’re going to navigate this new reality together. The angsty times don’t last very long (thank you, Nash) and the future take slash epilogue was satisfying.

Overall, this is a great series to binge read and I can’t flail enough about how much I love Brighton’s worlds and characters. If you haven’t read her stuff yet, I would change that immediately.

**Huge thanks to Brighton for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 228209419 I might be a hero to our small town, but to Mackenna Haven, I’m just the heartbreaker who left her behind.

She was my best friend…my first everything. But when duty called, I answered, leaving behind the only girl I ever loved. She refused to be a distraction that could cost me my life, so I let her cut me loose.

But I never forgot her. Or the marriage pact we made before I left.

Ten years is a long time to wait for a second chance. Long enough for everything to change—except the way I feel about her.

She might not be the same girl I left behind, but the chemistry between us hasn’t faded. Being forced into a one tent situation proves as much. The spark between us has turned into a wild fire I’m desperate to be consumed by.

But fear is holding her back…unsure of where she fits in my plans. I have to somehow prove to her she is the plan.

I’ve spent a decade fighting for my country, and now I’m ready to fight for her. Because I lost her once, and I’ll be damned if I lose her again.

*This book was originally published as Captain Heartbreaker in 2020 and significantly edited and updated in 2025*]]> 325 Brighton Walsh 1685180450 Stacee 5 read-in-2025
I love love love Mac and Hudson. They're both so competitive and know how to push each other's buttons. The history between them is something and I loved reading them figure things out.

Plot wise, it's everything you want in a second chance romance. There was definitely some push and pull, but understandably so and a good portion of it was them needing to have an open conversation about feeling and their future.

Overall, this was another great story from Brighton and I can't wait to start the next one.

**Huge thanks to Brighton for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.43
author: Brighton Walsh
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: read-in-2025
review:
This books have been reworked from their previous releases and I am loving the binge read.

I love love love Mac and Hudson. They're both so competitive and know how to push each other's buttons. The history between them is something and I loved reading them figure things out.

Plot wise, it's everything you want in a second chance romance. There was definitely some push and pull, but understandably so and a good portion of it was them needing to have an open conversation about feeling and their future.

Overall, this was another great story from Brighton and I can't wait to start the next one.

**Huge thanks to Brighton for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 228208830 My best friend’s sister was never mine to crave, but that sure as hell didn’t stop a troublemaker like me.

I’ve wanted Rory Haven since high school. It doesn’t matter that I’m eight years her junior or that the feisty single mom is still way out of my league.

S���’s small town royalty, and the only thing royal about me is my last name.

Being forced to work together day in and day out is the best kind of torture. I really should stop pushing her buttons, but I can’t seem to help myself.

No matter how hard she tries to hide it, I hear the way her breath catches whenever I get too close. And when I throw down a challenge that I can do what her worthless ex never could, she can’t resist.

Our chemistry is undeniable. But brick by brick, s���’s determined to keep me out. I know a thing or two about building walls, and hers are as high as they come.

Fortunately for us, I’m also good at knocking them down.

Rory Haven doesn’t just own my heart—she owns me. Always has, always will. And if she thinks I’m walking away this time, she's about to learn I always fight for what's mine.

*This book was originally published as Hometown Troublemaker in 2019 and significantly edited and updated in 2025*]]> 315 Brighton Walsh 1685180442 Stacee 5 read-in-2025
I really liked Rory and Nash. They're both hard working, loyal, and working to uphold a certain reputation. I loved all of the chemistry, button pushing, and open conversations. Of course, it's fun to see everyone else, as some of the best scenes were when the sisters were together.

Plot wise, it was good. There are a few moving pieces here and it was satisfying to see Rory and Nash lay down their armor with the other person. I know I'm being greedy, but I would have loved to see more of a future take for these two. I'll settle for their cameos in book 3.

Overall, a strong addition to the series and I can't wait for the next one.

****Huge thanks to Brighton for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.47
author: Brighton Walsh
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.47
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: read-in-2025
review:
These books have been reworked and I've been loving getting back to this series.

I really liked Rory and Nash. They're both hard working, loyal, and working to uphold a certain reputation. I loved all of the chemistry, button pushing, and open conversations. Of course, it's fun to see everyone else, as some of the best scenes were when the sisters were together.

Plot wise, it was good. There are a few moving pieces here and it was satisfying to see Rory and Nash lay down their armor with the other person. I know I'm being greedy, but I would have loved to see more of a future take for these two. I'll settle for their cameos in book 3.

Overall, a strong addition to the series and I can't wait for the next one.

****Huge thanks to Brighton for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 216246650 The explosive, satisfying conclusion to the Chaotic Orbits novella trilogy sees Ada and Rian breaking into a high-security facility to give Earth a fighting chance at survival

Sexy, fast, fun and funny, this happily-ever-after ending is perfect for fans of the Murderbot novels and the Wayfairers series

After a few weeks trapped on board a spaceship with Ada (and, oh look, there’s only one bed), Rian has to admit that maybe Ada’s rebels have a point. The nanobots poised to be unleashed on Earth are infected with malware that will ultimately leave the residents of Earth in a worse position than they’re in now. But is it too late?

Ada and Rian arrive on Earth with little time to spare. Together, they have to break into a high-security facility and infect the nanobots with a counter-virus before they’re released in order to give Earth a fighting chance. And if Ada happens to notice some great tech laying around in this high-security facility she shouldn’t have access to and then happens to steal a bunch of it when Rian’s not looking? Well, he knew who she was before he teamed up with her. And if he wants it back, ���’s going to have to catch her first.��

With countless twists and turns, this enemies-to-lovers slow-burn and high-tension romance plays on a Sherlock and Moriarity character dynamic rooted in science fiction with a heavy romance and mystery angle.]]> 133 Beth Revis 0756419719 Stacee 5 edelweiss, read-in-2025
I'm not going to give anything away because this story is deliciously layered and I want anyone who reads it to sit back and enjoy the twists and turns.

Ada and Rian are so smart and have such great chemistry and I love reading them interact. More so her knowing exactly what he's up to and him always being a step behind.

I could easily read another million pages of these two.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.07 2025
author: Beth Revis
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2025
review:
This was so much fun and my favorite of the three.

I'm not going to give anything away because this story is deliciously layered and I want anyone who reads it to sit back and enjoy the twists and turns.

Ada and Rian are so smart and have such great chemistry and I love reading them interact. More so her knowing exactly what he's up to and him always being a step behind.

I could easily read another million pages of these two.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 209457782 A high octane sexy space heist from New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis, the second in a novella trilogyAda had no intention whatsoever to continue working for the rebel group that hired her to retrieve the government’s plans for a nanobot climate cleaner if they weren’t willing to pay her for it, but then they offer a different an undercover mission to a charity gala where Rian will be in attendance. Rian, meanwhile, has volunteered his services for the gala believing that the rare items up for auction will attract Ada’s eye. Hoping to catch her in the act and pin her with a punishable crime, Rian has no idea that Ada’s real mission is to convince him to join the rebels. And the rebels have no idea that Ada’s decided that kidnapping Rian is the most efficient means to an end.How to Steal the Galaxy continues the sexy, rip-roaring good time that Beth Revis began in Full Speed to a Crash Landing, with the return of Ada, Rian, and all the tension, twists, and turns that made the first novella so much fun.]]> 182 Beth Revis 0756419484 Stacee 5 library, read-in-2025 3.88 2024
author: Beth Revis
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: library, read-in-2025
review:
Oh this was so much fun and I loved the nod to river song and her lipstick. I can't wait to see how it ends.
]]> 39311269 Our hometown doesn’t give second chances—and neither does Willow Haven. Not even for a charmer like me.

As the resident bad boy, I wasn't supposed to fall for the untouchable small town princess. Her mayor daddy sure as hell didn’t want her anywhere near me. And he did everything in his power to scare me away.

Loving Willow ruined my life.

But ten years is a long time, and now I’m a grown man calling my own shots. I’m back in Havenbrook to open the town’s first bar, but I need Willow’s help. The trouble is, s���’s no longer the girl I left behind but a woman with nothing but fire in her eyes.

And all that anger is directed straight at me.

She can pretend to hate me, but there’s no denying the chemistry that still crackles between us. Despite warnings from Mayor Haven, I’ve got my sights set on more than just the town, and I won’t be so easily scared off again.

I might be from the wrong side of the tracks, but I know I’m right for Willow. And this time, I’m not going to let anyone stand in my way.]]> 342 Brighton Walsh 0997125853 Stacee 5
This series has been reworked and I'm so excited to get into these books again.

My previous review stands.

2018

Brighton Walsh has always been a favorite. I’ve been reading her words for what seems like forever and I will forever read them. I don’t even need to know what the story is about, her name is enough.

Willow and Finn are so much fun together. She seems straight laced, but s���’s full of sass and he seems gruff, but ���’s a sweet marshmallow when it comes to Willow. Together they have chemistry off the charts.

Plot wise it was a lot of push and pull and so many things could have been solved with a MFing conversation. However, Brighton has such a delicious thread of tension going through the story, it was easy to overlook. There’s a lot of history between them and I truly enjoyed reading them figure things out.

My only complaint is that I wanted a lot more from the epilogue, but I’m satisfied and crazy excited for the set up of the next book. Fingers crossed it’s Rory’s.

**Huge thanks to Brighton for providing the arc free of charge**]]> 3.99 2018
author: Brighton Walsh
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats, read-in-2018, read-in-2025
review:
2025

This series has been reworked and I'm so excited to get into these books again.

My previous review stands.

2018

Brighton Walsh has always been a favorite. I’ve been reading her words for what seems like forever and I will forever read them. I don’t even need to know what the story is about, her name is enough.

Willow and Finn are so much fun together. She seems straight laced, but s���’s full of sass and he seems gruff, but ���’s a sweet marshmallow when it comes to Willow. Together they have chemistry off the charts.

Plot wise it was a lot of push and pull and so many things could have been solved with a MFing conversation. However, Brighton has such a delicious thread of tension going through the story, it was easy to overlook. There’s a lot of history between them and I truly enjoyed reading them figure things out.

My only complaint is that I wanted a lot more from the epilogue, but I’m satisfied and crazy excited for the set up of the next book. Fingers crossed it’s Rory’s.

**Huge thanks to Brighton for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 215805924 Vera Wong is back and as meddling as ever in this follow-up to the hit Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.��

Ever since a man was found dead in Vera's teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. S���’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly's girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena��Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn't be ungrateful, even if one is slightly...bored.

Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena's, Vera finds a treasure Selena's briefcase.��Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for.

Online, Xander had it a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can't seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents.

Vera is determined to solve Xander's murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and��there is nothing she wouldn't do for her future daughter-in-law.]]> 325 Jesse Q. Sutanto 0593546253 Stacee 4 netgalley, read-in-2025
Much like the first book, there are a lot of characters and this story is told with several POVs. Of course, Vera is at the center and manages to get more out of everyone, but knowing everyone has some sort of secret really keeps it fun.

Plot wise, it's a low stakes, sort of cozy mystery. There isn't any real tension or build up, it just unfolds at a meandering pace. And the last chapter is absolutely wonderful.

Overall, it's a fun slice of time with characters to really root for. I hope there's another story after that ending.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.31 2025
author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2025
review:
Vera is a delight and it was fun reading a new group of potential murderers fall under her spell.

Much like the first book, there are a lot of characters and this story is told with several POVs. Of course, Vera is at the center and manages to get more out of everyone, but knowing everyone has some sort of secret really keeps it fun.

Plot wise, it's a low stakes, sort of cozy mystery. There isn't any real tension or build up, it just unfolds at a meandering pace. And the last chapter is absolutely wonderful.

Overall, it's a fun slice of time with characters to really root for. I hope there's another story after that ending.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 213051961
Boy moves to new city. Boy meets vampire. They kiss, then become friends. But both would like something more��

A global Webtoon phenomenon and LGBTQ+ graphic novel about friendship, love and magic.

Sébastien recently moved to supernatural Paris hoping to get away from his troubles at home and live a peaceful life learning magic. But what are you going to do when the really hot vampire you made out with last night to forget your troubles turns out to be your new neighbor?

Sébastien (a demisexual boy with “main character hair�� and a bunny named Pierre), meet Elia (a hot, supermodel, vampire neighbor and crush).

Join Elia, Sébastien and their assorted crew of wonderful friends, as they navigate the ins and outs of dating in a modern and paranormal love story.]]> 336 Janine Janssen 0063414678 Stacee 5 read-in-2025
This was a sweet start of a story with a group of characters who were easy to get invested in and root for. I'm really excited for the next volume. ]]> 4.50 2025
author: Janine Janssen
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: read-in-2025
review:
I really need to read more graphic novels and I'm glad I jumped back in with this one.

This was a sweet start of a story with a group of characters who were easy to get invested in and root for. I'm really excited for the next volume.
]]> 214612232 Revenge is a dish best served cold—especially when it comes in the form of one of Grandma’s “special�� pies. Get the best of family hijinks, girl power, and hilariously justifiable crime in the latest novel from award-winning author HelenKay Dimon.

Kasey Nottingham needs a splashy idea at her company where they find and develop the next big thing for investors—her job depends on it. Impulsively, she pitches Mags�� Desserts, a beloved small-town business run by her grandma Mags and live-in “best friend�� Celia, two women who overcame deadbeat husbands and financial ruin to build a word-of-mouth clientele. Kasey expects her boss to say no. Instead, he sends her home to North Carolina to land the deal…and now she has a problem.

Mags and Celia aren’t interested, which isn’t a surprise, but something else is going on in their kitchen. Locked cabinets. Cryptic conversations. Unexpected notations on business records. The ladies have secrets and whatever they’re hiding is big. As reports of mysterious deaths of abusive men in the area surface—all in households that recently received a delivery from Mags�� Desserts—Kasey worries Gram and Celia have gone into the poison pie business.

As investors start circling, Kasey enlists Jackson Quaid, Celia’s nephew and Kasey’s long-time crush, as her reluctant investigation assistant. Jackson is practical. Kasey has a wild imagination. Together, they dodge Kasey’s boss and gather intel. And kiss. Lots of kissing, though probably not the best idea to start an unexpected romance. Doing it while keeping two feisty ladies from going to jail for knocking off bad husbands—even if those husbands deserve it—might be impossible…but Kasey never shied away from a challenge.���ձ�> 368 HelenKay Dimon 0063240580 Stacee 5 netgalley, read-in-2025
I love love loved this cast of characters. Kasey is chaotic and loving and it was a damn delight to be in her head. Jackson is steadfast and loyal. The ladies are exactly what you would expect from southern grandmothers: feisty, proper, and a lot of fun. Throw them all together and you have a wonderful and supportive family who is always there for support.

Plot wise, it was exactly what I wanted at the time: low stakes, no angst, and enough chemistry to kill someone. I was constantly grinning while reading this story and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Of course, the small future take of a last chapter was nice, but I could have done with more because I couldn't get enough.

Overall, this was cozy and fun and I know I’ll be coming back to this story in the future.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 3.60
author: HelenKay Dimon
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.60
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2025
review:
I’ve been a fan of HelenKay’s rom/sus books, so there was no way I was going to miss this one.

I love love loved this cast of characters. Kasey is chaotic and loving and it was a damn delight to be in her head. Jackson is steadfast and loyal. The ladies are exactly what you would expect from southern grandmothers: feisty, proper, and a lot of fun. Throw them all together and you have a wonderful and supportive family who is always there for support.

Plot wise, it was exactly what I wanted at the time: low stakes, no angst, and enough chemistry to kill someone. I was constantly grinning while reading this story and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Of course, the small future take of a last chapter was nice, but I could have done with more because I couldn't get enough.

Overall, this was cozy and fun and I know I’ll be coming back to this story in the future.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

]]> 222376487 Is it time to renew love or start a new chapter?

Ingrid Dahl, a cheerful twenty-nine-year-old librarian in the cozy mountain town of Ridgetop, North Carolina, has been happily dating her college boyfriend, Cory, for eleven years without ever discussing marriage. But when Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to a woman s���’s only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory feel pressured to consider their future. Neither has ever been with anybody else, so they make an unconventional decision. They'll take a one-month break to date other people, then they'll reunite and move toward marriage. Ingrid even has someone in mind: her charmingly grumpy coworker, Macon Nowakowski, on whom s���’s secretly crushed for years. But plans go awry, and when the month ends, Ingrid and Cory realize they’re not ready to resume their relationship�� and Ingrid’s harmless crush on Macon has turned into something much more complicated.

Overdue is a beautiful, slow-burn romance full of lust and longing about new beginnings and finding your way.]]> 416 Stephanie Perkins 1250313465 Stacee 0 to-read, netgalley 3.95 2025
author: Stephanie Perkins
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read, netgalley
review:

]]> 222361681 Beloved author Kasie West's sparkling adult rom-com debut about a hopeless romantic falling for the one man she never expected

Can a swipe right turn into swept away?

Margot Hart is a hopeless romantic. That’s why she wants to be a literary agent—to help bring romance books to the world. It’s also why she hates dating apps with all her romance loving soul. She wants her own love story to be just as much fun as the books she reads—a mixed up coffee order, a mistaken identity. S���’s not going to tell the story that she swiped right on future husband’s shirtless pic for the rest of her life.

The problem is that her most consistent relationship over the last several years is with Oliver, a guy she keeps rematching with on the apps. They’ve only been on one date and it was a disaster…well, until the make out session in the car before parting ways. But, she keeps reminding herself, a make out session does not a relationship make. And so there will not be a date two regardless of how witty their app banter is.

When Margot gets fired from her job on the same day she meets Oliver again, her life becomes a veritable shit show. Her dream career is dying right before her eyes, and Oliver thinks s���’s interested in only one a repeat of the hot make out session they had three years ago so she can get him out of her system. And maybe that is all she wants from him, because she and Oliver are definitely not compatible—he doesn’t hit the snooze button, he runs five miles every morning, he reads nonfiction, and worst of all, she didn’t meet him in cute way! But in her scramble to keep her dream career alive, by opening her own agency, Oliver is there with his golden retriever energy, more steady and helpful than any man s���’s ever dated. Just when she thinks s���’s overcome her app bias, she realizes that maybe it’s not her who’s holding back, but him. And his reasons are more than she bargained for.

Kasie West's romantic adult debut is full of witty banter, meet cutes gone awry and, ultimately, true love.]]> Kasie West 125034915X Stacee 0 to-read, netgalley 4.10 2025
author: Kasie West
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read, netgalley
review:

]]> 218695931 A debut fantasy romance filled with hope after heartbreak, secrets, and betrayal, as a dancer-turned-spy must decide how far she will go to secure her freedom

My protector is gone, revealed to be a monster. But I remind myself that I am not a damsel. I’m no princess bound within a tower.

I am a shadow.

Vasalie Moran was once a dancer in King Illian’s court, until he framed her for murder. Barely surviving her two years in the dungeons, s���’s suddenly called to face her king. He offers her a deal: become his spy at the six-week royal Gathering and he’ll grant her freedom.

As Illian’s orders grow bloody and dangerous, forcing her to harm and betray those around her, Vasalie discovers that the monster she serves may be aligned with a bigger monster—one far closer to home. With her world threatened, Vasalie enlists the help of Illian’s brother and greatest adversary, the infamous King of the East.

As the rivalry between brothers escalates, with Vasalie caught in the middle, the horrifying truth of her past comes to light. If she wants to survive, she must decide who to trust, who to fight for, and how much of her soul s���’s willing to damn in the process.]]> 448 Brittney Arena 0593973194 Stacee 0 4.13 2025
author: Brittney Arena
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read, netgalley, physical-arc
review:

]]> 217513554 B.K. Borison Stacee 0 to-read 4.50 2026
author: B.K. Borison
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 216180339
There’s a reason CJ Smith’s hometown of Satterville is known as Slasherville: it was the site of not one, but two Friday the 13th-style massacres. CJ’s dad survived the first attack; only CJ survived the second. And thanks to the mysterious writer Moon Satter’s bestselling novels based on the events, the town—and CJ—will always be defined by this horrific past.

Then a new, unpublished Moon Satter manuscript shows up addressed to CJ. But unlike the others, this story isn’t about the past. Instead, it predicts new murders. On the day the book says the first murder will occur, CJ sets out to stop it. But in saving one classmate, the final girl ends up dead. CJ and their friends have suddenly gone from extras to leads—and they’ll have to use everything they know about the rules of horror to make it out alive.]]> 304 Justine Pucella Winans 1547616318 Stacee 4 netgalley
I really liked CJ. She's smart and tough in a way most kids don't have to be. I enjoyed reading her navigate her scary reality, making friends along the way. Of course this family is bonded in a weird way, but CJ's mom is the absolute best.

Plot wise, it's a bit of a slow burn build up, but once it gets going, it's going. There's a good amount of misdirection and it had me second guessing everything, which I always love. My only complaint is that I wish there was a bit more of an explanation for why as that part didn't quite feel fleshed out.

Overall, this was a fast paced story with characters who were easy to get invested in.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.84 2025
author: Justine Pucella Winans
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: netgalley
review:
Anything pitched as "Scream" meets "You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight" is something that I'm absolutely going to read.

I really liked CJ. She's smart and tough in a way most kids don't have to be. I enjoyed reading her navigate her scary reality, making friends along the way. Of course this family is bonded in a weird way, but CJ's mom is the absolute best.

Plot wise, it's a bit of a slow burn build up, but once it gets going, it's going. There's a good amount of misdirection and it had me second guessing everything, which I always love. My only complaint is that I wish there was a bit more of an explanation for why as that part didn't quite feel fleshed out.

Overall, this was a fast paced story with characters who were easy to get invested in.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 202486311 In the swoon-worthy opener of her Princes of London series, Christy Carlyle takes readers on a breathless chase through Victorian London as a wild bluestocking from a family of treasure hunters and a handsome, serious gentleman from the Scotland Yard butt heads while attempting to thwart a plot to steal the Crown Jewels, inspired by��National Treasure.

Alexandra Prince is clever, outspoken, and, yes, perhaps a bit impulsive. Yet s���’s always been overshadowed by her siblings. While they are off on adventurous expeditions, s���’s the one left to keep the family’s antique shop going while she works on a book about lady pirates—and longs for an adventure of her own. When she overhears a group of suspicious customers whispering about a plan to steal the Crown Jewels, she knows it’s her opportunity to shine. But she needs a little help.

Detective Inspector Benedict Drake takes his duties at Scotland Yard seriously. In fact, he takes almost everything seriously. Except for the breathless beauty who crashes into his office to tell him about a ludicrous scheme to steal the Crown Jewels. Despite his turning her away, she keeps popping up wherever he goes, and ���’s not sure whether s���’s determined to cause a scandal or is trying to drive him to distraction. Just when he thinks ���’s rid of her, an event compels him to believe her account, and he begrudgingly enlists her aid to thwart the theft of the century.

But while thieves seek the Crown Jewels, the troublesome bluestocking he can’t seem to keep away from might just steal his heart��

���ձ�> 364 Christy Carlyle 0063347326 Stacee 5 netgalley, read-in-2025
I loved Alexandra and Ben. They’re both hardworking and good, but also lonely. They have an instant interest that organically morphs into more and I loved reading them work together to solve the case. Of course, I could have done with a bit more conversation between them as it didn’t quite feel like they actually knew that much about each other, but it was also easy to overlook.

Plot wise, it’s good. I enjoyed the different layers of the case and how each piece of it played the part. Ben listening to Alexandra and letting her decide for herself was an added bonus and it was even better when she didn’t quite listen to his “demands��.

Overall, this was a quick read that had me hooked from the start. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the series plays out and I’ll be over here hoping we get more of these two in the next books.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 3.95 2025
author: Christy Carlyle
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2025
review:
I’ve been loving Christy’s books, so I was really excited to see that she was starting a new series.

I loved Alexandra and Ben. They’re both hardworking and good, but also lonely. They have an instant interest that organically morphs into more and I loved reading them work together to solve the case. Of course, I could have done with a bit more conversation between them as it didn’t quite feel like they actually knew that much about each other, but it was also easy to overlook.

Plot wise, it’s good. I enjoyed the different layers of the case and how each piece of it played the part. Ben listening to Alexandra and letting her decide for herself was an added bonus and it was even better when she didn’t quite listen to his “demands��.

Overall, this was a quick read that had me hooked from the start. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the series plays out and I’ll be over here hoping we get more of these two in the next books.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

]]> 213870115 Devoted fangirl meets hesitant fanboy in this swoony contemporary love letter to readers who adore fantasy worlds, from the beloved authors of The Breakup Tour.
��
Jennifer Worth lives to escape into the world of her favorite romantasy series Elytheum Courts, where the romance is sweeping and the men are brave, chivalrous��.��.��. and winged. Newly single and craving connection, she travels to an immersive fan experience celebrating all things Elytheum, only to see the last face she expected—Scott Daniels, her work nemesis, whose disinterest in Jennifer’s favorite series and standoffishness have made their publishing jobs feel like a feuding fae court.
��
Except the Scott she encounters there, in his secondhand cosplay outfit, is��.��.��. different. Swaggering, flirtatious, confident. Unlucky in romance himself and inspired by Jennifer’s love for the swoonworthy men of Elytheum, Scott is determined to remake himself into the perfect book boyfriend.
��
Jennifer has no interest in helping the man who vexes her every workday and dismisses her fictional fantasies, but as the immersive convention activities force them together, they’re surprised to discover magic like none Jennifer has ever read about. But is enemies-to-lovers romance only for books, or can Jennifer and Scott bring the trope to life?]]> 384 Emily Wibberley 0593638662 Stacee 2
Idiots to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and I loved the idea of this, sadly it fell pretty flat to me.

I don't really want to list all of the things that I didn't like, so I guess I just say that I needed more conversation, more showing instead of telling, and even a sliver of chemistry would have worked wonders.

Overall, it was an interesting idea and I did skim through to see how it ended, but I could have easily DNF'd.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.29 2025
author: Emily Wibberley
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2025, skimmidy-skim-skim-skim
review:
2.5 stars

Idiots to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and I loved the idea of this, sadly it fell pretty flat to me.

I don't really want to list all of the things that I didn't like, so I guess I just say that I needed more conversation, more showing instead of telling, and even a sliver of chemistry would have worked wonders.

Overall, it was an interesting idea and I did skim through to see how it ended, but I could have easily DNF'd.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 213618276 A hilarious and sexy romance about a woman who gets dropped on a strange planet only to fall for not one, but two, aliens, from the author of I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf.

Dorothy Valentine is close to getting her PhD in wildlife biology when s���’s attacked by a lion. On the bright side, s���’s saved! On the not-so-bright side, it’s because they’re abducted by aliens. In her scramble to escape, Dory and the lion commandeer an escape pod and crash-land on an alien planet that has...dinosaurs?

Dory and her new lion bestie, Toto, are saved in the nick of time by a mysterious and sexy alien, Sol. On their new adventure, they team up with the equally hot, equally dangerous Lok, who may or may not be a war criminal. Whether it be trauma, fate, or intrigue, Dory can’t resist the attraction that’s developing in their trio....

As this ragtag group of misfits explore their new planet, Dory learns more about how and why they’ve all ended up together, battles more prehistoric creatures than she imagined (she imagined...zero), and questions if she even wants to go back home to Earth in this hilarious and steamy alien romance adventure comedy romp.]]> 287 Kimberly Lemming 0593818636 Stacee 3 netgalley, read-in-2025
This was bonkers and I liked it. It wasn't quite the rom-com the title suggests, due to the near death experiences around every corner.

There are loads of characters, loads of insanity, loads of humor, and loads of sexy times. I wish there would have been more time for the main three to actually get to know each other and have some actual conversations, but again, there's not really time for it.

Overall, this was a quick read and I am definitely interested in the next book.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.69 2025
author: Kimberly Lemming
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2025
review:
3.5 stars

This was bonkers and I liked it. It wasn't quite the rom-com the title suggests, due to the near death experiences around every corner.

There are loads of characters, loads of insanity, loads of humor, and loads of sexy times. I wish there would have been more time for the main three to actually get to know each other and have some actual conversations, but again, there's not really time for it.

Overall, this was a quick read and I am definitely interested in the next book.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 198366741 He's not like other dukes��

Paris, 1889

Physician Aurora Montalban Wright takes risks in her career, but never with her heart. Running an underground women’s clinic exposes her to certain dangers, but help arrives in the unexpected form of the infuriating Duke of Annan. Begrudgingly, Aurora accepts his protection, then promptly finds herself in his bed.

New to his role as a duke, Apollo César Sinclair Robles struggles to embrace his position. With half of society waiting for him to misstep and the other half looking to discredit him, Apollo never imagined that his enthralling bedmate would become his most trusted adviser. Soon, he realizes the rebellious doctor could be the perfect duchess for him. But Aurora won’t give up her independence, and her secrets make her unsuitable for the aristocracy.

When dangerous figures from their pasts return to threaten them, Apollo whisks Aurora away to the French Riviera. Far from the reproachful eye of Parisian society, can Apollo convince Aurora that their bond is stronger than the forces keeping them apart?]]> 429 Adriana Herrera Stacee 5 edelweiss, read-in-2025
I love love loved Aurora and Apollo. They're both fiery, combative, and a bit arrogant (in the best ways). I loved reading their vague annoyance turn to chemistry to more. I especially loved how neither of them backed down from the hard stuff. And of course, it was lovely to see the Leonas all together.

Plot wise, it's good. There are a couple of plot threads that wind together so deliciously and the last few chapters are absolutely wonderful. My main complaint is that I just wanted more, but that's just me being greedy because the epilogue is absolute perfection.

Overall, this was a fun series that broaches real topics and it was so easy to root for all of these characters.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.37 2025
author: Adriana Herrera
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2025
review:
I have loved this series from the start, but this one is definitely my favorite.

I love love loved Aurora and Apollo. They're both fiery, combative, and a bit arrogant (in the best ways). I loved reading their vague annoyance turn to chemistry to more. I especially loved how neither of them backed down from the hard stuff. And of course, it was lovely to see the Leonas all together.

Plot wise, it's good. There are a couple of plot threads that wind together so deliciously and the last few chapters are absolutely wonderful. My main complaint is that I just wanted more, but that's just me being greedy because the epilogue is absolute perfection.

Overall, this was a fun series that broaches real topics and it was so easy to root for all of these characters.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 203914630 A high octane sexy space heist from New York Times-bestselling author Beth Revis, the first in a novella trilogy.

Ada Lamarr may have gotten to the spaceship wreck first, but looter’s rights won’t get her far when s���’s got a hole in the side of her ship and her spacesuit is almost out of air. Fortunately for her, help arrives in the form of a government salvage crew—and while they reluctantly rescue her from certain death, they are not pleased to have an unexpected passenger along on their classified mission.

But Ada doesn’t care—all that matters to her is enjoying their fine food and sweet, sweet oxygen—until Rian White, the government agent in charge, starts to suspect that there’s more to Ada than meets the eye. He’s not wrong—but ���’s so pretty that Ada is perfectly happy to keep him paying attention to her—at least until she can complete the job she was sent to pull off. But as quick as Ada is, Rian might be quicker—and she may not be entirely sure who’s manipulating who until it’s too late��

A phenomenally fun novella that kicks off a trilogy of sexy space heists and romantic tension, Full Speed to a Crash Landing is packed with great characters and full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end.]]> 181 Beth Revis 0756419468 Stacee 4 library, read-in-2025 3.84 2024
author: Beth Revis
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: library, read-in-2025
review:
This was a lot of fun and I can't wait for the next one.
]]> 59089883 After a decade of silence, Dee and Ben reunite for a road trip they once promised to take. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

Dee Matthews is the cohost of the smash-hit podcast Did I Forget To Tell You?, where she interviews family, friends, and past lovers. Nothing is off limits, except for one man (known on the show only as Name Redacted) who happens to be her high school best friend Ben. During their senior year spring break, Dee and Ben took a road trip to visit Ben's grandma. They buried a time capsule in her backyard, pledging to return in ten years to open it. Then their friendship fell apart in spectacular fashion. They haven't spoken to each other since.

Ben Porter's life since that moment has been unexciting but comfortable, until his grandma reveals a family secret that flips his whole world upside down. Her dying wish is for him to stop doing what is safest and go after what he really wants. He starts by showing up on Dee's doorstep with every intention of fulfilling their long-ago promise. Despite her reservations, Dee can't say no. This trip could be her chance to give her listeners the Name Redacted interview they've been begging for--and finally put her unresolved feelings for Ben to rest.

As the miles fly by, Dee and Ben's friendship reignites. But the closer they get to reaching their destination, the more apparent it becomes that their attraction to each other cannot be ignored. Their last adventure ended in disaster, and they're about to find out if any hope of a future together is in the rear view mirror.]]> 368 Bridget Morrissey 0593201175 Stacee 5
I love love loved Dee and Ben. They're both so good and I loved reading them figure out how to navigate past hurts and future love. There are a few other characters, but this is definitely the Dee and Ben story.

Plot wise, it's sort of a slow meandering filled with open conversations, fun roadside attractions, and sweetness. The break up wasn't a bad as I expected. And although I could have done with more pages of these two with their HEA, I loved the epilogue.

Overall, this was a wonderful story with characters I was really invested in.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.52 2022
author: Bridget Morrissey
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: edelweiss, theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats, read-in-2025
review:
Well, past Stacee needs to be pushed for taking so long in reading this one.

I love love loved Dee and Ben. They're both so good and I loved reading them figure out how to navigate past hurts and future love. There are a few other characters, but this is definitely the Dee and Ben story.

Plot wise, it's sort of a slow meandering filled with open conversations, fun roadside attractions, and sweetness. The break up wasn't a bad as I expected. And although I could have done with more pages of these two with their HEA, I loved the epilogue.

Overall, this was a wonderful story with characters I was really invested in.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 221267276 Teaming up with your neighbor during a zombie outbreak is a no-brainer, but if it turns out ���’s a vampire . . . the stakes couldn’t be higher, in this infectious new paranormal romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Spoiler Alert.

When Edie Brandstrup attempts to save her sweet, seemingly harmless��human��neighbor from the first major zombie breach in two decades, s���’s stunned to be saved by��him—and his ridiculously large sword—instead.��As it turns out, he's actually a super-old, super-surly vampire.��But for all her neighbor's newly revealed cynicism and lethality, Gaston "Max" Boucher (yes, Gaston) is unexpectedly protective. He wants her to stay in his safety bunker until the breach is resolved. Edie can’t risk more innocent people getting killed, though—and Max won’t let her save them alone.

As they unravel a sinister conspiracy to set zombies loose on the world (again), the duo meet a host of lovable allies��and discover��they're not the only ones willing to��fight for the future of humanity.��Despite��the��awful timing, Edie finds herself falling for the vampire who’s helping her save the world . . . but all their dangerous plans could end��their��future��before it even��begins. As she and Max battle side by side, Edie must decide whether having a love worth living for also means having a love you'd die for—and, in a world that grows deadlier by the minute, whether that’s a risk s���’s willing to take.]]> Olivia Dade 0593818210 Stacee 0 to-read, edelweiss 3.66 2025
author: Olivia Dade
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read, edelweiss
review:

]]> 218695782 A band reunion may be enough to change two musicians' tune on love in this electric romance from USA Today bestselling author Alicia Thompson.
��
Micah's relationship to music is complicated. As teenagers, her band took off after being featured on a popular TV show, but the group barely released their sophomore album before breaking up. Now, over a decade later, the band is reuniting for one more performance on a themed cruise, and Micah is determined to learn from her past mistakes -- no losing herself in the music, and no losing her heart along the way.��
��
John misses playing in a band, and mostly he misses Micah, who'd been his best friend until the music stopped. Back then, he didn't take the lead, either in his guitar parts or while he sat back and watched her date another bandmate. John's never been one to rock the boat, but he's faced with another chance now that this cruise has brought music -- and Micah -- back in his life.
��
Onboard, Micah can't help but see John with brand new eyes, and John's feelings only intensify��as the discordant band's tension grows to a breaking point. With five days at sea, there's a ticking clock on anything that might develop between them, and they'll have to decide if their relationship is destined to be more than a one-hit wonder.]]> Alicia Thompson 0593640969 Stacee 0 to-read, edelweiss 4.10 2025
author: Alicia Thompson
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read, edelweiss
review:

]]> 58283080 friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is.

Now, Hannah's in town for work, crashing in Fox's spare bedroom. She knows he's a notorious ladies' man, but they're definitely just friends. In fact, she's nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a few tips from Westport's resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker's eye... yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can't deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost.

Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she's walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and... and... man overboard! He's fallen for her, hook, line, and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he's all in, she'll choose him instead?

In the follow-up to It Happened One Summer, Tessa Bailey delivers another deliciously fun rom-com about a former player who accidentally falls for his best friend while trying to help her land a different man...]]> 353 Tessa Bailey 0063045699 Stacee 5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After being borderline obsessed with It Happened One Summer, there was no way I was going to miss this story, and I dropped everything when I was approved for it.

I love love loved Hannah and Fox. They’re both unsure and find a steadiness in each other. Of course I was delighted to see bits of Piper and Brendan’s HEA, but I was quickly obsessed with Hannah and Fox. And JFC, you could choke someone with the chemistry.

Plot wise, it was a slow and steady climb and I was here for it. I enjoyed their honesty and open conversations (especially when they were hard topics) and could have done with a million more pages of them talking.

Overall, this series has been delightful and they’ve become new favorites that I know I’ll be coming back to.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

~~~~~~~~~~~~

December 2021: rereading these back to back was absolutely what I needed. I love these two so much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 2021: This was absolutely everything I could have wanted. I was obsessed with the previous book, but I think this one is better…in a different way.

I loved Hannah and Fox and this story. It’s way too early for a full review, but I know this is going to be a top book for next year and a series I’ll read whenever I need a pick me up.]]> 3.87 2022
author: Tessa Bailey
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2021, will-forever-reread, read-in-2025
review:
January 2025: the epilogue at the end of this is perfection

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After being borderline obsessed with It Happened One Summer, there was no way I was going to miss this story, and I dropped everything when I was approved for it.

I love love loved Hannah and Fox. They’re both unsure and find a steadiness in each other. Of course I was delighted to see bits of Piper and Brendan’s HEA, but I was quickly obsessed with Hannah and Fox. And JFC, you could choke someone with the chemistry.

Plot wise, it was a slow and steady climb and I was here for it. I enjoyed their honesty and open conversations (especially when they were hard topics) and could have done with a million more pages of them talking.

Overall, this series has been delightful and they’ve become new favorites that I know I’ll be coming back to.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

~~~~~~~~~~~~

December 2021: rereading these back to back was absolutely what I needed. I love these two so much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 2021: This was absolutely everything I could have wanted. I was obsessed with the previous book, but I think this one is better…in a different way.

I loved Hannah and Fox and this story. It’s way too early for a full review, but I know this is going to be a top book for next year and a series I’ll read whenever I need a pick me up.
]]> 55659629
Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? S���’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that s���’s more than a pretty face.

Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart.��

Tessa Bailey is back with a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com about a Hollywood “It Girl�� who is cut off from her wealthy family and exiled to a small Pacific Northwest beach town... where she butts heads with a surly, sexy local who thinks she doesn’t belong.��]]> 397 Tessa Bailey 0063045656 Stacee 5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

December 2021: I'm in a bit of a slump slash super behind on review books so why bother sort of mindset.

So, as I was compiling my top 10 of 2021, I found myself staring longingly at this book and decided a little skimming of my favorite parts wouldn't hurt. Flash forward an hour later and I'm halfway into a full blown reread.

It's still perfect. I still love these two and yes, I will be starting a reread of the sequel when I get home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 2021:

Well, I woke up thinking about this book and read the last couple of chapters again, so I feel like that sums up my review of how much I loved it. Does that work as a proper review? Probably not.

I'm pretty sure I'm not ever going to pass up on a book from Tessa Bailey, but when I read that it was a Schitt's Creek inspired story, I couldn't request it soon enough.

I love love loved Piper. She's resilient, has such a big heart, and is just trying to find her way. Brendan is gruff and standoff-ish and stuck in a rut. Together they have instant button pushing and chemistry galore. I couldn't get enough of their interactions and how the relationship went from "I'm so annoyed by your attitude" to "damn, they're a good person" to "omfg I love you". I loved Piper's sister Hannah and Brendan's BFF Fox and I'm nearly manic at the idea of those two getting their own story.

Plot wise, it was everything I could have wanted. There's open conversation, heated looks, passionate kisses, and a shitload of dirty talk. The angsty times were short lived and not nearly as bad as I expected. I loved how Brendan pushed Piper to be honest, how she pushed him to talk, and how they just couldn't get enough of each other. I could have easily read 100 more pages of these two.

Overall, this is definitely one of my top 10 of the year and a book I know I'll be coming back to when I need a pick me up.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2am review: You know that book that you’re loving and you just can’t put it down and you look up from the last page and holy shit it’s 2am and you’ll probably be woken up by your greedy puppy in 3 hours, but it was all worth it because the book was just that fucking good?

Yeah, that.

Full review to come…once I’ve gotten some sleep.]]> 3.91 2021
author: Tessa Bailey
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/26
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: netgalley, contains-the-evil-sentence, read-in-2021, read-in-2025
review:
January 2025: I think I'll love them forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

December 2021: I'm in a bit of a slump slash super behind on review books so why bother sort of mindset.

So, as I was compiling my top 10 of 2021, I found myself staring longingly at this book and decided a little skimming of my favorite parts wouldn't hurt. Flash forward an hour later and I'm halfway into a full blown reread.

It's still perfect. I still love these two and yes, I will be starting a reread of the sequel when I get home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 2021:

Well, I woke up thinking about this book and read the last couple of chapters again, so I feel like that sums up my review of how much I loved it. Does that work as a proper review? Probably not.

I'm pretty sure I'm not ever going to pass up on a book from Tessa Bailey, but when I read that it was a Schitt's Creek inspired story, I couldn't request it soon enough.

I love love loved Piper. She's resilient, has such a big heart, and is just trying to find her way. Brendan is gruff and standoff-ish and stuck in a rut. Together they have instant button pushing and chemistry galore. I couldn't get enough of their interactions and how the relationship went from "I'm so annoyed by your attitude" to "damn, they're a good person" to "omfg I love you". I loved Piper's sister Hannah and Brendan's BFF Fox and I'm nearly manic at the idea of those two getting their own story.

Plot wise, it was everything I could have wanted. There's open conversation, heated looks, passionate kisses, and a shitload of dirty talk. The angsty times were short lived and not nearly as bad as I expected. I loved how Brendan pushed Piper to be honest, how she pushed him to talk, and how they just couldn't get enough of each other. I could have easily read 100 more pages of these two.

Overall, this is definitely one of my top 10 of the year and a book I know I'll be coming back to when I need a pick me up.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2am review: You know that book that you’re loving and you just can’t put it down and you look up from the last page and holy shit it’s 2am and you’ll probably be woken up by your greedy puppy in 3 hours, but it was all worth it because the book was just that fucking good?

Yeah, that.

Full review to come…once I’ve gotten some sleep.
]]> 213243908 A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she's as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.]]> 448 B.K. Borison 0593641191 Stacee 5 edelweiss, read-in-2025
(This is the best I can do at this time.)

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.08 2025
author: B.K. Borison
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2025
review:
Absolute perfection. No notes.

(This is the best I can do at this time.)

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 219848316
But then a terrible thing happened…and my world was never the same again.

Now resonance is giving us a second chance, but…I’m afraid. What if what I have with my mate is too broken to be fixed? What if there’s no hope left for us at all?]]> 256 Ruby Dixon 0593954777 Stacee 3 edelweiss, read-in-2025
I really enjoyed getting more of the backstory for Asha and Hemalo. They're quite opposite (she's crunchy and he's laid back), but they really work together. And of course the last chapter was fantastic.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.35 2016
author: Ruby Dixon
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2025
review:
3.5 stars

I really enjoyed getting more of the backstory for Asha and Hemalo. They're quite opposite (she's crunchy and he's laid back), but they really work together. And of course the last chapter was fantastic.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 219848358
My mate nearly died.

He wakes up from his coma…and he can’t remember me. Or our son. Every memory of the past two years is gone. And that changes everything between us. How can I love someone that doesn’t remember me?

How can I not, when I know ���’s still my mate underneath it all?]]> 288 Ruby Dixon 0593954769 Stacee 4 edelweiss, read-in-2025
I really liked these two and reading them find their way back to each other. The push and pull was a bit annoying at first, but understandable and the last couple of chapters were really satisfying.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.67 2016
author: Ruby Dixon
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2025
review:
After the earthquake ending in the previous book, I was interested to see how that would play out.

I really liked these two and reading them find their way back to each other. The push and pull was a bit annoying at first, but understandable and the last couple of chapters were really satisfying.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 206728280 In��USA Today��bestselling author Julie Anne Long’s latest installment in the��Palace of Rogues��series, an estranged couple decide to fake their way through the London season to repair their good name�� but neither are prepared for the genuine sparks that begin flying between them.

A blue-blooded beauty bartered to a Beast��

He would pay any price to possess her. But even though Alexandra Bellamy sacrifices herself to save her family’s fortunes, a shocking betrayal sunders her marriage to a taciturn brute of a war hero, Colonel Magnus Brightwall, before it even begins. Five years of icy separation later, a scandal—with Alexandra at the middle—reunites them, and Magnus issues an edict:��they will confront the��ton, rescue their reputations, then Magnus will banish her to another continent—forever.��

But alone in a suite at the Grand Palace on the Thames, a new battle begins—between pride and the unexpected volcanic passion stirring between them. The danger is Magnus rediscovers why Alexandra is the only woman who could ever break him. And even as she lays bare the beautiful heart beating beneath the battered hide of the near-stranger she married, Alexandra knows she may have already lost him—even as she finally falls fatally, irrevocably in love.]]> 364 Julie Anne Long 0063280981 Stacee 5 4.16 2024
author: Julie Anne Long
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: library, title-in-the-story, read-in-2025
review:
This could be my favorite of the series.
]]> 199026522 In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.]]> 367 Riley Sager 0593472373 Stacee 0 library, dnf, read-in-2025
This is so damn boring and repetitive and I just don't want to continue. ]]> 3.65 2024
author: Riley Sager
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: library, dnf, read-in-2025
review:
DNF at 30%

This is so damn boring and repetitive and I just don't want to continue.
]]> 16054217 The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale and sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.]]> 561 Deborah Harkness 0670025593 Stacee 5 October 2017: Yep, this is still just as fantastic as the first time I read it. I loved the story and the ending and the everything. Now I’m ready for more books with Gallowglass, Miriam, and I could easily do with a million pages of Ysabeau. I’m going to have to reread these more often.

Original review
This was absolute perfection. I felt there was a lot of loose ends that needed to be taken care of, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It definitely didn't disappoint.

I don't want to say too much because spoilers, but I was instantly captivated by the story and where it went. There were some twists and revelations that I didn't see coming and let's not discount the swoons.

I loved seeing Matthew and Diana's relationship, but it's especially adorable with the addition of children. Diana grows a lot in this installment. I've been telling everyone that she is such a bad ass and that's still an understatement.

I was hanging on every single word and rapidly flipping pages until the end and then I tried to savor it. The Book of Life is another fantastic example of the way a trilogy should end.

**Huge thanks to Viking Adult and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**]]> 4.15 2014
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2017/10/14
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: netgalley, rape-or-molestation-or-sa, theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats, read-in-2014, read-in-2017
review:
October 2017: Yep, this is still just as fantastic as the first time I read it. I loved the story and the ending and the everything. Now I’m ready for more books with Gallowglass, Miriam, and I could easily do with a million pages of Ysabeau. I’m going to have to reread these more often.

Original review
This was absolute perfection. I felt there was a lot of loose ends that needed to be taken care of, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It definitely didn't disappoint.

I don't want to say too much because spoilers, but I was instantly captivated by the story and where it went. There were some twists and revelations that I didn't see coming and let's not discount the swoons.

I loved seeing Matthew and Diana's relationship, but it's especially adorable with the addition of children. Diana grows a lot in this installment. I've been telling everyone that she is such a bad ass and that's still an understatement.

I was hanging on every single word and rapidly flipping pages until the end and then I tried to savor it. The Book of Life is another fantastic example of the way a trilogy should end.

**Huge thanks to Viking Adult and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
]]> 59414094 Grady Hendrix takes on the haunted house in a thrilling new novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.

When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world.

Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. Unfortunately, she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.

But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…]]> 419 Grady Hendrix 0593201264 Stacee 3 edelweiss, read-in-2025
I’ve been reading and enjoying Grady’s books, so I was eager to get into this one.

I liked Louise well enough. We don’t see much of her until she gets home and the change of location definitely played a role in this story. S���’s crunchy and irritable and while some of this can be attributed to the trauma of her parents dying, s���’s also a bit of an unreliable narrator, so that had me double guessing everything. There are a good amount family members, but this is absolutely about Louise, her brother, and the relationship they had with their parents.

Plot wise, it is a bit slow moving, until it’s not. There is a lot of action in the back half, but it’s given in long passages without any dialogue. The reveal is quick and resolved pretty much instantly. And while I did like how it all played out, I really would have liked a bit more at the very end.

Overall, this was a bonkers story that kept me interested, but I never felt captivated.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.65 2023
author: Grady Hendrix
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2025
review:
3.5 stars

I’ve been reading and enjoying Grady’s books, so I was eager to get into this one.

I liked Louise well enough. We don’t see much of her until she gets home and the change of location definitely played a role in this story. S���’s crunchy and irritable and while some of this can be attributed to the trauma of her parents dying, s���’s also a bit of an unreliable narrator, so that had me double guessing everything. There are a good amount family members, but this is absolutely about Louise, her brother, and the relationship they had with their parents.

Plot wise, it is a bit slow moving, until it’s not. There is a lot of action in the back half, but it’s given in long passages without any dialogue. The reveal is quick and resolved pretty much instantly. And while I did like how it all played out, I really would have liked a bit more at the very end.

Overall, this was a bonkers story that kept me interested, but I never felt captivated.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 41837243
As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly, disturbingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story—until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid's disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's dark past and into the secrets kept within its walls. Her discovery that Ingrid is not the first apartment sitter to go missing at the Bartholomew pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building's hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.]]> 381 Riley Sager 1524745154 Stacee 0 to-read 3.88 2019
author: Riley Sager
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 36626748
Now a rising star in the NYC art scene, Emma turns her past into paintings.. They catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the socialite and wealthy owner of the very same Camp Nightingale--and when Francesca implores Emma to return to the camp as a painting counselor, Emma sees an opportunity to find closure and move on.

Yet, it is immediately clear that all is not right at Camp Nightingale. Already haunted by surfacing memories, Emma is suddenly plagued by a security camera pointed directly at her cabin, mounting mistrust from Francesca, and, most disturbing of all, cryptic clues Vivian apparently left behind about the camp's twisted origins. And as history begins to repeat itself and three girls go missing again, Emma must face threats from both man and nature in order to uncover all the buried secrets--including what really happened all those years ago.]]> 402 Riley Sager Stacee 0 to-read 4.02 2018
author: Riley Sager
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 219520711 American heiress Eliza Dove was resigned to a polite marriage of convenience...until she spent one wicked night with the Duke.

All hopeless romantic Eliza Dove asked for was one night of adventure. One glorious evening of freedom to explore the dark corners of London with a mysterious stranger before a lifetime trapped in a quiet, respectable marriage of convenience. Except now she wants more. Now she wants him.

Simon Cavell is no gentleman. Known only as ‘the Duke,�� Whitechapel’s prize boxer is one fight away from achieving his goal: to safeguard his late sister’s only treasure and leave the streets for good. He cannot allow some pretty young heiress to spill his secrets, no matter how tempting she might be. In return for her silence, Simon will give Eliza a taste of the darkness…and hope he doesn’t lose his heart in the process.

But one night together could never be enough. And now Eliza has a new plan—an even more scandalous bargain that will either land the heiress her duke or ruin them both.]]> 336 Harper St. George 0593441028 Stacee 0 to-read, edelweiss 4.05 2025
author: Harper St. George
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read, edelweiss
review:

]]> 220687884 A Muscogee pop star and a cowboy who couldn’t be more different come together to strike a deal in this new romantic comedy by Danica Nava, author of The Truth According to Ember.

Pop singer Avery Fox has become a national joke after posing scantily clad on the cover of Rolling Stone in a feather warbonnet. What was meant to be a statement of her success as a Native American singer has turned her into a social pariah and dubbed her a fake. With threats coming from every direction and her career at a standstill, she escapes to her estranged grandmother Lottie’s ranch in Oklahoma. Living on the rez is new to Avery—not only does she have to work in the blazing summer heat to earn her keep, but the man who runs Lottie’s horse ranch despises her and wants her gone.

Red Fox Ranch has been home to Lucas Iron Eyes since he was sixteen years old. He has lived by three rules to keep himself out of trouble: 1) preserve the culture, 2) respect the horses, and 3) stick to himself. When he is tasked with picking up Lottie’s granddaughter at the bus station, the last person he expected to see is the Avery Fox. Lucas can’t stand what she represents, but when ���’s forced to work with her on the ranch, he can’t get her out of his sight—or his head. He reminds himself to keep to his rules, especially after he finds out the ranch is under threat of being shut down.

It’s clear Avery doesn’t belong here, but they form a tentative truce and make a Avery will help raise funds to save the ranch, and in exchange, Lucas will show her what it really means to be an Indian. It’s purely transactional, absolutely no horsing around…but where’s the fun in that?]]> 336 Danica Nava 0593642627 Stacee 0 to-read, edelweiss 4.34 2025
author: Danica Nava
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read, edelweiss
review:

]]> 215636639
One of New York Times Book Review's "summer reads guaranteed to make your heart thump and your skin crawl"; An Amazon Best of the Month Pick; Named a must-read summer book by The Washington Post, USA Today, Vulture, BuzzFeed, Forbes, Entertainment Weekly, CNN, New York Post, Good Housekeeping, E!, PopSugar, CrimeReads, Thrillist, and BookRiot.

It’s November 1991. Nirvana's in the tape deck, George H. W. Bush is in the White House, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer.

Josh Baxter, the man behind the wheel, is a virtual stranger to Charlie. They met at the campus ride board, each looking to share the long drive home to Ohio. Both have good reasons for wanting to get away. For Charlie, it’s guilt and grief over the shocking murder of her best friend, who became the third victim of the man known as the Campus Killer. For Josh, it’s to help care for his sick father—or so he says.

The longer she sits in the passenger seat, the more Charlie notices there’s something suspicious about Josh, from the holes in his story about his father to how he doesn’t want her to see inside the trunk. As they travel an empty, twisty highway in the dead of night, an increasingly anxious Charlie begins to think s���’s sharing a car with the Campus Killer. Is Josh truly dangerous? Or is Charlie’s jittery mistrust merely a figment of her movie-fueled imagination?

One thing is certain—Charlie has nowhere to run and no way to call for help. Trapped in a terrifying game of cat and mouse played out on pitch-black roads and in neon-lit parking lots, Charlie knows the only way to win is to survive the night.]]> 337 Riley Sager Stacee 4 library, read-in-2025
This one was a good mix of unreliable narrator and bonkers. I could have done with more dialogue, but realistically, it would have ruined everything.

Love love loved the last chapters.]]> 3.71 2021
author: Riley Sager
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: library, read-in-2025
review:
4.5 stars

This one was a good mix of unreliable narrator and bonkers. I could have done with more dialogue, but realistically, it would have ruined everything.

Love love loved the last chapters.
]]> 212872261 New York Times��bestselling author Lorraine Heath returns to the fan favorite series, The Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James, with the story of a viscount who has retreated to a small, secluded island only to have a mysterious and beautiful woman wash up on shore.

After surviving a horrific railway accident, Viscount Langdon retreats to his private island to recover and conquer the nightmarish memories that continue to haunt him. The very last thing he wants—or expects—is for London’s most infamous courtesan to wash up on his beach.��

Marlowe is known for her bold flirtations, but her most daring exploits involve flying in her hot air balloon. When a storm blows her off course, she discovers herself alone with the isle’s only inhabitant. The gorgeous, seductive lord tempts her beyond reason, but giving into temptation would lead to her ruination because the all-consuming liaison would demand complete surrender. And she has secrets to protect.

Langdon finds the captivating beauty near impossible to resist, but he can’t risk her learning the true reason behind his isolation. However, a powerful tempest of desire is swirling wildly between them, urging them to give in to the perilous passion that could destroy them . . . or perhaps show them the way to love.


]]> 382 Lorraine Heath 0063384469 Stacee 4
I loved Marlowe and Langdon. They’re both lonely and good people and I really loved this take on a grumpy/sunshine of sorts. These two have loads of conversations and respect, not to mention chemistry. There’s a pretty big cast of characters here, but I think a lot of them were from the previous stories.

Plot wise, it’s a slow meandering and the main tension is the UST between Marlowe and Langdon. I loved getting a small bit of overlap in their thoughts, especially when it came to the night they first spoke. Reading how they both thought so differently about the other and then getting to read the actual confession was one of my favorite scenes.

Overall, this book had a lot of great characters who were easy to root for and it definitely has me wanting to go back and read the other books in this series.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.98 2024
author: Lorraine Heath
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves: netgalley, hair-swoons, contains-the-evil-sentence, read-in-2025
review:
I do love a good Lorraine Heath story and this one was so good.

I loved Marlowe and Langdon. They’re both lonely and good people and I really loved this take on a grumpy/sunshine of sorts. These two have loads of conversations and respect, not to mention chemistry. There’s a pretty big cast of characters here, but I think a lot of them were from the previous stories.

Plot wise, it’s a slow meandering and the main tension is the UST between Marlowe and Langdon. I loved getting a small bit of overlap in their thoughts, especially when it came to the night they first spoke. Reading how they both thought so differently about the other and then getting to read the actual confession was one of my favorite scenes.

Overall, this book had a lot of great characters who were easy to root for and it definitely has me wanting to go back and read the other books in this series.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 212294418 Star-crossed lovers learn that practicing romance leads to the perfect happy ending in this steamy reimagining of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

Since heartbreak entered the scene, Juliet Wilmot, once a hopeless romantic, has sworn off love. But when she's presented with the chance to revisit romance-purely for practice-with the gorgeous, off-limits guy she keeps serendipitously running into, it feels like a sign from the universe.

Quiet, shy Will Orsino knows happily-ever-after isn't on his horizon. Problem is, for the sake of the family business, marriage is. Resigned to the inevitable, but with no confidence he can woo a wife, he can hardly say no when fate hands him the alluring, unattainable woman he keeps crossing paths with, offering to help him learn the ropes of romance.

Neither of them looking for love, Jules and Will agree they're the perfect pair to practice romance. Except that practicing to perfection leads to an irresistible attraction. Their once smitten hearts, though still twice shy, might have happily-ever-after written in the stars for them, after all.]]> 384 Chloe Liese 0593441540 Stacee 5
I love love love this cast of characters. Juliet and Will are both loyal and tender hearted and cautious to fall in love. It was wonderful reading their open and honest conversations and how they slowly slowly (oh so fucking slowly) meander from partners to friends to more. Of course seeing Bea and Kate and everyone was perfect.

Plot wise, it was absolutely delicious. Seriously, no notes. I loved everything about this story. Okay, I could have read another 100 pages or a future take or anything else, but I am also satisfied with the ending and can't wait to reread this family.

Overall, it's just so good. Read them now.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**]]> 3.78 2025
author: Chloe Liese
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/22
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: edelweiss, contains-the-evil-sentence, read-in-2024, title-in-the-story
review:
I have loved these books so very much and I couldn't wait to see Juliet get her HEA.

I love love love this cast of characters. Juliet and Will are both loyal and tender hearted and cautious to fall in love. It was wonderful reading their open and honest conversations and how they slowly slowly (oh so fucking slowly) meander from partners to friends to more. Of course seeing Bea and Kate and everyone was perfect.

Plot wise, it was absolutely delicious. Seriously, no notes. I loved everything about this story. Okay, I could have read another 100 pages or a future take or anything else, but I am also satisfied with the ending and can't wait to reread this family.

Overall, it's just so good. Read them now.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 214537679 “Danan’s one of the best at breaking your heart with a single sentence...Because as romance readers we want to feel just as shattered �� and just as redeemed �� as the people on the page.”��New York Times Book Review

The truth is stranger than fan fiction in the next sexy paranormal rom-com from the beloved author of The Roommate.

The only place small-town outcast Alex Lawson fits in is the online fan forum she built for The Arcane Files, a long-running werewolf detective show. Her dedication to archiving fictional supernatural lore made her Internet-famous, even if she harbors a secret disdain for the show’s star, Devin Ashwood. (Never meet your heroes—sometimes they turn out to be The Worst.)

Ever since his show went off the air, Devin and his career have spiraled, but waking up naked in the woods outside his LA home with no memory of the night before is a new low. It must have been a coincidence that the once-in-a-century Wolf Blood Moon crested last night. The claws, fangs, and howling are a little more difficult to explain away. Desperate for answers, Devin finds Alex—the closest thing to an expert that exists. If only he could convince her to stop hating his guts long enough to help....

Once he makes her an offer she can’t refuse, these reluctant allies lower their guards trying to wrangle his inner beast. Unfortunately, getting up close and personal quickly comes back to bite them.]]> 352 Rosie Danan 0593437179 Stacee 5
I loved Alex. S���’s all crunchy exterior and secretly a gooey marshmallow. I loved her love for fandom, her friends, and her dad. S���’s insanely loyal and it was so enjoyable reading her as a MC. Devin is a bit down on himself, but really wants love and acceptance more than anything else. He means well (even if ���’s being a jerk) and quickly learns that money isn’t everything. I love love loved these two together.

Plot wise, it’s a lot of fun. Part real life, part fantasy, part fandom, the story shifts between the lore of the show, the “is he/isn’t he�� part of Devin being a werewolf, and the outcome of what happens next. The last few chapters were some of the best, but I especially loved the epilogue.

Overall, I could have read a million more pages of these two together and I know that I’ll be reading this again soon.


**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.98 2025
author: Rosie Danan
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/03
shelves: edelweiss, physical-arc, theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats, read-in-2025
review:
Well, this was absolutely everything I wanted and not only did it make my top 10 list for 2025, it set the bar really high for being the first book of the year.

I loved Alex. S���’s all crunchy exterior and secretly a gooey marshmallow. I loved her love for fandom, her friends, and her dad. S���’s insanely loyal and it was so enjoyable reading her as a MC. Devin is a bit down on himself, but really wants love and acceptance more than anything else. He means well (even if ���’s being a jerk) and quickly learns that money isn’t everything. I love love loved these two together.

Plot wise, it’s a lot of fun. Part real life, part fantasy, part fandom, the story shifts between the lore of the show, the “is he/isn’t he�� part of Devin being a werewolf, and the outcome of what happens next. The last few chapters were some of the best, but I especially loved the epilogue.

Overall, I could have read a million more pages of these two together and I know that I’ll be reading this again soon.


**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 220937059 Discover the stunning second book in the Courting of Bristol Keats fantasy duology, from New York Times bestselling author Mary E. Pearson.]]> Mary E. Pearson 1035054272 Stacee 0 to-read 4.62 2025
author: Mary E. Pearson
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.62
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 208516646 Her brother’s best friend sends her heart racing in this sparkling Formula 1 romance.

Formula 1 driver Dev Anderson’s career is on the line. After a social media disaster leaves him with an angry team and sponsors threatening to jump ship, he needs someone to help save his image. At a party in Monaco, he bumps into the woman who can fix it all. There’s just one problem: s���’s his best friend’s little sister. And, okay, maybe there’s another problem—he kissed her last year and hasn’t been able to stop thinking about it since.

Recent college grad Willow Williams needs a job. She may have a talent for seeing the bright side of any bad situation, but it’s hard to stay positive when s���’s struggling to get hired. So when Dev offers her a temporary solution, she can’t help but say yes. Even if it means ignoring the crush s���’s had on him since childhood.

Willow and Dev are determined to keep things strictly professional, regardless of old feelings and the blazing chemistry between them. But in the glittering and high-stakes world of Formula 1, some lines are meant to be crossed…]]> 416 Simone Soltani 0593818148 Stacee 3 netgalley, read-in-2024
I liked Willow and Dev well enough. They're both good people with an intertwined history and it was interesting to read them figure things out. There are a good amount of characters here, but we only got snippets of them.

Plot wise, it's pretty fast paced and action filled. I enjoyed the racing scenes more than I thought I would. The scenes between Willow and Dev felt superficial and more telling than showing when it came to their chemistry.

Overall, it was a quick read and I was invested enough to finish, but I'm not sure I'll be reading the next one in the series.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.57 2024
author: Simone Soltani
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/30
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2024
review:
I wasn't sure about a romance with a racing background, but this was did intrigue me.

I liked Willow and Dev well enough. They're both good people with an intertwined history and it was interesting to read them figure things out. There are a good amount of characters here, but we only got snippets of them.

Plot wise, it's pretty fast paced and action filled. I enjoyed the racing scenes more than I thought I would. The scenes between Willow and Dev felt superficial and more telling than showing when it came to their chemistry.

Overall, it was a quick read and I was invested enough to finish, but I'm not sure I'll be reading the next one in the series.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 212294464 After a case of mistaken identity and an almost one-night stand, two stranded wedding guests have to find their way to their final destination together, in this riotously fun debut romance.

Ada’s little sister is getting married. Which should be a happy thought, right? But the once close sisters have been in a year long fight, the wedding is all the way in Ireland, and Ada is so broke that she just barely managed to get a ticket on a budget airline. And as if things couldn’t get worse, said airline just cancelled her connection. Which means Ada is stuck in London with no way to make it to the wedding.

Surely s���’s hit rock bottom?

So, there’s no reason for her not to spill her heart out about the over-the-top wedding, her sister’s worryingly quick engagement, and the womanizing best man s���’s dreading meeting to a handsome also-stranded stranger at the bar. Until she realizes the stranger is headed to the same wedding. Oh, and ���’s the infamous best man.

Now, Jack and Ada must put their simmering attraction behind them to make it to Belfast before they miss the nuptials. But between flat tires, missed trains, and suspect hostels, Jack and Ada start to question whether their feelings are worth going the distance, or just a distracting detour along the way.]]> 400 Heather McBreen 0593817621 Stacee 4
I really liked Ada and Jack. They're both loyal and loving people with a lot going on in their lives. Their meet-not-so-cute was hilarious and the banter started right away. I really enjoyed reading their button pushing turn to friendship and more.

Plot wise, it's good. There's a lot of dialogue and a lot of backstory for everyone. Both Ada and Jack (not to mention the bride and groom) have things they need to work through and thankfully there are a good amount of open conversations. As well as one hell of a last chapter.

Overall, the banter caught my attention and the story kept me interested. I'll definitely be looking into more from this author.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.92 2025
author: Heather McBreen
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/28
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: edelweiss, physical-arc, theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats, read-in-2024
review:
I loved the synopsis for this one and was eager to get to it.

I really liked Ada and Jack. They're both loyal and loving people with a lot going on in their lives. Their meet-not-so-cute was hilarious and the banter started right away. I really enjoyed reading their button pushing turn to friendship and more.

Plot wise, it's good. There's a lot of dialogue and a lot of backstory for everyone. Both Ada and Jack (not to mention the bride and groom) have things they need to work through and thankfully there are a good amount of open conversations. As well as one hell of a last chapter.

Overall, the banter caught my attention and the story kept me interested. I'll definitely be looking into more from this author.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 222658358 #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey is back with an all-new enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating sports romance about a playboy hockey rookie and the disciplined softball pitcher completely immune to his charms.

Boston Bearcats rookie Robbie Corrigan is living the dream. He’s made it to the NHL, his best friend/teammate and fellow “orgasm donor�� is his roomie—and the women of Boston love them both. Life is sweet. That is, until he meets Skylar Paige, division 1 softball pitcher, girl least likely to take anyone’s bull…and the one member of the opposite sex immune to his charms. Robbie might be dazzled by the badass pitcher, but Skylar pegs him as a filthy player and wants nothing to do with him.

When he discovers s���’s carrying a serious torch for her brother’s best friend, Robbie knows he should just go back to clubbing and whipped cream bikini parties, but he can’t seem to leave Skylar to flounder on her romantic quest to land another man. Nor can he miss out on the opportunity to spend time with her and hopefully redeem himself. Before Robbie knows it, ���’s agreed to be Skylar’s fake boyfriend/love coach at an upcoming family wilderness competition where her crush will be in attendance. What could go wrong?

Through a series of contests that require them to trust each other, Robbie and Skylar grow closer and closer until their fake relationship starts to feel like the realest thing they’ve ever known and the sizzling lessons in sensuality burn out of control.

But it’s all just pretend…right?]]> 336 Tessa Bailey 0063380838 Stacee 0 to-read 4.11 2025
author: Tessa Bailey
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214283601 A steamy chance encounter between a professional hockey player and the manic pixie dream girl he just can’t seem to forget takes a turn when the pair realize that their parents are engaged—in an all-new rom-com by #1��New York Times��bestselling author Tessa Bailey.

When professional hockey player Sig Gauthier’s car breaks down and his phone dies, he treks into a posh private country club to call a tow truck, where he encounters the alluring Chloe Clifford, the manic pixie dream girl who captivates him immediately with her sense of adventure and penchant for stealing champagne.

Sparks fly during a moonlight kiss and the enamored pair can’t wait to see each other again, but when Sig finally arrives to meet his dad’s new girlfriend over dinner, Chloe is confusingly also there. Turns out the girlfriend is Chloe’s mother. Oh, and they’re engaged.

Sig’s dream girl is his future stepsister.

Though the pair is now wary of being involved romantically, Chloe, a sheltered harp prodigy, yearns to escape her controlling mother. Sig promises to teach her the ins and outs of independence in Boston—but not inside his bedroom. They both know there can never be more than friendship between a famous hockey player and his high-society, soon-to-be stepsister. But keeping their relationship platonic grows harder amid the developing family drama, especially knowing they were meant for so much more��


]]> 320 Tessa Bailey 0063380781 Stacee 4
I did really like these two. They're both so loyal and filled with love. I enjoyed reading their connection, even if it was instalove. I did have a bit of a back and forth with being annoyed with Sig's overprotectiveness and Chloe's cluelessness. Both of them have some growth (Chloe especially) and it was refreshing to see a difference.

Plot wise, it's a meandering pace towards the end. The tension was more of an idea than actually in place and I'm okay with that. The way Tessa got herself out of the main issue was good and the epilogue was exactly what I wanted for these two.

Overall, it was the characters that kept me reading. Oh, and I loved seeing the rookies and am beside myself at the next book.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.46 2025
author: Tessa Bailey
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/24
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2024, physical-arc
review:
I was definitely in on this one after meeting Sig and Chloe in the previous book.

I did really like these two. They're both so loyal and filled with love. I enjoyed reading their connection, even if it was instalove. I did have a bit of a back and forth with being annoyed with Sig's overprotectiveness and Chloe's cluelessness. Both of them have some growth (Chloe especially) and it was refreshing to see a difference.

Plot wise, it's a meandering pace towards the end. The tension was more of an idea than actually in place and I'm okay with that. The way Tessa got herself out of the main issue was good and the epilogue was exactly what I wanted for these two.

Overall, it was the characters that kept me reading. Oh, and I loved seeing the rookies and am beside myself at the next book.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 50890806 In this apocalyptic finale to the Shaw Confessions, the companion series to the New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer novels, alliances will be tested, hearts will be broken, and no one will be left unscarred. Noah’s confessions end here.

Noah Shaw wants nothing more than to escape the consequences of his choices.

He can’t.

He’s sure the memories that haunt him are merely proof of a broken heart.

They aren’t.

He thinks he can move forward without first confronting his past.

He’s wrong.]]> 480 Michelle Hodkin 1481456490 Stacee 0 to-read 3.50
author: Michelle Hodkin
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.50
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 203956655
Murphy was supposed to be settling into her junior year at the University of Illinois with her best friend, Kat. Instead, s���’s stuck in a hellish suburban holding living with her parents, failing the same class that kept her from graduating the first time around, and making minimum wage at the same coffee shop s���’s worked at since she was sixteen. It doesn't help that the dating pool for a twenty-one-year-old lesbian in the tiny town of Geneva, Illinois, is anemic at best.��

When her and Kat’s long-awaited reunion is plagued by stuttering conversation and uninvited guests, Murphy’s resentment threatens to boil over. That is, until a miracle appears in the form of Ellie Meyers, a former classmate who is way cuter and not nearly as straight as Murphy remembers. Their heavy flirting holds the promise of something more�� until Murphy learns that Ellie’s mom is the very professor preparing to flunk Murphy for a second semester in a row. Talk about killing the vibe.

Romance might be off the table, but Ellie could be Murphy’s key to getting into Professor Meyers�� good graces and finally getting out of Geneva. And Murphy—well-versed in defying parental expectations—might be Ellie’s chance to get her mother onboard with her own dreams. Together, they hatch a fake a relationship for a holiday weekend at the Meyers�� house. If everything goes according to plan, Ellie will be living her dream halfway across the country, and Murphy will finally be able to graduate community college and start her life in earnest. So, the fact that Murphy can’t stop thinking about Ellie’s lips on hers isn't relevant. It’s just a part played well.

Right?

A story about opening your heart to possibility, I'll Get Back To You is a giddy love letter to anyone in need of a bit of bravery to step up to the plate—and to the unending process of finding yourself.]]> 320 Becca Grischow 0143138413 Stacee 3 netgalley, read-in-2024
I liked Murphy. She's messy and unsure and I liked reading her inner monologue while she tried to figure things out. There are several characters here, but it's definitely the Murphy show.

Plot wise, it's okay. It felt really low stakes and was just meandering towards an ending. This is a specific slice of the time, so the epilogue is only a couple of weeks after the final chapter. And while I would have liked just a bit more, it worked.

Overall, it was a quick and cozy read.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.48 2024
author: Becca Grischow
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2024
review:
I don't usually seek out holiday books, but this one sounded fun.

I liked Murphy. She's messy and unsure and I liked reading her inner monologue while she tried to figure things out. There are several characters here, but it's definitely the Murphy show.

Plot wise, it's okay. It felt really low stakes and was just meandering towards an ending. This is a specific slice of the time, so the epilogue is only a couple of weeks after the final chapter. And while I would have liked just a bit more, it worked.

Overall, it was a quick and cozy read.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 32796253 ��
Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past.
��
That is, until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit, and Sam, the second, appears on Quincy's doorstep. Blowing through Quincy's life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa's death come to light, Quincy's life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam's truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished.]]> 352 Riley Sager 1101985364 Stacee 4 Bonkers, but in a good way. 3.81 2017
author: Riley Sager
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: library, theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats, read-in-2024
review:
Bonkers, but in a good way.
]]> 209594869 A heartwarming and humorous romance in which an unlikely couple fall in love over Wordle.

Twenty-seven-year-old Emily doesn’t have a lot going well in her life right now. She dreams of a creative career but works as a receptionist in an auto shop. She longs for big city life but lives in a small town on Prince Edward Island. She craves a close group of friends but is stuck with irritating, car-obsessed coworkers.

What Emily does have is a 300+ day streak on the��New York Times��Wordle. But one day, with only one guess left and no clue what the answer is, s���’s forced to turn to one of her irritating, car-obsessed coworkers, John, for help—and in doing so, realizes that he might not be so irritating after all.

As they make their way, word by word, toward a 365-day streak, Emily is drawn into a surprising romance that will take her outside of her comfort zone—and challenge everything she thought she knew about happiness, success, and love.]]> 368 Amy James 0063399016 Stacee 0 netgalley, dnf, read-in-2024
I couldn't get into this one at all. As much as I love Wordle, there was an insane amount of time talking about it, including a full explanation of the game. Plus, I was not a fan of the MCs inner monologue.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.46 2024
author: Amy James
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: netgalley, dnf, read-in-2024
review:
DNF at 20%

I couldn't get into this one at all. As much as I love Wordle, there was an insane amount of time talking about it, including a full explanation of the game. Plus, I was not a fan of the MCs inner monologue.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 203579027
After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt�� s���’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet—and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm—the one he is from.

Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she doesn't know is that he's the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father—dead or alive.]]> 547 Mary E. Pearson 1250367573 Stacee 5 3.70 2024
author: Mary E. Pearson
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: library, cover-lust, read-in-2024
review:
Well. Wtf am I going to do with myself now?
]]> 58981709
One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship. But the more they get to know each other—and the longer Casey watches—it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage isn’t as perfect as it appears. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey immediately suspects Tom of foul play. What she doesn’t realize is that there’s more to the story than meets the eye—and that shocking secrets can lurk beneath the most placid of surfaces.

Packed with sharp characters, psychological suspense, and gasp-worthy plot twists, Riley Sager’s The House Across the Lake is the ultimate escapist read . . . no lake house required.]]> 363 Riley Sager 0593183207 Stacee 4 3.71 2022
author: Riley Sager
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/08
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves: library, read-in-2024, skimmidy-skim-skim-skim, cover-lust, dont-cheat
review:
This was a little slow at the beginning, but once it starts, it STARTS. Absolutely bonkers and I loved second guessing everything.
]]> 206180603
It's been five years since Charlotte Donovan was ditched at the altar by her ex-fiancée, and s���’s doing more than okay. Sure, her single mother never checks in, but she has her strings ensemble, the Rosalind Quartet, and her life in New York is a dream come true. As the holidays draw near, her ensemble mate Sloane persuades Charlotte and the rest of the quartet to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado—it is much cozier and quieter than Manhattan, and it would guarantee more practice time for the quartet’s upcoming tour. But when Charlotte arrives, she discovers that Sloane’s sister Adele also brought a friend home—and that friend is none other than her ex, Brighton. All Brighton Fairbrook wanted was to have the holliest, jolliest Christmas—and try to forget that her band kicked her out. But instead, s���’s stuck pretending like she and her ex are strangers—which proves to be difficult when Sloane and Adele’s mom signs them all up for a series of Christmas dating events. Charlotte and Brighton are soon entrenched in horseback riding and cookie decorating, but Charlotte still won’t talk to her. Brighton can hardly blame her after what she did. After a few days, however, things start to slip through. Memories. Music. The way they used to play together—Brighton on guitar, Charlotte on her violin—and it all feels painfully familiar. But it’s all in the past and nothing can melt the ice in their hearts...right?]]> 342 Ashley Herring Blake 0593550595 Stacee 4
I loved this group of characters. Of course, the story is about Charlotte and Brighton, but I don't think they would have gotten anywhere without the supportive friends and new family members.

The plot is a bit meandering with a lot of push and pull, some open conversations (after a time), and a good amount of levity. I truly loved reading these two figure things out and the epilogue was just what I wanted.

Overall, another fantastic book from Ashley. I can't wait to read what's next.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.60 2024
author: Ashley Herring Blake
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/05
date added: 2024/12/05
shelves: edelweiss, theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats, read-in-2024
review:
I don't think I'll ever not enjoy a book from Ashley.

I loved this group of characters. Of course, the story is about Charlotte and Brighton, but I don't think they would have gotten anywhere without the supportive friends and new family members.

The plot is a bit meandering with a lot of push and pull, some open conversations (after a time), and a good amount of levity. I truly loved reading these two figure things out and the epilogue was just what I wanted.

Overall, another fantastic book from Ashley. I can't wait to read what's next.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 204316865 A Hitchcock fanatic with an agenda invites old friends for a weekend stay at his secluded themed hotel in this fiendishly clever, suspenseful new novel.

Alfred Smettle is not your average Hitchcock fan. He is the founder, owner, and manager of The Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian house in the White Mountains dedicated to the Master of Suspense. There, Alfred offers his guests round-the-clock film screenings, movie props and memorabilia in every room, plus an aviary with fifty crows.

To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, he invites his former best friends from his college Film Club for a reunion. He hasn’t spoken to any of them in sixteen years, not after what happened.

But who better than them to appreciate Alfred’s creation? And to help him finish it.

After all, no Hitchcock set is complete without a body.]]> 352 Stephanie Wrobel 059354711X Stacee 2
This sounded like everything I could have wanted and sadly, I was bored more than anything.

This story is told with multiple POVs and all of the characters have a lot going on. Normally, I don't care for this many sides to the story, but I was eager to see it unfold slowly. In this case, there's mostly telling, mostly living in the past, and the action doesn't actually happen until 75%.

I don't want to give anything away, but it was fairly obviously who was behind evening and the small reveals didn't add tension or suspense to the plot.

Overall, this had a lot of potential, unfortunately for me, it fell flat.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.57 2024
author: Stephanie Wrobel
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/03
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: edelweiss, title-in-the-story, read-in-2024, skimmidy-skim-skim-skim
review:
2.5 stars

This sounded like everything I could have wanted and sadly, I was bored more than anything.

This story is told with multiple POVs and all of the characters have a lot going on. Normally, I don't care for this many sides to the story, but I was eager to see it unfold slowly. In this case, there's mostly telling, mostly living in the past, and the action doesn't actually happen until 75%.

I don't want to give anything away, but it was fairly obviously who was behind evening and the small reveals didn't add tension or suspense to the plot.

Overall, this had a lot of potential, unfortunately for me, it fell flat.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 202468441 When cracks start forming in an influencer’s curated life, she finds out that jealousy is just as viral as a video in this riveting suspense novel by bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.

Influencer Meredith Lee��didn't teach��Aspen��Palmer how to blossom on social media just to be ditched as soon as��Aspen��became big. So can anyone really blame Mer for doing a little stalking? Nothing serious, more like Stalking Lite.

Then Mer gets lucky; she finds one of��Aspen's kids' iPads and swipes it. Now she has access to the family calendar and Aspen's social media accounts. Would anyone else be able to resist tweaking things a little here and there, showing up in��Aspen's place for meetings with potential sponsors? Mer's only taking back what she deserves—what should have been hers.��

Meanwhile,��Aspen��doesn't understand why her perfectly filtered life is falling apart. Sponsors are dropping her, fellow influencers are ghosting her, and even her own husband seems to find her repulsive. If she doesn't find out who's behind everything, she might just lose it all. But what everyone seems to forget is that��Aspen��didn't become one of TikTok's��biggest momfluencers��by being naive.

When��Meredith suddenly��goes missing,��Aspen's world is upended and mysterious threats begin to arrive—but she won’t let anything get in the way of her perfect life again.]]> 336 Jesse Q. Sutanto 0593546946 Stacee 4 edelweiss, read-in-2024
Meredith and Aspen are toxic friends. They're both striving for notoriety and come across as fake the entire time. There are a few secondary characters here, but this story is firmly Meredith and Aspen's.

Plot wise, it was interesting. The mania of constant posting, the hold that social media plays, and the amount of work it takes really shone through. I really enjoyed the past and present chapters so we could read how it actually unfolded.

Overall, I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say it went in a direction I didn't expect and I loved that.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.61 2024
author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/01
date added: 2024/12/01
shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2024
review:
I wasn't sure about the influencer subject, but I do love a whodunnit, so I was eager to get into this one.

Meredith and Aspen are toxic friends. They're both striving for notoriety and come across as fake the entire time. There are a few secondary characters here, but this story is firmly Meredith and Aspen's.

Plot wise, it was interesting. The mania of constant posting, the hold that social media plays, and the amount of work it takes really shone through. I really enjoyed the past and present chapters so we could read how it actually unfolded.

Overall, I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say it went in a direction I didn't expect and I loved that.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 195790785 A widowed duchess in possession of a fortune must be in want of a husband...or is she? It's a battle of wills in this delightfully clever, enemies-to-lovers romance.

Tamsin Palmer—the recently widowed Duchess of Clevesly—has almost anything a woman of common birth could want: wealth, title, estate, and even her adored toddler son. But it's not exactly easy. She's been ostracized by the ton due to her decidedly unblue blood. And worse still, her dearly departed duke has assigned a co-guardian of their son: the handsome (if insufferable) Count of Rauchberg, who seems most insistent on dictating the terms of Tamsin's duchy. But not if she has anything to say about it...

Christian August has never been so vexed in his life. He's come to help raise the duchess's son, and in return, she's doing everything she can to destroy his peace of mind. Unleashing goats, secretly shortening the cuffs of his shirts, and—damn the infernal woman—driving him to distraction with her flashing eyes and soft, kissable lips. It's enough to make a man forget his duty...

With every argument, the longing grows stronger. With every diabolical prank, the temptation becomes greater. And they'll risk everything to win...even if it means surrendering to a passion that will destroy them both.]]> 368 Michelle McLean 1649376472 Stacee 3 netgalley, read-in-2024
I liked Tamsin and Christian well enough. They're both loyal and good people who value their friends. I liked the animosity that started their relationship and how it organically morphed into something more. Of course, it was fun seeing the previous characters.

Plot wise, it was okay. There's a lot of inner monologue and several sentences or passages that felt repetitive. The story was a slow meandering without any real tension and that kept me from really being captivated on how it played out.

Overall, I did keep reading because the characters were easy to root for.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.87 2024
author: Michelle McLean
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/30
date added: 2024/11/30
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2024
review:
I had read and enjoyed a few of this author's other titles so I went into this one without reading the synopsis.

I liked Tamsin and Christian well enough. They're both loyal and good people who value their friends. I liked the animosity that started their relationship and how it organically morphed into something more. Of course, it was fun seeing the previous characters.

Plot wise, it was okay. There's a lot of inner monologue and several sentences or passages that felt repetitive. The story was a slow meandering without any real tension and that kept me from really being captivated on how it played out.

Overall, I did keep reading because the characters were easy to root for.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 204593559 A wicked prince determined to save his kingdom.

Gabriel Axton—infamous as the Prince of Gluttony, the self-proclaimed rake of rakes—has always lived for indulgence: in delicious food, in tantalizing women, and most of all, in the thrill of the hunt, where his love of danger can take over. But when his favorite adventure takes a deadly turn, he realizes something is very wrong in his demon court. With the clock ticking, he must turn to the only one who might uncover the truth: a journalist he has spent a decade avoiding��

A reporter hell-bent on finding the truth.

Adriana Saint Lucent has been on the hunt for years—if she could just report something damning enough about that no-good scoundrel Gabriel Axton, she knows others would finally see the demon as she does. But she never expected to turn up a rumor too terrifying to be believed: could the ice dragons to the north be growing restless? Drawn into the secrets of the Underworld, Adriana’s investigation leads her into the place she dreads most�� Axton’s infamous court.

A dangerous rivalry—and deliciously twisted fairy tale.

To stop darkness from falling over their kingdom, Axton and Adriana will have to unite against an escalating danger. But with each holding tight to their own secrets, can they find the truth before it’s too late? And what will they do with an equally troubling rumor: that they might not actually hate one another, after all?

Two rivals torn apart by a dark memory reunite on a deadly hunt—and in an irresistibly twisted fairy tale—in the next steamy standalone fantasy romance from New York Times bestselling sensation Kerri Maniscalco.]]> 502 Kerri Maniscalco 0316557544 Stacee 3
This one took some time to get into because there are so many moving parts and space needed to set those parts in motion.

I really liked these two, but somehow it felt like they weren't together all that much. I wanted more banter, more playfulness, more honesty. And I definitely wanted more at the end. ]]> 3.89 2024
author: Kerri Maniscalco
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/27
date added: 2024/11/27
shelves: library, theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats, read-in-2024
review:
3.5 stars

This one took some time to get into because there are so many moving parts and space needed to set those parts in motion.

I really liked these two, but somehow it felt like they weren't together all that much. I wanted more banter, more playfulness, more honesty. And I definitely wanted more at the end.
]]> 122494718
Beckett Porter certainly hasn’t. One incredible weekend in Maine, and ���’s officially a man distracted. He’s not unfamiliar with hot and heavy flings. He knows how it goes. But Evie wove some sort of magic over him during their tumble in the sheets. He can’t stop thinking about her laugh. Her hand pressed flat against his chest. Her smiling mouth at his neck.

Also, her eyes. And her legs.

So when she suddenly appears on his farm as part of a social media contest, he is �� confused. He had no idea that the sweet and sexy woman he met at a bar is actually a global phenomenon: social media influencer Evelyn St. James. When she disappears again, Beckett resolves to finally forget her and move on.

But Evelyn St. James has a problem.

Feeling disconnected from her work and increasingly unhappy, s���’s trying to find her way back to something real. She returns to the last place she was happy, Lovelight Farms and the tiny town of Inglewild.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the hot farmer she spent two incredible nights with.

Nothing at all.

In The Weeds is a sweet and steamy second-chance romance about finding your happiness. It features a grumpy farmer, a no-nonsense social media influencer, a small town of busybodies, and four very cute kittens. In The Weeds is a standalone romance and is part of the Lovelight series.]]> 334 B.K. Borison 0593641140 Stacee 4 3.74 2022
author: B.K. Borison
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/23
date added: 2024/11/23
shelves: library, theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats, read-in-2024
review:
I just want to read all of them now.
]]> 220389457
When Everleigh Dangerfield’s baking disaster necessitates a call to 911, firefighter Griffin Brantley douses the flames in the kitchen, but the ones he stokes in Everleigh are an entirely different story. Unfortunately, Everleigh’s only visiting and doesn’t do casual hookups, no matter how smoldering the temptation. But Everleigh’s holiday mishaps have just begun. And Griffin is seemingly always on call. If Everleigh is game for a change of plans, he can give her the merriest Christmas of her life.

Alexandria Bellefleur’s Merriment and Mayhem is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.]]> 58 Alexandria Bellefleur 1662529341 Stacee 5 read-in-2024 3.28 2024
author: Alexandria Bellefleur
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/21
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves: read-in-2024
review:
I would have devoured a full length book of these two, but somehow this small set of pages worked for them.
]]> 220389465 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey.

Evie Crowe is starting over in a strange town with her newborn, and men are the furthest thing from her mind. If only the quiet, hulking farmer, Luke Ward, would stop coming into the thrift shop and piquing her reluctant interest. Evie wants to stay single all the way—she can’t trust anything more than friends-with-holiday-benefits. But Luke is in it for the long haul. He’s fixed on making this a Christmas Evie will remember forever. If she gives him a chance.

Tessa Bailey’s Merry Ever After is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.]]> 59 Tessa Bailey 1662528736 Stacee 3 read-in-2024 2.79 2024
author: Tessa Bailey
name: Stacee
average rating: 2.79
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/21
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves: read-in-2024
review:
50 pages definitely wasn't enough for these two, but it was a quick and fun read.
]]> 43558328 A canine Search and Rescue volunteer fights danger and finds love in the Pacific Northwest wilderness in this riveting #1 New York Times bestseller from Nora Roberts.

To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life—a quaint house on an island off Seattle’s coast, a thriving dog-training school and a challenging volunteer job performing Canine Search and Rescue. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare: an encounter with the Red Scarf Killer, who shot and killed Fiona’s cop fiancé and his K-9 partner.

On Orcas Island, Fiona has found the peace and solitude necessary to rebuild her life with her three loyal Labs. But all that changes on the day intensely private wood artist Simon Doyle barrels up her drive with an out-of-control puppy, desperate for her help.

As Fiona embarks on training Jaws, and Simon begins to appreciate both dog and trainer, the past tears back into Fiona’s life. A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who slipped out of his hands...]]> 497 Nora Roberts Stacee 2 4.52 2010
author: Nora Roberts
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2010
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/20
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves: library, read-in-2024, skimmidy-skim-skim-skim
review:
This one just wasn't working for me, but did get me invested just enough to want to know how it ended. Even if I did skim a good amount of it.
]]> 58555877 The riveting novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Liar.

“She stood in the deep, dark woods, breath shallow and cold prickling over her skin despite the hot, heavy air. She took a step back, then two, as the urge to run fell over her.��

Naomi Bowes lost her innocence the night she followed her father into the woods. In freeing the girl trapped in the root cellar, Naomi revealed the horrible extent of her father’s crimes and made him infamous. No matter how close she gets to happiness, she can’t outrun the sins of Thomas David Bowes.

Now a successful photographer living under the name Naomi Carson, she has found a place that calls to her, a rambling old house in need of repair, thousands of miles away from everything s���’s ever known. Naomi wants to embrace the solitude, but the kindly residents of Sunrise Cove keep forcing her to open up—especially the determined Xander Keaton.

Naomi can feel her defenses failing, and knows that the connection her new life offers is something s���’s always secretly craved. But the sins of her father can become an obsession, and, as s���’s learned time and again, her past is never more than a nightmare away.]]> 464 Nora Roberts Stacee 5 4.58 2016
author: Nora Roberts
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/14
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: library, use-of-the-other-f-word, theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats, read-in-2024, rape-or-molestation-or-sa
review:
This is exactly the sort of rom/sus I love. I knew NR wouldn't disappoint.
]]> 211004040 The #1 New York Times bestselling author spins an epic tale of loyalty, treachery, murder, and the long shadow of war��

His passport read Giovanni Rossi. But decades ago, during the Urban Wars, he was part of a small, secret organization called The Twelve. Responding to an urgent summons from an old compatriot, he landed in New York and eased into the waiting car. And died within minutes��

Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds the Rossi case frustrating. S���’s got an elderly victim who’d just arrived from Rome; a widow who knows nothing about why he’d left; an as-yet unidentifiable weapon; and zero results on facial recognition. But when she finds a connection to the Urban Wars of the 2020s, she thinks Summerset―fiercely loyal, if somewhat grouchy, major-domo and the man who’d rescued her husband from the Dublin streets―may know something from his stint as a medic in Europe back then.

When Summerset learns of the crime, his shock and grief are clear―because, as he eventually reveals, he himself was one of The Twelve. It’s not a part of his past he likes to revisit. But now he must―not only to assist Eve’s investigation, but because a cryptic message from the killer has boasted that others of The Twelve have also died. Summerset is one of those who remain―and the murderous mission is yet to be fully accomplished…]]> 359 J.D. Robb 1250370795 Stacee 4 physical-arc, read-in-2024 ]]> 4.41 2025
author: J.D. Robb
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/12
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves: physical-arc, read-in-2024
review:
This one was a bit slower for me to get into, but once it gets going, it doesn't let go. I especially loved getting some insight to Summerset's past and of course how the bullpen rallies around Eve.

]]> 200555278
Emma has been a thorn in Caleb’s side since middle school. Having tarnished their friendship in eighth grade, s���’s now little more to him than an unkempt, unruly, disastrous bisexual mess. Over the years, s���’s gotten in the way of every romantic relationship ���’s attempted to settle into, using little more than mischievous charisma to lure them into her clutches.

To Emma, Caleb sets the record for World’s Largest Stick in the Mud. Uptight, unbearably tidy, and a rule-follower, ���’s exactly the kind of boring person her mother wishes she was. When she discovers they’re both after Juliet, the new girl, Emma proposes a competition to nudge him out of the way. Whoever can get Juliet to kiss them first wins, and the opposition must bow out with the promise of never talking to her again.

But plans go awry when Juliet seems mostly interested in hanging out with both of them together. Emma and Caleb just have to figure out whether winning Juliet’s heart is worth the torment of constantly dealing with each other, and the risk of reopening wounds from a past they thought they had left behind.]]> 384 Amanda Woody 0593403142 Stacee 5 netgalley, read-in-2024
I love love loved Emma, Caleb, and Juliet. They’re all so different and yet all looking to belong. I loved Emma’s crunchiness, Caleb’s caring, and Juliet’s sunshine. Of course, there are some wonderful secondary characters who were just as great, especially when everyone was together.

Plot wise, it was good. There are a few moving pieces here: Emma’s home life, Caleb’s dad, and Juliet’s ex-friends. The focus quickly becomes the history of Emma and Caleb and how they’re dealing with the present. I really enjoyed getting the “back then�� chapters to read how it all went down, instead of being told they just weren’t friends any longer.

Overall, this was a delightfully real story, filled with characters who were so easy to root for (and want to mash their faces together at the same time.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.80 2024
author: Amanda Woody
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/10
date added: 2024/11/11
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2024
review:
Well, past Stacee needs to be kicked for waiting so long to read this one.

I love love loved Emma, Caleb, and Juliet. They’re all so different and yet all looking to belong. I loved Emma’s crunchiness, Caleb’s caring, and Juliet’s sunshine. Of course, there are some wonderful secondary characters who were just as great, especially when everyone was together.

Plot wise, it was good. There are a few moving pieces here: Emma’s home life, Caleb’s dad, and Juliet’s ex-friends. The focus quickly becomes the history of Emma and Caleb and how they’re dealing with the present. I really enjoyed getting the “back then�� chapters to read how it all went down, instead of being told they just weren’t friends any longer.

Overall, this was a delightfully real story, filled with characters who were so easy to root for (and want to mash their faces together at the same time.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 65214313 A sapphic rivals to lovers rom com for fans of Ted Lasso and A League of Their Own, where two soccer teammates are at odds before falling in love as their team gears up for the World Cup.

Grace Henderson has been a star of the US Women’s National Team for ten years, even though s���’s only 26. But when s���’s sidelined with an injury, a bold new upstart, Phoebe Matthews, takes her spot. Phoebe is everything Grace isn’t—a gregarious jokester who plays with a joy that Grace lost somewhere along the way. The last thing Grace expects is to become friends with benefits with this class clown she sees as her rival.

Phoebe Matthews has always admired Grace’s skill and was star struck to be training alongside her idol. But she quickly finds herself looking at Grace as more than a mere teammate. After one daring kiss, s���’s hooked. Grace is everything she has been waiting to find.

As the World Cup approaches, and Grace works her way back from injury, the women decide to find a way they can play together instead of vying for the same position. Except, when they are off the field, Grace is worried s���’s catching feelings while Phoebe thinks they are dating. As the tension between them grows, will both players realize they care more about their relationship than making the roster?]]> 328 Meryl Wilsner 1250873304 Stacee 3
I really liked Phoebe and Grace. They're both loyal and loving and passionate about soccer. I enjoyed reading their differences mesh and smooth out as they worked through the chemistry they had. The team is pretty rad and I loved how supportive everyone was.

Plot wise, it was okay. There is a lot of inner monologue and a good amount of telling, not showing. For me, that is a struggle to get through and I did find myself skimming in parts.

Overall, it was a good story and had characters who were easy to root for.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.72 2023
author: Meryl Wilsner
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/07
date added: 2024/11/07
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2024, skimmidy-skim-skim-skim
review:
Sports romances are sort of hit and miss for me, but I was intrigued by the Ted Lasso comparison, so here we are.

I really liked Phoebe and Grace. They're both loyal and loving and passionate about soccer. I enjoyed reading their differences mesh and smooth out as they worked through the chemistry they had. The team is pretty rad and I loved how supportive everyone was.

Plot wise, it was okay. There is a lot of inner monologue and a good amount of telling, not showing. For me, that is a struggle to get through and I did find myself skimming in parts.

Overall, it was a good story and had characters who were easy to root for.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 207697104 She thrives in chaos. He prefers routine. The only thing they have in common? How much they hate each other.

From the author of Done and Dusted and Swift and Saddled, the highly anticipated next book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, a small town romance in which enemies turn to lovers when they're forced to work together during one hot summer.

Teddy Andersen doesn’t have a plan. S���’s never needed one before. S���’s always been more of a go with the flow type of girl, but for some reason, the flow doesn’t seem to be going her way this time.

Her favorite vintage suede jacket has a hole in it, her sewing machine is broken, and her best friend just got engaged. Suddenly, everything feels like it’s starting to change. Teddy’s used to being a leader, but now she feels like s���’s getting left behind, wondering if life in the small town she loves is enough for her anymore.

Gus Ryder has a lot on his plate. He doesn’t know what’s taking care of his family’s 8,000 acre ranch, or parenting his spunky six-year-old daughter, who is staying with him for the summer. Gus has always been the dependable one, but when his workload starts to overwhelm him, he has to admit that he can’t manage everything on his own. He needs help.

His little sister’s best friend, the woman he can’t stand, is not who he had in mind. But when no one else can step in, Teddy's the only option ���’s got. Teddy decides to use the summer to try and figure out what she wants out of life. Gus, on the other hand, starts to worry that he’ll never find what he needs.

Tempers flare, tension builds, and for the first time ever, Gus and Teddy start to see each other in a different light. As new feelings start to simmer below the surface, they must decide whether or not to act on them. Can they keep things cool? Or will both of them get burned?]]> 336 Lyla Sage 0593732464 Stacee 4 4.30 2024
author: Lyla Sage
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/06
date added: 2024/11/06
shelves: library, hair-swoons, read-in-2024
review:
I loved these two and somehow didn't get enough of them. Absolutely loved Riley, the scenes with the previous two covers, and the set up for the last book.
]]> 213650748 S���’s the one that got away. He’s the one that never let her go.

From the bestselling author of Done and Dusted and Swift and Saddled, the next book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, a small town romance in which past lovers get a second chance to rediscover what they lost.

Camille Ashwood had always loved a plan. Her latest was her best yet. She was going to get married so she could secure her daughter’s future, get her overbearing parents off her back, and finally start building her own life in small town Meadowlark, Wyoming. Easy, right?

But when her groom doesn’t show up to the wedding, Cam’s life is turned upside down—she doesn’t even have a place to live. That is, until she finds out the house s���’s loved since high school is available to rent. There’s only one problem: the neighbor.

Dusty Tucker has spent nearly all of his adult life running. Running from what, though? More like who: Cam Ashwood. But ever since he returned home last year, the girl who was his first, well, everything has become a woman seemingly determined to keep him at arm’s length. And he was okay with that—at least, that’s what he kept telling himself. She was getting married, after all. But now s���’s single and living next door. Dusty wants to show her that they can be friends, and that he can stay put.

Despite her best attempts to stay far away from Dusty Tucker, Cam realizes that being close to him is like slipping on her favorite jeans. Easy. Comfortable. That is until past wounds start to open and feelings—both old and new—wreak havoc. Nearly ten years after they first met, Dusty and Cam begin to wonder if their first love can also be their last. And this time, will it be forever?]]> Lyla Sage Stacee 0 to-read 4.16 2025
author: Lyla Sage
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 159302318 How far would an abandoned son go to get revenge?

American Leonora Garrison has come to England in desperate search of investors to keep her family business afloat but instead finds surprising pleasure when she visits an exclusive ladies' club and dares to kiss a stranger, who leaves her yearning for more.

With a libertine for a father, Viscount Wyeth, more commonly known as Rook, vowed to live his life above reproach, with nary a hint of disgrace. Until one night, he takes a mysterious beauty into his arms, a lady who tempts him to cast his sterling reputation aside in favor of more wicked pursuits.

When fate reunites the couple, they are torn between desire and duty. Leonora may want the viscount, but she needs a stakeholder not a lover. When caught in a compromising situation that places everything they hold dear at risk, they must determine how best to win. However, in this scandalous game, nothing except love takes all.]]> 381 Lorraine Heath 0063114720 Stacee 4
I loved Nora and Johnny. They're both so smart and considered odd and I really enjoyed these two finding their way. Nora's family deserved to be kicked repeatedly and I'm a bit disappointed that she never stood up to them.

Plot wise, it was good. They're together most of the time and have several open conversations, which is always a favorite of mine. And let's not forget getting to see several of the Trewloves again.

Overall, I have really enjoyed this series and I can't wait to read what's next.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.98 2024
author: Lorraine Heath
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/03
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: netgalley, title-in-the-story, read-in-2024
review:
I'm a little disappointed with past Stacee for taking so long to read this one.

I loved Nora and Johnny. They're both so smart and considered odd and I really enjoyed these two finding their way. Nora's family deserved to be kicked repeatedly and I'm a bit disappointed that she never stood up to them.

Plot wise, it was good. They're together most of the time and have several open conversations, which is always a favorite of mine. And let's not forget getting to see several of the Trewloves again.

Overall, I have really enjoyed this series and I can't wait to read what's next.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 203163930 The relationship is a lie but the sparks are real in this laugh-out-loud, sparkling rom-com where a no-nonsense lawyer fakes a relationship with her barista to avoid going solo to her ex-girlfriend's wedding.�� No-nonsense lawyer Tara Sloane Chadwick is perfectly fine with going to her ex’s wedding—the break-up was congenial, and Tara is nothing if not well-mannered. But after one too many reminders of her dismal dating track, Tara panics when asked if she'll need a plus-one and declares she's bringing her new girlfriend. One Tara is seriously��single. Thankfully, Holly, the waitress she's been crushing on, happily offers to be her fake date . . .�� �� Only Holly's offer isn't quite selfless—she's been lusting over Tara for ages, but Tara only dates women she can marry. And Holly has no interest in settling down with anyone or��in any one place. A temporary arrangement is the perfect Holly and Tara can enjoy a no-strings fling for the wedding and part ways after. However, between sharing kisses and hotel beds and cuddling under the mistletoe, Tara begins to dream of a life with Holly in Charleston . . . just as Holly starts wishing she could travel with Tara by her side. Soon, neither can see a future without the other, but can they find a path forward where they both can thrive?�����ձ�> 368 Helena Greer 1538768682 Stacee 2
When I requested this one, I noticed that it was part of a series, but assumed it was still considered a standalone. Technically, it is, but there are so many characters and history that absolutely need to be known in order for most of this story to make sense.

I liked Holly and Tara well enough, but never really caught their chemistry. The friend group seems great, but again, I didn't know details and felt like I was missing a good chunk.

Overall, the story has a lot of potential and I liked the characters. Maybe I'll go back and read the other two...

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**]]> 3.50 2024
author: Helena Greer
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/02
date added: 2024/11/02
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2024, skimmidy-skim-skim-skim
review:
2.5 stars

When I requested this one, I noticed that it was part of a series, but assumed it was still considered a standalone. Technically, it is, but there are so many characters and history that absolutely need to be known in order for most of this story to make sense.

I liked Holly and Tara well enough, but never really caught their chemistry. The friend group seems great, but again, I didn't know details and felt like I was missing a good chunk.

Overall, the story has a lot of potential and I liked the characters. Maybe I'll go back and read the other two...

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 63022565 The first book in this USA Today bestselling author’s delicious new Hidden Royals series, in which a princess in exile searches for her lost brother—and falls for the devastatingly charming scoundrel sent to thwart her.

A hidden princess��
Princess Regine Elise Adelaide d’Orleans is no longer a princess, but s���’s also no commoner. S���’s obscure French royalty, exiled to England in the aftermath of the revolution. She lives as a glorified houseguest of the British Royal family, guarded and gilded, but also trapped.

The cynical outcast��
Mr. Killian Crewes serves as the “Royal Fixer�� in St. James’s Palace, making messy situations disappear. As the second son of an earl, cleaning up indiscretions was hardly Killian’s goal in life, but his mother’s notoriety makes him less of a peer, and more a member of staff.

A royal scandal��
When Princess Elise spots her long-lost brother in a crowded market, she's determined to find him. But her search puts the palace in an uncomfortable position, and they hire Killian to seduce the princess to distract her from meddling. Except, no one anticipated that Killian would be the one seduced instead. Now ���’s risking everything for the lonely princess—his job, her reputation, and both of their hearts.]]> 373 Charis Michaels 006328006X Stacee 0 netgalley, dnf, read-in-2024
In four days, I haven't gotten further than 30% and it was a bit of a struggle. I'm just not interested in these two or the plot at all.

I might come back to this at some point because I do love the other books that I've read from Charis.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.75 2023
author: Charis Michaels
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2024/10/30
date added: 2024/10/30
shelves: netgalley, dnf, read-in-2024
review:
DNF at 30%

In four days, I haven't gotten further than 30% and it was a bit of a struggle. I'm just not interested in these two or the plot at all.

I might come back to this at some point because I do love the other books that I've read from Charis.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 61379411 Diana Biller's Hotel of Secrets is chock full of banter-filled shenanigans, must-have-you kisses, and romance certain to light a fire in the hearts of readers everywhere.

During ball season, anything can happen�� even love.

It’s ball season in Vienna, and Maria Wallner only wants one to restore her family’s hotel, the Hotel Wallner, to its former glory. S���’s not going to let anything get in her way - not her parents�� three-decade-long affair; not seemingly-random attacks by masked assassins; and especially not the broad-shouldered American foreign agent who’s saved her life two times already. No matter how luscious his mouth is.

Eli Whittaker also only wants one to find out who is selling American secret codes across Europe, arrest them, and go home to his sensible life in Washington, DC. He has one lead - a letter the culprit sent from a Viennese hotel. But when he arrives in Vienna, he is immediately swept up into a chaotic whirlwind of balls, spies, waltzes, and beautiful hotelkeepers who seem to constantly find themselves in danger. He disapproves of all of it! But his disapproval is tested as he slowly falls deeper into the chaos - and as his attraction to said hotelkeeper grows.

"A beautifully researched and emotionally complex experience, Hotel of Secrets is an opulent slice of Viennese tradition as rich as a torte and as layered as a complicated line of Strauss. With intrigue and danger that nips on the heels of its luscious waltz, Biller’s lush and atmospheric escape is dolloped with romance and the deep, complicated and sigh-worthy characters that always shoot her to the top of my auto-buy list." - Rachel McMillan, author of The Mozart Code]]> 411 Diana Biller 1250809460 Stacee 3 netgalley, read-in-2024
I really liked Maria and Eli. They're both seemingly on their own and looking for some sort of purpose: for Maria, it's the hotel, for Eli, it's working for the Treasury. Together they have a fun meet cute that morphs into a begrudging acquaintance into friendship to more. I loved reading them try to figure things out and especially loved all of the exasperation each had for the other.

Plot wise, it was half good, half so very boring. There's a lot of history (I don't know if it's real or not) and the sections of journal entries at the beginning of the chapters became something I skipped. I wanted to know what happened to everyone, but wasn't really concerned with the so-called mystery of the story.

Overall, it was the characters that I was invested in, but I likely could have just skipped to the end and saved myself some time.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.97 2023
author: Diana Biller
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/26
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2024
review:
Well. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this story...I think that maybe 3 stars could be too high.

I really liked Maria and Eli. They're both seemingly on their own and looking for some sort of purpose: for Maria, it's the hotel, for Eli, it's working for the Treasury. Together they have a fun meet cute that morphs into a begrudging acquaintance into friendship to more. I loved reading them try to figure things out and especially loved all of the exasperation each had for the other.

Plot wise, it was half good, half so very boring. There's a lot of history (I don't know if it's real or not) and the sections of journal entries at the beginning of the chapters became something I skipped. I wanted to know what happened to everyone, but wasn't really concerned with the so-called mystery of the story.

Overall, it was the characters that I was invested in, but I likely could have just skipped to the end and saved myself some time.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 122753311
A pasture of dead trees. A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams.

In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm s���’s loved since she was a kid, Stella enters a contest with Instagram-famous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, Stella might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on her application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only…there is no boyfriend.

Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just stopped by for some hot chocolate and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process. But fake dating his best friend might be the best Christmas present ���’s ever received.]]> 332 B.K. Borison 0593641124 Stacee 5 library, read-in-2024 3.74 2021
author: B.K. Borison
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/20
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves: library, read-in-2024
review:
I loved these two so much. I could have done with more Luka POV, but the last chapter of it was exactly what I wanted.
]]> 121764710
S���’s waded through all of the fish in the sea, each one more disappointing than the last. Apparently owning the bakery at Inglewild’s most romantic destination does not help one’s love life—despite her best efforts. All she wants is a partner who gives her butterflies, not someone who ghosts her at dinner and leaves her with the check.

Good thing Caleb Alvarez has the perfect solution.

After saving Layla from another date gone bad, he has a simple proposition: One month of no-strings dating. He’ll do his best to renew her faith in men while she rates his dating game. It’s a win-win situation. All the benefits of dating, without the added pressure of feelings and unmet expectations.

But there’s one ingredient they haven’t considered. The chemistry between them is red hot and the urge to take things to the next level is more tempting than Layla’s double fudge mocha brownies.

Will the heat between them boil over? Or will it be another case of mixed signals?

Mixed Signals is a sweet and steamy small-town romance. Our story features a bashful man who can rock a Hawaiian shirt, a hopeful and dreamy bakery owner, enough sweets to give you a cavity, and your favorite Inglewild residents. Mixed Signals is a standalone romance and the third book in the Lovelight series, a collection of interconnected novels.]]> 335 B.K. Borison 0593641167 Stacee 5
I wasn’t sure anything could top Nova and Charlie (it doesn’t), but Layla and Caleb come so close. I loved how loving and open these two were. I loved how they were both looking for something they hadn’t found until the “arrangement�� between them. And I especially loved Caleb’s meddling family and could have done with a million more scenes with his abeula.

Plot wise, it was good. A lot of sweetness and open conversations and awkwardness. I adored reading these two figure things out. Of course there’s a slight miscommunication, but it doesn’t last too long and the phone tree steps in when necessary.

Overall, this felt cozy and I know I’ll be binging the series (as soon as I finish the first two.)

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.90 2022
author: B.K. Borison
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/16
date added: 2024/10/17
shelves: edelweiss, theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats, read-in-2024
review:
Well, I am super behind on this series because I started with the last book and I’m somehow reading backwards.

I wasn’t sure anything could top Nova and Charlie (it doesn’t), but Layla and Caleb come so close. I loved how loving and open these two were. I loved how they were both looking for something they hadn’t found until the “arrangement�� between them. And I especially loved Caleb’s meddling family and could have done with a million more scenes with his abeula.

Plot wise, it was good. A lot of sweetness and open conversations and awkwardness. I adored reading these two figure things out. Of course there’s a slight miscommunication, but it doesn’t last too long and the phone tree steps in when necessary.

Overall, this felt cozy and I know I’ll be binging the series (as soon as I finish the first two.)

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 20814989 "You will have a powerful Gift, but it’s how you use it that will show you to be good or bad."

In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, seventeen-year-old Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most powerful and violent witch. Nathan is hunted from all sides: nowhere is safe and no one can be trusted. Now, Nathan has come into his own unique magical Gift, and he's on the run--but the Hunters are close behind, and they will stop at nothing until they have captured Nathan and destroyed his father.]]> 432 Sally Green 0670017132 Stacee 1 dnf, read-in-2015
The writing is still choppy and I couldn't find a rhythm to the story. There are a lot of British words and spellings. Normally that doesn't bother me, but the excessive use of "cos" was annoying.

Nathan is an okay character and there are a few new characters who have some potential, but it was so underwhelming. The spark that I expect from stories with magic and witches was not there. I'm guessing that is the main reason I couldn't stay focused.

I did skip to the end and read the last couple of chapters and the ending was really intriguing. I'm just not remotely interested in how the story gets there.

**Huge thanks to Viking and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**]]> 3.98 2015
author: Sally Green
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2015
rating: 1
read at: 2015/04/07
date added: 2024/10/16
shelves: dnf, read-in-2015
review:
I struggled really hard with this book. I made it to page 179 before I just couldn't do it any longer.

The writing is still choppy and I couldn't find a rhythm to the story. There are a lot of British words and spellings. Normally that doesn't bother me, but the excessive use of "cos" was annoying.

Nathan is an okay character and there are a few new characters who have some potential, but it was so underwhelming. The spark that I expect from stories with magic and witches was not there. I'm guessing that is the main reason I couldn't stay focused.

I did skip to the end and read the last couple of chapters and the ending was really intriguing. I'm just not remotely interested in how the story gets there.

**Huge thanks to Viking and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
]]> 59808269 Something To Talk About comes a sharp and sexy rom-com about a college senior who accidentally hooks up with her best friend’s mom.

When Cassie Klein goes to an off-campus bar to escape her school’s Family Weekend, she isn’t looking for a hookup—it just happens. Buying a drink for a stranger turns into what should be an uncomplicated, amazing one-night stand. But then the next morning rolls around and her friend drags her along to meet her mom—the hot, older woman Cassie slept with.

Erin Bennett came to Family Weekend to get closer to her daughter, not have a one-night stand with a college senior. In her defense, she hadn’t known Cassie was a student when they'd met. To make things worse, Erin’s daughter brings Cassie to breakfast the next morning. And despite Erin's better judgement—how could sleeping with your daughter’s friend be anything but bad?—she and Cassie get along in the day just as well as they did last night.

What should have been a one-time fling quickly proves impossible to ignore, and soon Cassie and Erin are sneaking around. Worst of all, they start to realize they have something real. But is being honest about the love between them worth the cost?]]> 352 Meryl Wilsner 1250841003 Stacee 3
I liked Cassie and Erin well enough. They're both loving and loyal and they have a lot of chemistry. I loved Cassie's friends and even though some of the group gatherings had way more characters than I could keep track of, it was fun to read everyone interacting.

Plot wise, it was okay. I get that the lust ruled these two, especially with the age difference and distance between them; however, I wanted more of a showing that they were moving into something permanent. The last third of the book quickly ramped up the tension, just to resolve it in a page or two and then the HEA epilogue.

Overall, I was interested enough to see how it was going to play out, but definitely wanted more.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.91 2022
author: Meryl Wilsner
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/15
date added: 2024/10/15
shelves: netgalley, hair-swoons, read-in-2024
review:
I enjoyed Meryl's previous book and this one sounded interesting.

I liked Cassie and Erin well enough. They're both loving and loyal and they have a lot of chemistry. I loved Cassie's friends and even though some of the group gatherings had way more characters than I could keep track of, it was fun to read everyone interacting.

Plot wise, it was okay. I get that the lust ruled these two, especially with the age difference and distance between them; however, I wanted more of a showing that they were moving into something permanent. The last third of the book quickly ramped up the tension, just to resolve it in a page or two and then the HEA epilogue.

Overall, I was interested enough to see how it was going to play out, but definitely wanted more.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 205435938 Gifted—or cursed—with the power to influence the weather, one woman must embrace her wild heart in the next electric romance from the author of Witch of Wild Things.

Teal Flores is desperate for two things—control over her gift of weather, and a date to her ex’s wedding. The first isn’t possible until she finds her long-lost mother, but the second has a very handsome last-ditch solution: Carter Velasquez.

Carter needs Teal too. His chance at receiving an inheritance is dependent on him being married by age thirty (blame his traditional Cuban grandmother), so who better to pose as his wife than Teal? But fake marriage and cohabitation prove tricky when mutual attraction charges the atmosphere—quite literally for Teal, whose volatile emotions cause lightning strikes.

Together, Teal and Carter embark on a quest to find her mother and the answers s���’s searching for. But along the way, they’ll discover something even better: a love that can weather any storm.]]> 352 Raquel Vasquez Gilliland 0593548590 Stacee 4 edelweiss, read-in-2024
I really liked Teal. She's angry and struggling and loyal to her family. I enjoyed reading about her gift and how the weather shifted around her. Sage and Sky are wonderful sisters and the scenes with all of them together were some of the best.

Plot wise, it's good. There are a fair amount of moving parts, but it all made sense and was necessary for the story. I could have easily done with 16371819 pages of all five women together because I loved the button pushing.

Overall, this is a rich and atmospheric story and I can't wait to read the next one.

FYI: abusive relationship in the past, but Teal thinks and talks about it a lot

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.82 2024
author: Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/13
date added: 2024/10/13
shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2024
review:
I was always interested in the first book of this series, but never got around to it. After reading this one, I definitely need to go back.

I really liked Teal. She's angry and struggling and loyal to her family. I enjoyed reading about her gift and how the weather shifted around her. Sage and Sky are wonderful sisters and the scenes with all of them together were some of the best.

Plot wise, it's good. There are a fair amount of moving parts, but it all made sense and was necessary for the story. I could have easily done with 16371819 pages of all five women together because I loved the button pushing.

Overall, this is a rich and atmospheric story and I can't wait to read the next one.

FYI: abusive relationship in the past, but Teal thinks and talks about it a lot

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 204898723 This Christmas, could the cowboy from her past unlock the key to her future?

When Landry King shows up at Four Corners Ranch with Lila, the teenage daughter no one ever knew he had, it sets the gossip mill churning. Landry’s daughter has lost her adoptive parents and is in desperate need of a new family. So this Christmas, the untamed cowboy is finally getting the chance to become the father he could never have been when Lila was born. Even if it means dealing with his other biggest regret��

Fia Sullivan hates Landry King. That’s how it’s always been. At least, that’s how it’s been since their dramatic teenage love affair ended in a way that shattered their hearts and left them with wounds that never healed. When Landry dredges up her most agonizing secret, Fia’s devastated…and also overjoyed at the possibility of the new life they could have. But there's only so long she can be near Landry before their simmering desire reignites. Can they finally overcome their past pain to find new love—and new family—this Christmas?

]]> 311 Maisey Yates Stacee 4 edelweiss, read-in-2024
I really liked these two. They’re both passionate, loyal, and so full of longing it was delicious. They’re also a bit headstrong, so there’s a lot a lot a lot of open discussions and understanding about the past that has to come into play before the relationship goes anywhere.

Plot wise, it’s good. There isn’t the amount of tension I was expecting, it’s more of a slow meandering that I’ve come to realize is how Maisey writes her stories. I truly enjoyed seeing both sides of the family rally around Fia and Landry and Lila and while the ending felt a bit rushed, the epilogue was satisfying. I’m definitely going to need to read the next story for a glimpse of this new family.

Overall, it was another quick read with characters who were so easy to root for.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 4.20
author: Maisey Yates
name: Stacee
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/09
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2024
review:
Well, after the set up for Fia and Landry’s relationship throughout the series, it was pretty satisfying to finally find out what went wrong between them.

I really liked these two. They’re both passionate, loyal, and so full of longing it was delicious. They’re also a bit headstrong, so there’s a lot a lot a lot of open discussions and understanding about the past that has to come into play before the relationship goes anywhere.

Plot wise, it’s good. There isn’t the amount of tension I was expecting, it’s more of a slow meandering that I’ve come to realize is how Maisey writes her stories. I truly enjoyed seeing both sides of the family rally around Fia and Landry and Lila and while the ending felt a bit rushed, the epilogue was satisfying. I’m definitely going to need to read the next story for a glimpse of this new family.

Overall, it was another quick read with characters who were so easy to root for.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 178565825
Cowboy Levi Granger is his own man. He’s proud of his ranch, and ���’s proud of the siblings he brought up after the devastating loss of their parents. The only thing ���’s not proud of is the way the Sullivan family took advantage of him when he was struggling the most. So when pretty Quinn Sullivan comes looking to access his land for a business venture, the kick of attraction is as shocking as it is unwelcome!

Book-smart Quinn can more than hold her own when it comes to arrogant cowboys. But there’s something about Levi that gets under her skin. Maybe it’s his ease around the ranch or his smoldering good looks—or maybe it’s the way he stares at her like he hates her but maybe also wants to kiss her. Quinn isn’t one to back down easily, but not falling for the frustratingly handsome cowboy is proving to be the biggest challenge s���’s ever faced…]]> 368 Maisey Yates 1335006273 Stacee 4 edelweiss, read-in-2024
Quinn and Levi are a lot more alike than it seems. They're both nursing a past hurt, have (even more) familial trauma, and they lash out in different ways. I loved that they were arguing from the very start.

Plot wise, it's a bit of a slow burn. They argue for most of the book, but through open conversations, they learn about each other and that's how the relationship morphs from enemies to acquaintances to friends to more. I could have done with a little more at the end, but I'm hoping to see them in the next book.

Overall, this one was a lot easier to get invested in and I'm eager for Fia's story.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.89
author: Maisey Yates
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/07
date added: 2024/10/07
shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2024
review:
I really enjoyed these two, so much more than the previous book.

Quinn and Levi are a lot more alike than it seems. They're both nursing a past hurt, have (even more) familial trauma, and they lash out in different ways. I loved that they were arguing from the very start.

Plot wise, it's a bit of a slow burn. They argue for most of the book, but through open conversations, they learn about each other and that's how the relationship morphs from enemies to acquaintances to friends to more. I could have done with a little more at the end, but I'm hoping to see them in the next book.

Overall, this one was a lot easier to get invested in and I'm eager for Fia's story.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 59910644 Hunter McCloud is the wildest cowboy of all…until he meets the one woman even more untamed than him��

After growing up around Hunter McCloud, Elsie Garrett considers herself immune to his particular brand of cowboy. Her brother’s best friend is too big, too broad, too everything for comfort. But when relationship-shy Elsie decides it’s finally time for her to get some romantic experience, Hunter suddenly might be useful after all. Maybe he, with his many casual hookups, is the perfect cowboy to teach her how to flirt?

Elsie is the best horse wrangler around, but Hunter can see she doesn’t know anything about men—orphaned as a child and brought up by her brothers, s���’s so wild s���’s practically feral. But Hunter has always looked out for her, and ���’s not about to stop now. Until Hunter realizes ���’s playing with fire. Elsie might not understand the chemistry slowly building between them, but he does, and it’s burning stronger and hotter than anything ���’s ever experienced. And when Elsie decides to act on it, Hunter knows that it could threaten to consume them both.

In the bonus novella Her Wayward Cowboy, can a returning cowboy win back the love of the woman he left behind?]]> 384 Maisey Yates 0369705971 Stacee 3 edelweiss, read-in-2024
I liked Elsie and Hunter. They have history and a good amount of familial trauma...which is brought up a lot a lot a lot. I do like this group of characters and ranch setting, so it was fun being back in this world.

Plot wise, it was mostly good. The majority of the book felt like inner monologue (mostly about the familial trauma) and it did get repetitive having each of the characters consistently repeat the same sentences throughout the story.

Overall, it was a quick read and I always forget how much I enjoy the older brother's best friend trope.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.75 2023
author: Maisey Yates
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/06
date added: 2024/10/06
shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2024
review:
Maisey Yates used to be my palette cleanser while reading YA and it's been a while since I've read any of her books.

I liked Elsie and Hunter. They have history and a good amount of familial trauma...which is brought up a lot a lot a lot. I do like this group of characters and ranch setting, so it was fun being back in this world.

Plot wise, it was mostly good. The majority of the book felt like inner monologue (mostly about the familial trauma) and it did get repetitive having each of the characters consistently repeat the same sentences throughout the story.

Overall, it was a quick read and I always forget how much I enjoy the older brother's best friend trope.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 199530278 Two eccentric orphans bring together a grumpy viscount and the free-spirited heroine who steals his heart in the first novel in Eloisa James's new Accidental Brides series, in which haughty aristocrats find themselves married to the wrong women.

He wants a nanny, not a bride...

Suddenly guardian to twins, Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is luckily betrothed to a suitable lady--until she elopes. With no time to woo, Dominic decides to marry his fiancée's unconventional sister. Torie isn't perfect, but their kisses are so passionate that society thinks he's actually chosen her.

She wants to marry for love...

Torie has never been able to make sense of words on a page, so she has turned her talents to art. She longs for a man who values her as she is... but marries for the sake of the twins. She doubts Dominic is capable of love, let alone respect, but as their heated debates turn into something more, Torie begins to imagine a life as a wife, not a nanny.

But when the arrogant viscount finds that his viscountess has stolen his heart, he'll have to give all he has to win her love.]]> 384 Eloisa James 0063347415 Stacee 5 netgalley, read-in-2024
I love love loved Torie and Dom. S���’s sunshine and ���’s grumpy and together they’re sort of thrown together for the sake of the twins (who absolutely steal every single scene they’re in.) Torie and Dom have instant animosity, an insane amount of chemistry, and are both quick to temper and misunderstandings. Somehow, it just made me want to mash their faces together even more.

Plot wise, it was so satisfying. It’s a mix of slow meandering in their getting to know each other coupled with the frenzy of wanting each other more than polite society would find acceptable. I loved the fights, the apologies, and even more, the understanding that finally finally finally came between them. The ending chapters are some of the best and I could have easily read a million more pages of this new family.

Overall, this is a wonderful start to a new series and I can’t wait to read whoever is next. Oh, and we better get a cameo or 5 from these two.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 3.92 2024
author: Eloisa James
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/04
date added: 2024/10/04
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2024
review:
I’m always here for a new Eloisa book and the synopsis for this one sounded perfect.

I love love loved Torie and Dom. S���’s sunshine and ���’s grumpy and together they’re sort of thrown together for the sake of the twins (who absolutely steal every single scene they’re in.) Torie and Dom have instant animosity, an insane amount of chemistry, and are both quick to temper and misunderstandings. Somehow, it just made me want to mash their faces together even more.

Plot wise, it was so satisfying. It’s a mix of slow meandering in their getting to know each other coupled with the frenzy of wanting each other more than polite society would find acceptable. I loved the fights, the apologies, and even more, the understanding that finally finally finally came between them. The ending chapters are some of the best and I could have easily read a million more pages of this new family.

Overall, this is a wonderful start to a new series and I can’t wait to read whoever is next. Oh, and we better get a cameo or 5 from these two.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

]]> 197577021
Ren has never held an iPhone, googled the answer to a question, or followed a crush on social media. What she has done: Read a book or two, or three (okay, hundreds). Taught herself to paint. Built a working wind power system from scratch. But for all the books s���’s read, Ren has never found one that’s taught a woman raised on a homestead and off the grid for most of her twenty-two years how to live in the real world. So when she finally achieves her lifelong dream of attending Corona College, it feels like her life is finally beginning.

Fitz has the rest of his life mapped out: Graduate from Corona at the top of his class, get his criminal record wiped clean, and pass himself off as the rich, handsome player everyone thinks he is. He’s a few short months from checking off step one of his plans when Ren Gylden, with her cascading blonde hair and encyclopedic brain, crashes into his life, and for the first time Fitz’s plan is in jeopardy.

But a simple assignment in their immunology seminar changes the course of both their lives, and suddenly they’re thrown out of the frying pan and into the fire on a road trip that will lead them in the most unexpected directions. Out on the open road, the world somehow shifts, and the unlikely pair realize that, maybe, the key to the dreams they've both been chasing have been sitting next to them the whole time.]]> 320 Christina Lauren 1368092837 Stacee 4 netgalley, read-in-2024
I loved Ren and Fitz so much. They embodied the Tangled characters while also being their own, unique creations. Of course I loved the nods to the movie, especially the frying pan.

Plot wise, it's sweet and fun while also a bit dark and sad and I loved the juxtaposition. I could have easily done with more at the end, but the footnote (of sorts) said what needed to be said.

Overall, CLo was the perfect match for Tangled.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** ]]> 3.89 2024
author: Christina Lauren
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/01
date added: 2024/10/01
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2024
review:
Well, this was adorable.

I loved Ren and Fitz so much. They embodied the Tangled characters while also being their own, unique creations. Of course I loved the nods to the movie, especially the frying pan.

Plot wise, it's sweet and fun while also a bit dark and sad and I loved the juxtaposition. I could have easily done with more at the end, but the footnote (of sorts) said what needed to be said.

Overall, CLo was the perfect match for Tangled.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
]]> 33514885
��All attorney Eric Blackwell has to do to make junior partner is not screw anything up for six weeks, which seems like a slam dunk until he finds himself matchmaker to the office “One Date Wonder�� aka the boss’s daughter. It’s hard to stay focused when setting up the hottest girl ���’s ever met with everyone but himself. Maybe he could just set her up with all the wrong men, and keep his hands off his new friend��

Yeah. His promotion is toast.]]> 135 Marissa Clarke 1633758591 Stacee 3 netgalley, read-in-2016
I really enjoyed the Anderson brothers series, so I was pretty excited to see a new series from Marissa.

I really liked Jane and Eric. They're both genuinely nice people and it was easy to root for them to work out right from the beginning. Not to mention, their chemistry was fantastic.

I was surprised by a few things and the ending was adorable. My main complaint is that I wanted more. Overall this was a sweet and quick read with a couple of delightful cameos. I can't wait to see if there will be more.

**Huge thanks to Entangled Lovestruck and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**

Merged review:

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed the Anderson brothers series, so I was pretty excited to see a new series from Marissa.

I really liked Jane and Eric. They're both genuinely nice people and it was easy to root for them to work out right from the beginning. Not to mention, their chemistry was fantastic.

I was surprised by a few things and the ending was adorable. My main complaint is that I wanted more. Overall this was a sweet and quick read with a couple of delightful cameos. I can't wait to see if there will be more.

**Huge thanks to Entangled Lovestruck and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**]]> 3.86 2017
author: Marissa Clarke
name: Stacee
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2016/12/22
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: netgalley, read-in-2016
review:
3.5 stars

I really enjoyed the Anderson brothers series, so I was pretty excited to see a new series from Marissa.

I really liked Jane and Eric. They're both genuinely nice people and it was easy to root for them to work out right from the beginning. Not to mention, their chemistry was fantastic.

I was surprised by a few things and the ending was adorable. My main complaint is that I wanted more. Overall this was a sweet and quick read with a couple of delightful cameos. I can't wait to see if there will be more.

**Huge thanks to Entangled Lovestruck and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**

Merged review:

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed the Anderson brothers series, so I was pretty excited to see a new series from Marissa.

I really liked Jane and Eric. They're both genuinely nice people and it was easy to root for them to work out right from the beginning. Not to mention, their chemistry was fantastic.

I was surprised by a few things and the ending was adorable. My main complaint is that I wanted more. Overall this was a sweet and quick read with a couple of delightful cameos. I can't wait to see if there will be more.

**Huge thanks to Entangled Lovestruck and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**
]]>