Lisa's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 08 Apr 2025 03:17:43 -0700 60 Lisa's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Mr. Charming (The Nest, #4) 230595572
Blurb to come.



]]> Piper Rayne Lisa 0 to-read 0.0 2025 Mr. Charming (The Nest, #4)
author: Piper Rayne
name: Lisa
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Forever To Me: A Small Town, Single Dad, Modern Cowboy Romance (Bridger Falls Book 1)]]> 222285714 After a one-night stand with the town’s grumpy bar owner, I should have walked away. Instead, I stayed—and now I’m falling for the former country music legend hiding in Bridger Falls, Wyoming.

Walker was the last person I expected to end up with after leaving Nashville. But there he was, behind the bar, pouring whiskey, looking like sin in flannel, and making it way too easy to forget why I swore off love.

He’s done with music. I’m done with love. But when our pasts come knocking, and the whole town watches, pretending we’re nothing isn’t an option anymore.

Now, we’re tangled in lyrics and late-night kisses, chasing melodies and breaking every rule we swore to keep.

This was never supposed to be more than one night.

Some people belong to the past, but some are meant to be your forever.

Walker & Violet’s story is a spicy, small-town western romcom with a grumpy bar owner, steamy songwriting sessions, and a love story too big to stay unwritten.]]> 432 Erin Branscom Lisa 4

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of the author and this is my honest opinion.]]> 4.48 Forever To Me: A Small Town, Single Dad, Modern Cowboy Romance (Bridger Falls Book 1)
author: Erin Branscom
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/01
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: arc, for-review, review-for-author
review:
Forever to Me by: Erin Branscom is a delightful small town romance that hits all the right notes, especially for fans of the grumpy x sunshine trope. If you love this dynamic, then trust me this book delivers! It’s definitely one of my favorites, right up there with enemies to lovers (which will always have my heart). The setting of Bridger Falls felt so warm and inviting it totally gave me Sweet Magnolias and Gilmore Girls vibes. Who else got that feeling?! The quirky side characters and those small-town meetings that bring everyone together made the place feel so real, like a community you’d actually want to be a part of. Okay, let’s talk about Violet and Walker for a sec. They are literally perfect for each other. Their romance is a total slow burn, but in the best way possible. It never feels rushed, and you really get to watch their connection grow. I love how Violet helps Walker come out of his shell after everything he’s been through, and Walker is just as supportive of her, especially with all the baggage she’s carrying. And when everything finally comes out? Ugh, such a good moment. Oh, and there’s even a little twist, which makes it even better! If you’re into deep, emotional, slow burn romances, you need to read this one.


⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of the author and this is my honest opinion.
]]> <![CDATA[Addicted to You (Forbidden #6)]]> 217273378
For years, Silas lived for his band, drugs, and women. He’s ignored every warning, refusing to give up his partying ways until the night he almost doesn’t wake up. Determined to stay on track on tour, he hires Cash to be his sober companion.
Neither of them has ever considered being with a man, but living together twenty-four seven makes it impossible to ignore their attraction, and one night, a line is crossed.

A kiss turns into something more, and once they get a taste, they can’t stop.

Cash knows getting involved with Silas is a mistake. He’s supposed to help him, not crave him. And Silas is trying to prove he has his life under control, not unravel under Cash’s touch. But no matter how many times they agree it can’t happen again, they keep coming back for more.

When Cash’s contract with Silas ends, so should their time together. Silas continues touring with Surrender, while Cash is left wondering what comes next.
They both know they should move on. They know they should forget what happened between them behind closed doors.

But some addictions are harder to overcome than others.]]> 257 Kimberly Knight Lisa 4
⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of the author and this is my honest opinion.]]> 4.07 Addicted to You (Forbidden #6)
author: Kimberly Knight
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.07
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves:
review:
This book was such a pleasant surprise. I hadn’t read the earlier books in the series, so I expected to feel a little out of the loop but honestly, I was able to follow the story and connect with the characters right away. Silas is a drummer on his first major tour, quietly dealing with a substance issue he doesn’t fully acknowledge. Then there’s Cash, a sober companion brought in to help Silas stay on track who also happens to be dating Silas� sister. The setup is messy in all the best ways, and their dynamic is complicated from the get go . As they spend more time together on the road, their bond deepens, and the tension between them becomes impossible to ignore. What stood out to me most was how much care was given to Silas� recovery journey. The people around him his bandmates, the crew weren’t just background characters. They genuinely cared, and that sense of community made everything feel more grounded. The chemistry between Silas and Cash was strong, but never forced. Their connection felt natural, emotional, and believable. Overall, this is a heartfelt story about personal growth, healing, and finding love when you least expect it. It’s emotional without being overly dramatic, and it left me feeling genuinely invested in these characters� lives.

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of the author and this is my honest opinion.
]]> <![CDATA[The New Palmer Girl : A Forbidden Romance (Love and Grief Duet Book 2)]]> 225579458 They thought love could conquer all—until reality hit harder than either expected.

With the unexpected news from Gigi, Luke, still haunted by his own unstable past, is scrambling to secure a future he’s not even sure he’s ready for. Juggling jobs, classes, and the uncertainty of his situation, he pulls away from Gigi, desperate to prove he’s worthy of life and love. But in doing so, he leaves Gigi more alone than ever.

Gigi, meanwhile, finds herself suffocating in the silence. Pausing her life and abandoned by Luke’s once all-consuming presence, she’s left with her thoughts—and they aren’t kind company.]]> 234 Sara Amanda Lisa 4 As they fight to hold onto their love, they start to lose sight of what really matters each other. Luke means well, but he doesn’t fully understand what Gigi is going through until it’s almost too late. This book dives deep into themes of grief, depression, and the shame that can come with asking for help, making it feel incredibly raw and personal. Some moments hit hard so real that they stick with you long after you turn the page.
Beyond their relationship, the story also explores the complexities of friendship—both the kind that lifts you up and the kind that slowly pulls you down along with the outside pressures that make everything even harder. The emotional depth makes it impossible not to feel every moment alongside the characters.
In the end, Luke and Gigi’s journey is about resilience, self-discovery, and the work it takes to rebuild love. Their ending feels real, hard earned, and so satisfying.


⚠️ I was gifted ARC courtesy of LoveNotes PR and the author and this is my honest opinion.]]> 4.26 The New Palmer Girl : A Forbidden Romance (Love and Grief Duet Book 2)
author: Sara Amanda
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: arc, for-review, review-for-author, review-lovenotespr
review:
Luke and Gigi’s journey is an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. Their relationship was already tested in Book #1, but this sequel throws even more unexpected challenges their way, forcing them to face struggles they never saw coming.
As they fight to hold onto their love, they start to lose sight of what really matters each other. Luke means well, but he doesn’t fully understand what Gigi is going through until it’s almost too late. This book dives deep into themes of grief, depression, and the shame that can come with asking for help, making it feel incredibly raw and personal. Some moments hit hard so real that they stick with you long after you turn the page.
Beyond their relationship, the story also explores the complexities of friendship—both the kind that lifts you up and the kind that slowly pulls you down along with the outside pressures that make everything even harder. The emotional depth makes it impossible not to feel every moment alongside the characters.
In the end, Luke and Gigi’s journey is about resilience, self-discovery, and the work it takes to rebuild love. Their ending feels real, hard earned, and so satisfying.


⚠️ I was gifted ARC courtesy of LoveNotes PR and the author and this is my honest opinion.
]]> <![CDATA[The Way We Collide (The Bradford Boys, #4)]]> 229244393 Football is my life. I’m not interested in marriage or babies or poopy diapers. Yet here I am, standing in front of a judge saying “I do,� with a six-month-old on my hip and an aspiring storm-chaser on my arm.

From the time I was a little boy, sleeping with my head on a football, I’ve had one goal: carrying on the Bradford-family legacy.

Our famous father trained all my older brothers and me to be star athletes just like him, but seven years later, I’m the only one still focused on the game.

Until Raven Gale storms into my life.

She’s smart, sassy, curves for days, and lightning in the sack. When I met her at my little sister’s wedding we bonded immediately over our dedication to our dreams, our determination to let nothing stop us, and our insatiable, all-night, barrier-busting chemistry.

A baby girl is a surprise neither of us expected, but Raven has a plan. We’ll have a quickie marriage to secure her trust fund, be together three months tops, then shake hands and walk away.

The only problem is with every late night I spend chatting with my wife or consummating our marriage (which we both agreed was a bad idea) or rocking my baby girl to sleep or yes, even changing poopy diapers, the stronger our bond grows.

It never rains in California, there’s no football (for me) in south Alabama, but when you collide with a cyclone, everything changes, including what you thought were your plans.

(THE WAY WE COLLIDE is a small-town, surprise baby, sports romance with a marriage of convenience, close proximity, an over-protective alpha daddy, a feisty plus-sized FMC, and a few twisters. No cheating. No cliffhanger. No third-act breakup.)]]> 350 Tia Louise Lisa 0 to-read 4.60 The Way We Collide (The Bradford Boys, #4)
author: Tia Louise
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.60
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[In Good Company (Pembroke Hills, #1)]]> 228569777
Callahan Hastings is relentless when it comes to getting what he wants, and what he wants is me–to be his private chef in the Hamptons for the summer.

My dream job served to me on a silver platter by one of the wealthiest members of Pembroke Hills Country Club.

The only catch? He’s my ex-boyfriend’s older brother with a reputation for being as charming as he is cunning.

But Cal doesn’t take no for an answer. He draws you in with flirty smiles and extravagant promises.

I should have seen him coming, but I didn’t. I should have stayed away, but I couldn’t.

His playful touches and burning gaze have ignited a fire in me. The more I resist him, the more irresistible he becomes.

I've always known there's an expiration date on the job–an expiration date on us.

But leaving isn't going to be easy with Cal on his knees, begging me to stay...]]> 386 Kat Singleton 1958292184 Lisa 0 to-read 4.21 In Good Company (Pembroke Hills, #1)
author: Kat Singleton
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.21
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Page Turner 198385441 A young romance writer makes a discovery that throws her elitist family into chaos.

Emma Page grew up the black sheep in a bookish household, raised to believe fine literature is the only worthy type of fiction. Her parents, self-proclaimed “serious� authors who run their own vanity press, The Mighty Pages, mingle in highbrow social circles that look down on anything too popular or mainstream, while her sister, Jess, is a powerful social-media influencer whose stylish reviews can make or break a novel.

Hiding her own romance manuscript from her disapproving parents, Emma finds inspiration at the family cottage among the “fluff� they despise: the juicy summer romances that belonged to her late grandmother. But a chance discovery unearthed from her Gigi’s belongings reveals a secret that has the power to ruin her parents� business and destroy their reputation in the industry—a secret that has already fallen into the hands of an unscrupulous publishing insider with a grudge to settle. Now Emma must decide: As much as she’s dreamed of the day her parents are forced to confront their own egos, can she really just sit back and watch The Mighty Pages be exposed and their legacy destroyed?]]> 336 Viola Shipman 1525804871 Lisa 0 to-read 3.82 2025 The Page Turner
author: Viola Shipman
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Say You'll Remember Me 217182552 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a new playful yet deeply emotional contemporary romance.

There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong�

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.]]> 368 Abby Jimenez 1538759195 Lisa 0 to-read 4.29 2025 Say You'll Remember Me
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Astor Hill (Astor Hill, #1) 220416820
When the line between love and loss blurs, the only certainty is that nothing will ever be the same.

Olivia looks at Astor Hill as her next challenge, a canvas upon which she’ll paint the perfect college experience. She envisions capturing the heart of Will Chapman, the school’s star shooting guard, securing her reign as editor of the prestigious newspaper, and navigating campus life hand-in-hand with her lifelong best friend, Lily. But one fateful night tragedy strikes, shattering Olivia's carefully constructed world.

Two years later, the wounds of the past still linger, casting a shadow over her present. Just as she begins to question if being society’s darling is all it’s cracked up to be, a destructive force arrives on campus, threatening to disrupt the fragile equilibrium she has so painstakingly created.

Ben Cabot, the enigmatic basketball star with a bad reputation and a devastating smile, returns to Astor Hill after a long and mysterious absence. His presence ignites a spark in Olivia, a dangerous attraction that challenges the very foundation of her carefully crafted life. Torn between the comfort of her familiar path and the allure of the unknown, Olivia must confront her deepest desires and make a choice that will change everything.]]> 342 Sydney Madison Lisa 3 3.80 Astor Hill (Astor Hill, #1)
author: Sydney Madison
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.80
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: arc, for-review, review-for-author
review:
If you're into Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill, Astor Hill is totally up your alley. It’s packed with drama, a college romance, and, of course, unhealthy relationships (because, hello, rich kids).
]]> Maid For Each Other 220155637
Declan is a busy man, working his way up at Hathaway Holdings. Which is why he’s never met the woman who cleans his penthouse every week.

Abi needs a place to stay, and Declan is out of town, so the solution seems simple and, crucially, free.

When Declan’s parents tell him they met his girlfriend at his apartment, he's surprised to say the least. But it is nice to have them off his back about being single for a change. . .

Declan finds out who Abi really is, and decides to makes her a pretend to date him, and he’ll provide everything she needs.

What could go wrong? It’s business, not pleasure. Right?

Fake DatingForced Proximity]]> Lynn Painter 1405959908 Lisa 4 The slow-burn romance is honestly so cute there's no insta-love, just two people taking the time to figure each other out and realizing they have more in common than they expected. The chemistry is definitely there, but it's those little moments that really made me root for them as a couple.
The pacing is on point too it never feels rushed. The side characters are great because they add depth without stealing the spotlight from Declan and Abi. If you’re in the mood for a rom-com that's light but still has some emotional depth, Maid for Each Other is definitely worth reading. It’s sweet, funny, and surprisingly touching, making it perfect for fans of slow-burn romance.


⚠️I was gifted an ALC- ARC courtesy of Berkeley Publishing and this is my honest opinion.]]> 3.90 2025 Maid For Each Other
author: Lynn Painter
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: arc, for-review, review-netgalley
review:
Lynn Painter's Maid for Each Other was such a fun read! Declan, the super busy EVP, and Abi, the housekeeper, end up working together in ways they definitely didn't see coming. On the surface, they seem totally different, but like they always say, opposites definitely attract.
The slow-burn romance is honestly so cute there's no insta-love, just two people taking the time to figure each other out and realizing they have more in common than they expected. The chemistry is definitely there, but it's those little moments that really made me root for them as a couple.
The pacing is on point too it never feels rushed. The side characters are great because they add depth without stealing the spotlight from Declan and Abi. If you’re in the mood for a rom-com that's light but still has some emotional depth, Maid for Each Other is definitely worth reading. It’s sweet, funny, and surprisingly touching, making it perfect for fans of slow-burn romance.


⚠️I was gifted an ALC- ARC courtesy of Berkeley Publishing and this is my honest opinion.
]]> Mr. Swoony (The Nest, #3) 228320413
At least, that’s what I thought—until I met Conor Nilsen. In truth, I didn’t know he was the goalie for the Chicago Falcons when he struck up a conversation the night of my bachelorette party.

He proved he wasn’t just some hot guy looking to score when he helped me get my drunk bridesmaid safely back to our hotel. That’s when he discovered my 30-before-30 bucket list—a list I hadn’t managed to check a single item off.

What was meant to be a night of stargazing turned into so much more. The chemistry between us was undeniable, and after one innocent night together, I started to question everything—especially my upcoming wedding to a man I wasn’t sure loved me.

Fast forward to my wedding day, and just as I’m standing at the altar, Conor bursts through the church doors to object. And now, somehow, I’m his roommate. Yikes.]]> 356 Piper Rayne Lisa 4 3.92 2025 Mr. Swoony (The Nest, #3)
author: Piper Rayne
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: arc, for-review, review-for-author, review-valentinepr
review:
Mr. Swoony is the third novel in Piper Rayne's Nest series, and I've been fortunate enough to have read the first three, so thank you, Valentine PR and Piper Rayne. Okay, after much reading and collecting all of my opinions on this series so far, I'm going to have to say that Conor and Eloise's book might just be my favourite one,
]]> <![CDATA[Run, Little Bunny (High Five Novella Book 4)]]> 220941064
After a playful encounter at Lake Geneva’s annual Easter egg hunt, Anna finds herself flirting with a mysterious man in a bunny mask at High Five, the local bar in her Wisconsin hometown. But when she discovers the bunny is none other than Chad Braun—a regular at the restaurant where she works—everything changes.

Chad’s always kept his distance, hesitant because Anna’s barely twenty-two and he's thirty-four. But behind the safety of the mask, he gives in to their undeniable connection. Soon, their flirtatious dares and witty exchanges take them on an unexpected journey filled with sparks, laughter, and chemistry.

Run, Little Bunny is a fun, steamy novella about finding love in unexpected places and embracing the thrill of new possibilities.

(This is Book #4 in the interconnected High Five Novella series. While it's encouraged to read Santa’s Coming, Cupid’s Shot, and Shamrock Kisses, each book stands alone.)

Romance Tropes: Age Gap, Secret Identity (Masked Man), Friends to Lovers, Small Town, Holiday Romance, He Falls First, Mild Primal Play.]]> 138 Serena Pier Lisa 3 The whole "masked kink" concept didn’t quite work for me, especially with the bunny theme. I get that it was supposed to add to the heat, but the moment Chad kept the costume head on during the meet and greet, I was honestly cringing. I was like, “Please, take it off!� I understand the vibe it was trying to create, but it wasn’t really my thing. Even though Anna kind of knew who was under the mask, it still felt a bit off to me.
This is supposed to be a fast-paced novella, but I felt like it moved too quickly, and the spice didn’t do much for me. There were too many book boyfriend clichés—masked men, backwards caps, friends to lovers and an age gap—which kind of threw me off. And honestly, the “breeding� comments? Definitely not my thing. But hey, if that's your jam, you’ll probably enjoy it more.
I also had a hard time with Anna’s character. She starts off really assertive and even aggressive, but then, when things finally heat up, she becomes almost innocent and "vanilla," as she calls it. The shift didn’t feel natural to me, and I just couldn’t quite buy into the change in her character.
Overall, I wanted to love this novella, but it just didn’t live up to the excitement I had for it.

I gave this read 3.5 stars

⚠️ I was gifted an ALC- ARC courtesy of the author and blush audiobooks and this is my honest opinion.]]> 4.42 Run, Little Bunny (High Five Novella Book 4)
author: Serena Pier
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: arc, audiobook, audiobook-review, for-review, review-for-author
review:
I had high hopes for Run Little Bunny by Serena Pier, especially since I really enjoyed the first three books in the High Five Novella series. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. It took me a long time to get through it because I just couldn’t stay engaged. If I had been more into the story, I would have easily finished it in an hour.
The whole "masked kink" concept didn’t quite work for me, especially with the bunny theme. I get that it was supposed to add to the heat, but the moment Chad kept the costume head on during the meet and greet, I was honestly cringing. I was like, “Please, take it off!� I understand the vibe it was trying to create, but it wasn’t really my thing. Even though Anna kind of knew who was under the mask, it still felt a bit off to me.
This is supposed to be a fast-paced novella, but I felt like it moved too quickly, and the spice didn’t do much for me. There were too many book boyfriend clichés—masked men, backwards caps, friends to lovers and an age gap—which kind of threw me off. And honestly, the “breeding� comments? Definitely not my thing. But hey, if that's your jam, you’ll probably enjoy it more.
I also had a hard time with Anna’s character. She starts off really assertive and even aggressive, but then, when things finally heat up, she becomes almost innocent and "vanilla," as she calls it. The shift didn’t feel natural to me, and I just couldn’t quite buy into the change in her character.
Overall, I wanted to love this novella, but it just didn’t live up to the excitement I had for it.

I gave this read 3.5 stars

⚠️ I was gifted an ALC- ARC courtesy of the author and blush audiobooks and this is my honest opinion.
]]> <![CDATA[If You Claim Me (Toronto Terror, #5)]]> 228947667 Helena Hunting 1998657205 Lisa 0 to-read 4.00 If You Claim Me (Toronto Terror, #5)
author: Helena Hunting
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> I Could Be Yours 228941999 Helena Hunting 1998657140 Lisa 0 to-read 5.00 I Could Be Yours
author: Helena Hunting
name: Lisa
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Tourist Trap 229072439 Coming Soon Morgan Elizabeth Lisa 0 to-read 5.00 Tourist Trap
author: Morgan Elizabeth
name: Lisa
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[If You Love Me (Toronto Terror, #4)]]> 222081655 Two nights with her ruined me for all other women, but I never got the chance to make her mine.

I’m the pinnacle of control. I protect the net, my team, and my daughter.
It’s my final season and I can’t afford any distractions.
Except our new assistant coach just walked in.
And I would know her face anywhere.
She’s the one I dream about.

That weekend, I was just a man—not the legend, the dad, the mentor.
I didn’t care that I was a decade older.
For the first time in my life, I was ready to risk everything if it meant having her.
Until I woke up to an empty bed and no note.
Three years of wishing I knew how to find her, now she’s my new boss.

I can be patient.
But for her—I want to break all the rules.]]> 408 Helena Hunting 1989185967 Lisa 5 4.19 2025 If You Love Me (Toronto Terror, #4)
author: Helena Hunting
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: arc, audiobook, audiobook-review, for-review, review-for-author
review:
The minute this ALC- ARC hit my hands earbuds went in and adulting was turned off which had my hubster feeling a type of way sorry hunny I gotta go #zaddyroman is calling.
]]> We Met Like This: A Novel 222376740 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. She’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 she’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 she’s ever dated. Just when she thinks she’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.]]> 368 Kasie West 1250349141 Lisa 0 to-read 4.25 2025 We Met Like This: A Novel
author: Kasie West
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Well, Actually 217387831 384 Mazey Eddings 1250397340 Lisa 0 to-read 3.83 2025 Well, Actually
author: Mazey Eddings
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Never Been Worse (Evergreen Park, #3)]]> 227899555
Wes Holden, guitarist for Altas Oaks, was pleasantly surprised to find out the charity date he was wrangled into was won by Harper, the woman he’d been quietly into for years. When he hears about the trouble she’s facing, he has the perfect solution: they should get married. His band needs a distraction in the media, and he could help her designs get more exposure.

With another leap of spontaneity, Harper agrees and is thrown into the limelight. Soon, what started as a mutually beneficial fake agreement starts to become more, and Wes finds himself working to convince her to give them a shot while Harper struggles to keep the full truth of her breakup—and its repercussions—under wraps.]]> Morgan Elizabeth Lisa 4
At first, this book really had me torn. Some parts had me hooked, but then characters like Jeremy, Clarissa, and Laurel had me wanting to throw hands. And Harper—ugh, her lack of backbone in the beginning was so frustrating. Girl, just stand up for yourself already! But as I kept reading, things just got better, and I ended up falling even more in love with it. Honestly, all of this author’s books have made me feel some type of way, which is why I’m such a fan of her writing. But this one? It might just be my favorite in the series. It was so well-written, completely consuming, and I loved everything about these characters—revenge, fun, spice, love, and all those swoon-worthy moments. What’s not to love?


BTW, Wes really had me hooked from his very first chapter! Here’s a rundown of all the sweet things he did that had me in a chokehold:

1. He built her a whole fashion room so she could work on her designs—talk about thoughtful!
2. Stocked up on all her favorite treats so she’d have whatever she was craving. How cute is that?
3. He knew her friend’s allergies. Seriously, what guy notices that kind of thing?
4. He made a fort and watched Beauty and the Beast with her because it was her favorite—and he watched it because it mattered to her.
5. He wanted to do mundane things like grocery shopping with her. That’s the kind of normal, everyday stuff that hits different when it’s with someone you care about.
6. He even tattooed her initial on him. That’s some serious commitment!
7. And last but not least, him calling her his “little wife.� Part of me was here for it, but the other part was like, ehhh—that felt a little icky.

I’ve gotta give a shoutout to the narrators, Jason Clarke and Angelina Rocca. They did an amazing job bringing Harper and Wes to life. I could literally feel all the emotions coming through with every line.

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of the author and this is my honest review.]]> 4.22 Never Been Worse (Evergreen Park, #3)
author: Morgan Elizabeth
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.22
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: arc, audiobook, audiobook-review, for-review, review-for-author
review:
Wes and Harper's relationship really hit all the right notes! The banter, the drama, the longing—it all works so well. And then, there’s the marriage of convenience on top of it, which adds a whole extra layer of tension. Wes has been in love with Harper from the moment they met, so the fact that he finally has a chance to be with her is everything.The way he cares for her is just adorable. He truly adores her, and you can feel how much he wants her to feel safe and loved. It’s not just about being with her—it’s about making her feel protected, valued, and like she can trust him completely.

At first, this book really had me torn. Some parts had me hooked, but then characters like Jeremy, Clarissa, and Laurel had me wanting to throw hands. And Harper—ugh, her lack of backbone in the beginning was so frustrating. Girl, just stand up for yourself already! But as I kept reading, things just got better, and I ended up falling even more in love with it. Honestly, all of this author’s books have made me feel some type of way, which is why I’m such a fan of her writing. But this one? It might just be my favorite in the series. It was so well-written, completely consuming, and I loved everything about these characters—revenge, fun, spice, love, and all those swoon-worthy moments. What’s not to love?


BTW, Wes really had me hooked from his very first chapter! Here’s a rundown of all the sweet things he did that had me in a chokehold:

1. He built her a whole fashion room so she could work on her designs—talk about thoughtful!
2. Stocked up on all her favorite treats so she’d have whatever she was craving. How cute is that?
3. He knew her friend’s allergies. Seriously, what guy notices that kind of thing?
4. He made a fort and watched Beauty and the Beast with her because it was her favorite—and he watched it because it mattered to her.
5. He wanted to do mundane things like grocery shopping with her. That’s the kind of normal, everyday stuff that hits different when it’s with someone you care about.
6. He even tattooed her initial on him. That’s some serious commitment!
7. And last but not least, him calling her his “little wife.� Part of me was here for it, but the other part was like, ehhh—that felt a little icky.

I’ve gotta give a shoutout to the narrators, Jason Clarke and Angelina Rocca. They did an amazing job bringing Harper and Wes to life. I could literally feel all the emotions coming through with every line.

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of the author and this is my honest review.
]]> <![CDATA[If This Was a Movie (Evergreen Park #2)]]> 217388410
A year ago, Jules stumbled upon the man of her dreams in a bar on New Year's Eve. After a lifetime of watching romantic comedies, she was sure she had found her soulmate. That is, until she learned he has an entire family and blocked him.

A year later, she’s having the worst day she possibly could, leaving her stuck on the sidewalk outside her place in a ballet costume, watching firefighters condemn her house because of a water main break when a little girl grabs her hand and tells her she’s her Christmas wish.

When Nate’s daughter tells Santa all she wants for Christmas is for her dad to marry the real-life version of her favorite doll, he dreads having to tell her the truth. When they run into the spitting image of the doll, ballerina costume and all minutes later, he’s floored to find that it’s his dream woman who disappeared from his life last Christmas.

Nate’s meddling sisters offer his in-law suite and his contracting skills to Jules in exchange for watching his daughter, and he jumps on the opportunity. Now, he has just a few weeks to use Christmas magic to make her realize they are meant to be.]]> 298 Morgan Elizabeth Lisa 4 4.00 2024 If This Was a Movie (Evergreen Park #2)
author: Morgan Elizabeth
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: arc, for-review, review-for-author, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Never Been Worse (Evergreen Park, #3)]]> 222669132
Wes Holden, guitarist for Altas Oaks, was pleasantly surprised to find out the charity date he was wrangled into was won by Harper, the woman he’d been quietly into for years. When he hears about the trouble she’s facing, he has the perfect solution: they should get married. His band needs a distraction in the media, and he could help her designs get more exposure.

With another leap of spontaneity, Harper agrees and is thrown into the limelight. Soon, what started as a mutually beneficial fake agreement starts to become more, and Wes finds himself working to convince her to give them a shot while Harper struggles to keep the full truth of her breakup—and its repercussions—under wraps.]]> 332 Morgan Elizabeth Lisa 4 Review to come. 4.23 Never Been Worse (Evergreen Park, #3)
author: Morgan Elizabeth
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.23
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: arc, audiobook, audiobook-review, for-review, review-for-author
review:
Review to come.
]]> <![CDATA[If You Love Me (Toronto Terror, #4)]]> 221309756 Two nights with her ruined me for all other women, but I never got the chance to make her mine.

I’m the pinnacle of control. I protect the net, my team, and my daughter.
It’s my final season and I can’t afford any distractions.
Except our new assistant coach just walked in.
And I would know her face anywhere.
She’s the one I dream about.

That weekend, I was just a man—not the legend, the dad, the mentor.
I didn’t care that I was a decade older.
For the first time in my life, I was ready to risk everything if it meant having her.
Until I woke up to an empty bed and no note.
Three years of wishing I knew how to find her, now she’s my new boss.

I can be patient.
But for her—I want to break all the rules.]]> 380 Helena Hunting 1989185959 Lisa 4 Review to come. 4.33 2025 If You Love Me (Toronto Terror, #4)
author: Helena Hunting
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: audiobook-review, for-review, review-for-author, arc, audiobook
review:
Review to come.
]]> <![CDATA[Passenger Princess (Evergreen Park, #1)]]> 216657877
Who knew applying to be the next Miss Americana while you’re drunk on tequila would actually
get anywhere? But that’s exactly what happened to Ava when she wanted an excuse to promote her best friends� new businesses. She never even expected to get past the first round of auditions, much less win the beauty pageant, and now here she is, wearing a silk sash and a crown on her head, trying to picture what the next three months is going to look like. As the newly crowned Miss Americana, she’s off on a three-month press tour, visiting all 50 states as part of her contract.

For a girl who loves adventure, it’s a dream come true, except for two hiccups. The first one being the morality clause and long list of rules the organization is forcing her to live by while wearing the crown. And second, and probably the worst one, is the delicious sexy, yet grumpy driver-slash-bodyguard assigned to keep her in line.

Jaime normally spends his days as head of security for the world-famous rock band Atlas Oaks, but when they take a break from touring, he’s excited for a change of pace. Until he learns his new assignment is the gorgeous and ever-frustrating pageant princess who gets under his skin in more ways than one.

When he learns Ava has made it her mission to drive him crazy—by constantly looking for a new hit of endorphins by toeing the line as well as by flirting with him endlessly—he realizes what he thought would be a simple assignment is anything but. Now if only he can survive the next ninety days keeping his hands to himself and off the woman he can’t get out of his head.]]> 324 Morgan Elizabeth Lisa 0 to-read 3.75 2024 Passenger Princess (Evergreen Park, #1)
author: Morgan Elizabeth
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Last Sunrise 220161296 New York Times bestselling author and “the biggest literary phenom of her generation� (Cosmopolitan) Anna Todd returns with a moving and empowering new romance about a sheltered young woman whose life transforms during a summer in Majorca with a mysterious local.

Between chronic health issues and an overprotective mother, twenty-two-year-old Oriah Pera feels like she’s stuck waiting for her life to begin. But when her mother’s job takes them to Majorca, Ry knows this summer could be the start of her very own coming-of-age story.

In her first small act of rebellion, she heads off to the beach alone and meets an infuriatingly charming Spaniard. Julian makes Ry feel even more naive and inexperienced than she normally does, but she can’t tamp down her growing attraction.

As the summer continues, Julian pulls Ry out of her shell and into the adventures she’s always craved. But with her return to America looming, Ry must decide if she’s brave enough to finally follow her heart and live for herself.]]> 384 Anna Todd 1668079534 Lisa 0 to-read 3.42 The Last Sunrise
author: Anna Todd
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.42
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Nine Month Contract (Mountain Men Matchmaker, #1)]]> 219657080 “A hilariously fresh and spicy rom-com that I couldn’t put down!� -Meghan Quinn, USA Today Bestselling Author

Help Wanted: Grumpy mountain man seeks baby momma. Job is an incubator position only. Surrogate must be impervious to grunting as the form of communication and nosy brotherly neighbors. Rustic mountain range housing available upon request.

I wanted to pummel my irritating brothers when they posted their own version of a wanted ad to help me with my life.

But I can’t fault the results once the right woman lands in my lap.

Becoming a single father is not a decision I made lightly. In fact, it’s the biggest decision of my entire life.

Which is why when I interview Trista, I know she’s perfect.

She’s wild, she’s opinionated, she wears cowboy boots. Even my pet goat loves her�

She’s the exact type of person I was holding out for.

And to my great horror, I realize on our first night of attempting this baby-making dance—when the lights are low, the cheap wine is flowing and the home-insemination supplies are laid out on the kitchen counter—I want to do a lot more than just make her my surrogate.

I want to make her mine.

Perfect for fans of:
� Grumpy/Sunshine
� Small Town Romance
� Age Gap
� Curvy FMC
� Meghan Quinn and Tessa Bailey]]> 416 Amy Daws 1335425888 Lisa 0 to-read 4.02 2024 Nine Month Contract (Mountain Men Matchmaker, #1)
author: Amy Daws
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> One Night Hand Stand 221035295 Who accidentally has a one-night stand with her yoga instructor?

Yep. Me.

How did I accidentally sleep with someone, right? I know what you’re thinking. Whoops! I slipped and inadvertently inserted Tab A into Slot B.

That’s not quite how it went.

But my yoga instructor is really, really skilled with Tab A, if you know what I mean.

Slot B never had it so good.

What am I supposed to do now, as I walk into my yoga class and find the guy I ghosted this morning� there, in front of the class, perfectly aligned and grinning at me like he remembers touching all my chakras.

He's perfect. Too perfect. He's so perfect he's ruining my job.

I'm an investigative reporter, working on spec for an article for a national magazine, and my job is to find all the ways this yoga chain is corrupt.

The only thing criminal here is that I can't have him in Slot B ever again. And I would. I'd turn myself into a paper doll book if that's what it took for more of that action.

I want him. He wants me. Nothing I do will make him back off because the chemistry is off the charts.

Except for one pesky little thing:

We’re at cross-purposes.

I need my exposé to get the job of my dreams. He needs to sell his stake in the yoga chain before I expose the corrupt current owner.

That makes him my enemy. My nemesis. The guy I have to get around to get ahead.

And now we’re supposed to hate each other.

But who ever let that get in the way of love?]]> 296 Julia Kent 1638802181 Lisa 0 to-read 4.45 2025 One Night Hand Stand
author: Julia Kent
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Mr. Swoony (The Nest, #3) 218109166
At least, that’s what I thought—until I met Conor Nilsen. In truth, I didn’t know he was the goalie for the Chicago Falcons when he struck up a conversation the night of my bachelorette party.

He proved he wasn’t just some hot guy looking to score when he helped me get my drunk bridesmaid safely back to our hotel. That’s when he discovered my 30-before-30 bucket list—a list I hadn’t managed to check a single item off.

What was meant to be a night of stargazing turned into so much more. The chemistry between us was undeniable, and after one innocent night together, I started to question everything—especially my upcoming wedding to a man I wasn’t sure loved me.

Fast forward to my wedding day, and just as I’m standing at the altar, Conor bursts through the church doors to object. And now, somehow, I’m his roommate. Yikes.]]> 355 Piper Rayne Lisa 4 4.24 2025 Mr. Swoony (The Nest, #3)
author: Piper Rayne
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: arc, for-review, review-for-author, review-valentinepr
review:
Mr. Swoony is the third novel in Piper Rayne's Nest series, and I've been fortunate enough to have read the first three, so thank you, Valentine PR and Piper Rayne. Okay, after much reading and collecting all of my opinions on this series so far, I'm going to have to say that Conor and Eloise's book might just be my favourite one,
]]> <![CDATA[When You Were Mine (Calamity Falls)]]> 216780503
Jessica Elsworth isn’t the small town girl she used to be. She built her resort empire from pieces of a broken heart. Now, she’s on her way to snowy Iceland to take on a last-minute consulting job where she’ll renovate a hotel for a wedding.

Four days and two hundred thousand dollars. It should be easy.
Until she meets the groom. It’s him. Trevor Montgomery. The only man she’s ever loved. And her ex-husband.

Trevor Montgomery might be one of the world’s most famous faces, but he’ll always be the boy from Wyoming with stars in his eyes.

Recently retired, he’s heading to Iceland to marry his best friend’s little sister. She’s proposed a marriage of convenience—business and friendship together in one union. Why not?

Everything’s going well…until he meets the wedding planner. It’s Jessica. The woman who still owns his heart.

Now that fate's brought them together, nothing will stop him from winning her back.

Not even his own wedding.]]> 364 Erika Kelly 1955462372 Lisa 4 4.37 When You Were Mine (Calamity Falls)
author: Erika Kelly
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.37
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: arc, for-review, review-greyspromo
review:
Trevor and Jessica's love story had been 30 years in the making. Which ended up being the longest slow burn I've ever read,
]]> <![CDATA[Winning Brynn (Seattle Strikers)]]> 220594101 LEO

There is no one on this earth who annoys me more than my best friend’s little sister.

And no matter what her brother says, she would make a terrible nanny for my daughter.

But I don’t have any other choice.

And she knows it.

I’m convinced she only said yes just to mess with me, but the more time she spends with my baby girl, the more I start to think that I was wrong about her.

And as the soccer season progresses, I realise I’m starting to care less about winning games� and more about winning her.

BRYNN

With a goal count as big as his ego, an annoyingly sexy British accent, and the world's cutest daughter, it's no wonder Leo Sullivan has found himself on the list of World’s hottest soccer players.

Too bad he's also a jerk.

But now he needs a nanny for his daughter. And much to Leo’s annoyance, my brother seems to think I'd be the perfect person for the job.

I only go along with it out of spite.

But as time passes, I find myself falling more and more in love with his little girl. And even worse... her father.]]> 433 Maisie Myers Lisa 4
So with all that being said, Winning Brynn by: Maisie Meyer ended up surprising me, which was great. I look forward to reading more of this author's books, and can I just say Salem is the most adorable name ever?

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of LoveNotes PR and this is my honest review.
]]> 4.22 2024 Winning Brynn (Seattle Strikers)
author: Maisie Myers
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: arc, for-review, review-lovenotespr
review:
Here we are with another sports romance, and I’m not mad about it. I do have to say, Winning Brynn was entertaining, endearing, and drama-filled, and it threw me with a plot twist that I didn't see coming, so Maise girl, you did a fantastic job. But hold up, let's not get carried away just yet. I'll be honest, I was a little scared at the beginning. I've read so many enemies-to-lovers books (they're my favorite genre), so I consider myself kind of an expert on these types of books. But when it came to our two MCs in this book, Brynn and Leo, they both threw me for a loop; I found myself in a chokehold. These two literally hated each other, and if I'm being honest, Leo's hatred for Brynn at the start—boy, it wasn’t that serious. But as I read farther into the novel, I realized why these two were so guarded, and I don't blame them. It's also not easy to be attracted to your best friend's sister, especially when he's so protective of her. C'mon, Alex, back off. Brynn Bear is a grown-ass woman lol.

So with all that being said, Winning Brynn by: Maisie Meyer ended up surprising me, which was great. I look forward to reading more of this author's books, and can I just say Salem is the most adorable name ever?

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of LoveNotes PR and this is my honest review.

]]> <![CDATA[Double Fault (On the Court #1)]]> 220415433 Sabrina

I’m twenty-two, buried in student loans, and soon to be homeless.

I need a job that pays decently—stat.

When my best friend suggests interviewing for a traveling nanny position with some tennis star I think she’s joking. It’s too good to be true. The pay is more than I could dream of. I’d get to travel the world. There don’t seem to be any cons.

Not until I meet my potential boss.

Noah Baker.

Hot as hell, but with a massive chip on his shoulder.

He seems to hate me from the start, but lucky for me—or maybe unluckily depending on how you think about it—his daughter loves me. Since I’m the only person she’s connected with he reluctantly offers me the position.

Noah

I was at the top of my game until my wife died.

I didn’t anticipate how much grief would affect my ability to play the sport I love, let alone parent my daughter.

With the tour starting up in January I have no choice but to take her with me, which means I need a nanny to keep an eye on her.

When Sabrina Howard walks through my door to interview; I instantly hate her.

She’s the first woman who’s made my heart race since my wife passed away.

Unfortunately for me, my daughter likes Sabrina, making it a no brainer to hire her.

Eleven months. Seventy-one tournaments. Five continents.

And one nanny who’s entirely too tempting.]]> 414 Ella Wren Lisa 4
This was also my first tennis-related romance book, which was foreign yet great. I'd previously only read hockey or football romances, but this tennis-themed one was a welcome change, so thank you to author for this new read. Also, here's a little information. This is Ella Wren's debut novel, and I can't wait to see what more she comes up with.

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of ValentinePR and this is my honest review.]]> 3.98 Double Fault (On the Court #1)
author: Ella Wren
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.98
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: arc, for-review, review-valentinepr
review:
Can we start off talking about Noah? He was so sweet but that mouth of his , My heart really felt for him also. He also was an amazing single dad to Maddie; they were so cute together. These single dad tropes have been growing on me this year, I must say. We also have Sabrina, our leading lady, who is feisty and challenging. She took no BS from Noah and challenged him at every chance she got, but she also had this heart about her. She came into Noah's life at the perfect time, and she took a broken man and showed him it was ok to love again. Also, her and Maddie's budding relationship was sweet to watch. Sabrina became so much more than just Maddie's nanny; she made sure that Maddie had the chance at being a normal 8-year-old because sadly this little girl had to grow up quick. Also, that saying kids just know comes to mind. Maddie also knew that Sabrina and her dad were perfect for each other. I was loving all the sneaky stuff Maddie was doing to make sure her dad and Sabrina had a chance at love.

This was also my first tennis-related romance book, which was foreign yet great. I'd previously only read hockey or football romances, but this tennis-themed one was a welcome change, so thank you to author for this new read. Also, here's a little information. This is Ella Wren's debut novel, and I can't wait to see what more she comes up with.

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of ValentinePR and this is my honest review.
]]> <![CDATA[On Loverose Lane (Return to Dublin Street, #1)]]> 220262236 The #1 International bestselling author of On Dublin Street is back with this witty, emotional and steamy fake-dating sports romance in which ambitious entrepreneur, Beth Carmichael, meets her match in the grumpy football captain who moves into the apartment above hers.

Imagine my surprise when my new neighbor turns out to be one of Scotland’s most famous (and hottest) professional footballers, Callan Keen. I’m even more shocked to discover that the brooding player is still holding a grudge for something that happened (or didn’t happen) between us years ago.

Too busy trying to take my social media management company to the next level, I don’t have time for this gorgeous blast from the past. Or at least I shouldn’t. Yet whenever I see him, I can’t help but engage in a battle of wits with the grump upstairs.

When a huge client opportunity arises, circumstances force me to enlist Callan’s help. I require a fake date and Callan needs me to facilitate a meeting with my dad to further his own business interests.

The deal between us should be simple. Except, of course, the blazing chemistry we’ve shared since the moment we met. We can’t deny it, we can’t control it, and soon we’re agreeing to six weeks of no-strings-attached, mind-blowing, steamy shenanigans.

I told myself I was too smart to catch feelings. But when Callan finally finds out the truth about our past, he becomes the guy I used to know. And that man is way too easy to fall for.

The problem is that Callan has vowed to never let another person close enough to break his heart again.

It just might prove impossible to show my stubborn Scotsman I’m worth the risk, especially when old wounds are re-opened and threaten to wreck any chance of a future together…]]> 440 Samantha Young 1915243270 Lisa 4
This was also my first Samantha Young book, so I can't really compare it to any of her previous books. Also, word on the street is that this book is a spin-off of her popular On Dublin Street series, which I have yet to devour; however, that is going to change. I added her backlog to my TBR list.

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of ValentinePR and this is my honest review.
]]> 3.99 2025 On Loverose Lane (Return to Dublin Street, #1)
author: Samantha Young
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/18
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: arc, for-review, review-valentinepr
review:
On Loverose Lane was a book that drew me in from the first few chapters, and any book that does that for me is a winner. In all honesty, I didn't think I'd like this book; I even forgot I had requested an ARC, but boy am I glad I did since I was so wrong about it. It was entertaining, fresh, witty, emotional, and spicy. Our two MCs' chemistry was great. They just had that amazing MC vibe about them, and their banter was something I 100% appreciated.

This was also my first Samantha Young book, so I can't really compare it to any of her previous books. Also, word on the street is that this book is a spin-off of her popular On Dublin Street series, which I have yet to devour; however, that is going to change. I added her backlog to my TBR list.

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of ValentinePR and this is my honest review.

]]> <![CDATA[On Dublin Street (On Dublin Street, #1)]]> 199259115
Braden Carmichael is used to getting what he wants, and he's determined to get Jocelyn into his bed. He knows she has a past, one that has made her skittish about getting into a relationship, so he proposes an arrangement that will satisfy their intense attraction without any strings attached.

But after an intrigued Jocelyn accepts, Braden decides he won't be satisfied with just mind-blowing passion. The stubborn Scotsman is intent on truly knowing her...down to the very soul.]]> 415 Samantha Young Lisa 0 to-read 3.88 2012 On Dublin Street (On Dublin Street, #1)
author: Samantha Young
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Kiss Lottery 221724431 From bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills comes a steamy novella about first love and second chances where a city girl returns home for a Valentine’s Day tradition…and the boy who broke her heart.

Roses are red, violets are blue—someone in Rose has feelings for you�

Yeah, bad ones. Everly Davis didn’t leave her tight-knit hometown on the best terms. It’s been ten years, but you don’t forget heartbreak like that. Then again, the anonymous invite to the annual Kiss Lottery in Rose, Tennessee, gives Everly content for her podcast. And she has a bone to pick with that old heartbreak anyway.

Beckett Whitfield has never left Rose—and he’s never forgotten Everly. He even named the villain in his latest bestseller after her. Turns out she’s not happy about that. Nothing about their reunion is particularly happy, and after the way they left things, what did he expect?

When the Kiss Lottery pairs them together, Everly and Beckett will have to confront old feelings that never went away and the secrets they never shared. But finally telling each other everything might be exactly what they’ve needed all along.]]> 130 Ilsa Madden-Mills Lisa 3
⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of Greys Promo and this is my honest review.]]> 3.89 The Kiss Lottery
author: Ilsa Madden-Mills
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: arc, for-review, review-greyspromo
review:
These small-town, second-chance childhood sweetheart books always makes me feel something, and The Kiss Lottery By: Ilsa Madden-Mills was no exception. I only wish there was more book I wanted more from Everly and Beckett's relationship. To better understand their chemistry, I needed more push and pull, a build-up. I understand that novellas are supposed to be brief, but I believe that having a few extra pages would have had a more significant impact.

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of Greys Promo and this is my honest review.
]]> Single Mom's Guide to Love 219846845 A sexy, marriage of convenience, one night stand, British hero romance from bestselling author, Chelle Sloan.

GUIDE TO LOVE RULE #50: Love isn't always convenient. Sometimes marriage is.
My name is Maeve Banks—Type A single mom; oldest daughter; and renowned interior designer for millionaire bachelors.
And the new Mrs. Logan Matthews.
The latter title is not something I wanted, but something I was forced to do. And for good My adorable six-year old son.
The guide for my perfectly controlled life was No dating or distractions. Focus on my son and my business.
Everything was going to plan until the night Logan Matthews—one of the world's youngest, and most eligible billionaires—sits down next to me at an airport bar.
He distracted me with his perfect smile and chiseled jaw line. His British accent didn’t hurt either.
When he asked me to dance? I was a goner.
But it was one night. No harm in a little fun, right?
Wrong.
Turns out my one-night of fun is now my newest client.
Which is fine. I'm an adult. I can resist his charm. And that he's great with my son. Or when he calls me "love.�
But as much as both of us make it look like we have our lives in order, they're anything but.
So Logan offers me a proposal—the one where we get married as a temporary fix to both our problems.
My ex-husband is fighting for custody of my son. And Logan needs a wife to give the media something to talk about.
It's a marriage of convenience. Nothing more, nothing less.
There's just one I think I'm falling in love with my husband.
And there's no guide to love for that]]> 388 Chelle Sloan Lisa 5
My internal thoughts loading in 1.2.3…�
Okay,youknowthatfeelingofexcitementthatyougetwhenyoucontinuereadingaseriesbecausethefirstbookwasawesome.Yes,thatisexactlywhathappened here.ThesecondnovelintheSingleMomsserieswasequallyfabulousasthefirst.ChelleSloanistrulyan amazing writer. Shehasincredibletalentandisextremelyfunny.Single Mom’s Guide to Love was everything and more, just like the one before it, Runaway Brides Guide to Love.


One last thing: as the oldest daughter, this book stood out to me on so many levels, and the small blurb at the beginning was *chef's kiss, oldest daughters. I know you; I am you!

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of ValentinePR and this is my honest review.]]> 4.51 Single Mom's Guide to Love
author: Chelle Sloan
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.51
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: arc, for-review, review-valentinepr
review:
Here's a basic synopsis. Maeve and Logan meet at the airport bar, hit it off, and spend the night together. It was meant to be only one night, but fate had different intentions. I give you one ex-husband, one new client who happens to be your one-night stand, and a very beneficial pretend marriage, and the rest is history, as they say.

My internal thoughts loading in 1.2.3…�
Okay,youknowthatfeelingofexcitementthatyougetwhenyoucontinuereadingaseriesbecausethefirstbookwasawesome.Yes,thatisexactlywhathappened here.ThesecondnovelintheSingleMomsserieswasequallyfabulousasthefirst.ChelleSloanistrulyan amazing writer. Shehasincredibletalentandisextremelyfunny.Single Mom’s Guide to Love was everything and more, just like the one before it, Runaway Brides Guide to Love.


One last thing: as the oldest daughter, this book stood out to me on so many levels, and the small blurb at the beginning was *chef's kiss, oldest daughters. I know you; I am you!

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of ValentinePR and this is my honest review.
]]> Celebrity Crush 214175072
Author Emmy Ellison is a sucker for a page-turning happy ending, but she’s no longer counting on one for herself. If she stays focused on her career goals instead of her love life, she just might find success. And now that her latest novel is about to become a movie, she’s determined to become the latest social media sensation.

Enter her plan for her secret celebrity crush, the real-life inspiration for her romantic hero. When he accepts the starring role in the big-screen adaptation of her book, she’s determined to team up with a fake dating scheme—now that he’s in need of some good PR of his own. Ideally, she can ride the wave of popularity all the way to the top of the bestseller lists. But when the harsh spotlight of fame exposes the truth, will they try to turn their on-camera chemistry into a real-life relationship?]]> 352 Christy Swift 1538767767 Lisa 0 to-read 3.57 2025 Celebrity Crush
author: Christy Swift
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Friends to Lovers 218267185 Always each other’s plus-ones, but never each other’s real dates, twochildhood best friends have one last summer wedding to fall in love in thisdual-narrative debut�a grown-up The Summer I Turned Pretty .

Best friends Joni and Ren have been inseparable since childhood. So when Joni moves across the country for her job, the two devise a creative way to stay in they’ll be each other’s plus-ones every year for wedding season, no matter what else is happening in their lives.

It’s a tradition that works, until a line is crossed and the friendship they once thought was forever is ruined.

Now Joni is back at their families� shared summer home for her sister’s wedding, and she’s determined to make the week perfect, even if it means faking a friendship with Ren—and avoiding the truth of why they have to fake it in the first place. How hard can it be to pretend to be friends with the person who once knew you best?

But as sunny beach days together turn into starry nights, Joni begins to question what her life is without Ren in it. And when the wedding arrives, bringing past heartaches to the surface, she’ll be forced to decide if loving Ren means letting him go, or if theirs is a love story worth fighting for.]]> 352 Sally Blakely 1335014241 Lisa 0 to-read 4.31 2025 Friends to Lovers
author: Sally Blakely
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sawyer (Lucky River Ranch, #3)]]> 214037674 Dirty dancing leads to a chance at forever in this sizzling single parent, found family, small town romance by Jessica Peterson.

As a recently divorced single mom, I have zero interest in flirting with guys while on a rare girls� weekend away with my sisters. I just want to have fun, celebrate my new job, and listen to live music at a honky tonk.

But when I literally stumble into the most gorgeous guy ever on the dance floor, those plans go up in smoke. Growing up on the barrel racing circuit, I’m not immune to the charms of a cowboy. But this particular one is hot as hell: Sawyer’s got a mustache, some sexy tattoos, and a very filthy mouth.

Needless to say, we end up naked in his swanky hotel room. It’s the best sex of my life. And the way Sawyer treats me like a queen? Let’s just say a girl could get addicted to that kind of adoration.

Good thing he’ll always be just a one night stand I can look back on with a smile. I’m rebuilding our life from scratch, and I need to focus on my three-year-old daughter and the dream job I just landed.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I move to Hartsville and run into a tattooed cowboy with an endearing daughter of his own. Now Sawyer wants more than the occasional playdates between our girls. But the closer we become, the more determined this sexy single dad is to keep me forever.

As much as I am falling for Sawyer, I’m terrified. I’ve been down this road before with my ex, and I wonder if I can trust this cowboy. Will he rope the moon for me? Or is my heart destined to be trampled all over again?

SAWYER is a standalone book in the interconnected Lucky River Ranch Series. ]]> 0 Jessica Peterson Lisa 0 to-read 4.38 2025 Sawyer (Lucky River Ranch, #3)
author: Jessica Peterson
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1)]]> 62627512 A special hardcover collector’s edition of It Ends with Us, featuring an exclusive Q&A between Colleen Hoover and her mother, a beautiful foil cover, an embossed case with the author’s signature, and newly designed endpapers—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Starts with Us.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. And when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life seems too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating� rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.]]> 373 Colleen Hoover Lisa 0 in-my-collection 3.88 2016 It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1)
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: in-my-collection
review:

]]> Deep End 212806619 A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water...]]> 446 Ali Hazelwood 0593641051 Lisa 0 to-read 3.91 2025 Deep End
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Greeting Cards For Exes 216329102
“I’m bored with you and need a change.� The infamous words of Kerrie Holloway’s ex-husband, who doesn’t seem to understand the concept of being an “ex� since he wants her to pretend for their kids and family that they’re still together. While dating others and living in the same house. She gets a job in sales at a greeting card company, and is finally on the way to saving for her own place.

Maude Gilchrist has spent over fifty years married to the same man. A man who, one day, just leaves. No goodbye. No explanation. He was just gone. Bitter and alone, she decides to postpone retirement from the greeting card company. Although writing sappy cards about love is the last thing she wants to do.

Through lunch hour talks, weekend getaways, and drunken brawls, the ladies of All For You Greeting Cards Company help heal one another’s wounds and learn there are more important things in life than having a man. There may be a generational gap, but they all have the “ex-factor� in common. Everyone needs a friend by their side. Someone to talk to, laugh with, complain to, watch your back…and to go to jail with you.

Fans of Ashley Poston, Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, Christina Lauren, Mia Sheridan, and Kristin Hannah will enjoy "Greeting Cards For Exes" by Rebekah L. Purdy.]]> 239 Rebekah L. Purdy Lisa 4
Greeting Cards For Exes was a book that had me all up in it. It was reminiscent of a rom-com movie that comes with all the emotions that come with dating or being in a relationship at any given age.

Our 3 leading ladies, who happen to be coworkers at a greeting card company, may all be in different romantic situations in their love lives, but when it comes down to matters of the heart, sometimes different isn’t so different, and sometimes friendships are better than relationships.

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of Rockstar Tours and this is my honest review.]]> 4.35 Greeting Cards For Exes
author: Rebekah L. Purdy
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/13
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: arc, for-review, review-for-author
review:
If you’re a fan of The First Wives Club or The Other Woman, then this is a must-read.

Greeting Cards For Exes was a book that had me all up in it. It was reminiscent of a rom-com movie that comes with all the emotions that come with dating or being in a relationship at any given age.

Our 3 leading ladies, who happen to be coworkers at a greeting card company, may all be in different romantic situations in their love lives, but when it comes down to matters of the heart, sometimes different isn’t so different, and sometimes friendships are better than relationships.

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of Rockstar Tours and this is my honest review.
]]> Spiral (Off the Ice, #2) 213994483
Elias Westbrook, a newly drafted hockey player for the Toronto Thunder, is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. With a growing fan base and too many expectations on his shoulders, he’s struggling to make his first career goal. The tabloids are reporting on his every move, including which woman he was last seen with, but all he wants to do is escape the spotlight.

Enter from stage left Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina with dreams of joining the Aurora Ballet Theatre, but her lack of popularity online leaves her at a major disadvantage for securing the lead role. When Sage finds herself with the perfect opportunity to make her dreams come true by fake dating Elias, she takes her shot.

Soon enough, the flimsy fake-dating rules they set in place fall away in the face of their sizzling connection. But before things spiral out of control, Sage and Elias will have to decide if they’re willing to take the leap together or if they'll call it quits.]]> 416 Bal Khabra 0735250464 Lisa 0 to-read 3.88 2025 Spiral (Off the Ice, #2)
author: Bal Khabra
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Loving the Reaper (Silver Falls University #2)]]> 219382092 He waited years for her to choose him. His patience has run out.
Welcome back to Silver Falls University. There is a murderer among us.
I've been best friends with Wren Hunter for sixteen years. The boy who chased me in our schoolyard, kissed my scraped knees, and always swore to protect me grew into the god of Silver Falls University: admired by his peers, desired by every woman on campus, and feared by anyone who gets in his way.
Wren knows me better than anyone. He sees through every wall I build. He can handle my fire and my stubbornness. Sometimes I believe he can even tame it. This is why I thought we would never cross the line between friendship and more, no matter how many times we teetered on the edge of it.
I was wrong.
The mask he wore around me is gone, and what’s underneath is dangerous, unrelenting, obsessive.
Wren doesn’t just want me—he decided I’m his.

And in his world, no one says no.

There’s a secret society behind him, powerful enough to cover up anything—or anyone—standing in their way. Now, I’m trapped in his game, bound to a man I don't recognize, in a world where nothing is what it seems.

Bodies are piling up.
Trust is a luxury.
And Wren Hunter might be the one thing that destroys me.

Loving The Reaper is a dark romance intended for readers over 18 only. Please, read the trigger warnings in the book.
This is the second book in a series of 3 interconnected standalones.]]> Lola King 1916837158 Lisa 0 to-read 3.67 Loving the Reaper (Silver Falls University #2)
author: Lola King
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Burnout (Holland Brothers, #1)]]> 210126473
Knox Holland is in a jam. After an incredible first year on the pro motocross circuit, he should be on top of the world. Instead, his bad reputation has landed him without a team. He’s untouchable and desperate to turn it around.

Which is how he ends up at my gym asking me to train him. As a college gymnast with two Olympic medals to my name, I know a thing or two about the pressure to succeed. Last season I choked and then injured myself before I could show the world that I’m not a twenty-year-old has-been.

Focused on the future, I can’t afford to get distracted. But I recognize the desperation in Knox’s eyes, and I can’t say no to him, either.

It should have been an easy task, but nothing about Knox is easy. One minute we’re arguing, and the next I’m enjoying his shirtless handstands a little too much.

Falling for him would be a mistake�

Burnout is a sports romance with a cocky bad boy, spice, banter, and a happily ever after.]]> 454 Rebecca Jenshak 1951815734 Lisa 0 to-read 3.83 2024 Burnout (Holland Brothers, #1)
author: Rebecca Jenshak
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Playbook (The Holland Brothers, #2)]]> 211179727 From USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Jenshak comes a standalone fake dating sports romance. This steamy, grumpy / sunshine football romance delivers a swoony and emotional happily ever after.

Brogan Six’s fan mail has been filling my mailbox for weeks. With every lipstick covered letter I receive, my irritation with him grows. And let’s not talk about the time I accidentally opened one of the packages to find someone had sent him their panties. Gross.

When I come face-to-face with my new nemesis, I expect to give him a piece of my mind and we’ll go our separate ways. Me to an empty mailbox and him to sift through his panty collection.

That is not what happens.

I don’t know if it was the booze, his clever wit, or if I was tricked (I’m sure I was tricked), but now I’m fake dating the Mavericks� hot new rookie.

And I might just be the next woman to lose her panties to Brogan Six.

Playbook is a standalone fake dating, grumpy/sunshine sports romance with banter, found family, spice, and a guaranteed happily ever after.]]> 460 Rebecca Jenshak 1951815742 Lisa 0 to-read 4.09 Playbook (The Holland Brothers, #2)
author: Rebecca Jenshak
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.09
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Spotlight 221381021 One night—that’s all it was supposed to be. No names. No complications.
And now? He’s everywhere.
In every trending video.
In all the news headlines.
On every freaking billboard.
Turns out, he’s not just some guy. He’s Flynn Holland, Lake City’s new hotshot pitcher. The one that’s supposed to end our team’s fifty-year championship drought (the same way I’ve fantasized about him ending mine).
As if that weren’t bad enough, my daughter loves him and he’s the poster boy for my rival bookstore.
Flynn’s perfect smile is plastered all over town, selling their books, like some kind of traitorous golden boy—while he’s over here giving me his best game.
Pass. I’ve had enough heartbreak for two lifetimes.
But then he looks at me, and I forget how to breathe.
Not to mention, he’s so good with my little girl, it’s downright unfair.
He’s maddeningly gorgeous, ridiculously persistent, and dragging me straight into his spotlight.
I need him to stay away—before I do something I’ll regret.]]> Rebecca Jenshak 1951815793 Lisa 0 to-read 4.50 Spotlight
author: Rebecca Jenshak
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> When It's Real 30731416 Wealth, fame and a real-life romance she never expected—seventeen-year-old Vaughn Bennett lands it all when she agrees to become a pop star's fake girlfriend in this smart, utterly addictive novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Erin Watt

Under ordinary circumstances, Oakley Ford and Vaughn Bennett would never even cross paths.

There's nothing ordinary about Oakley. This bad-boy pop star's got Grammy Awards, millions of fangirls and a reputation as a restless, too-charming troublemaker. But with his home life disintegrating, his music well suddenly running dry and the tabloids having a field day over his outrageous exploits, Oakley needs to show the world he's settling down—and who better to help him than Vaughn, a part-time waitress trying to help her family get by? The very definition of ordinary.

Posing as his girlfriend, Vaughn will overhaul Oakley's image from troublemaker to serious artist. In return for enough money to put her brothers through college, she can endure outlandish Hollywood parties and carefully orchestrated Twitter exchanges. She'll fool the paparazzi and the groupies. She might even start fooling herself a little.

Because when ordinary rules no longer apply, there's no telling what your heart will do�

]]> 413 Erin Watt 0373212526 Lisa 5
I adored everything about Oakley and Vaughan; they were so different yet so perfect for one another. What teenage girl doesn't want a rock star to fall for her? I know I still do even as an adult!

Erin Watt pushes the envelope just enough with her young adult reads. They make it so that even as an adult, you can totally relate to the storylines, and that, to me, is talent that deserves more than five stars.

]]> 3.98 2017 When It's Real
author: Erin Watt
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves:
review:
Erin Watt has done it again; she makes my inner teenage girl swoon with her writing. I got lost between the pages of When It's Real, and I couldn 't have been more thrilled. It was sweet and adorable-a definite romantic read that gives you all the feels.

I adored everything about Oakley and Vaughan; they were so different yet so perfect for one another. What teenage girl doesn't want a rock star to fall for her? I know I still do even as an adult!

Erin Watt pushes the envelope just enough with her young adult reads. They make it so that even as an adult, you can totally relate to the storylines, and that, to me, is talent that deserves more than five stars.


]]> Penn (Olive Township #1) 220417105
There’s just one little catch.

Daisy isn’t in love. Her impending nuptials are transactional in nature, and that suits Daisy just fine. She learned the hard way a long time ago that true love does not exist, so what does it matter if her marriage is a farce?

But then a stranger named Peter sails into town, his forearm bearing a tattooed symbol of the Navy SEAL he used to be. And wound around that symbol, are daisies.

Daisy is ready to write it off as coincidence, but there’s no denying the way the enigmatic man feels familiar to her. His slow smile, his stormy eyes, the shape of his jaw. He makes her laugh, draws out her smiles, and even more dangerous, he challenges her previous thoughts about true love.

And then one day, he says three little words only someone from her past would know…someone named Penn.

Penn Bellamy returned to Olive Township with plans to sell his late mother’s estate, snag a locally famous Sammich, and be on his way. Under no circumstances was he to speak to his childhood best friend, Daisy. Or be her ear when she fled her engagement party. Or become her physical therapy client. Offering to help her with her home remodel? He wasn’t supposed to do that, either.

When Daisy learns Peter and Penn are the same person, and he discovers Daisy’s engagement is a pretense, all bets are off.

Penn will do whatever it takes to make Daisy his, even if it means telling her the truth about why he left once before.

After all, all is fair in the quest for true love.]]> 381 Jennifer Millikin Lisa 4 Penn and Daisy are childhood friends who grew up; they've always been close, closer than most best friends, in fact, but one day tragedy strikes that alters both of their lives, leading them to go their separate ways. Fast forward to them as adults; fate has alternative plans for these two. Daisy is now engaged to a man she does not love, and it is killing her.Penn has made it back home after sooo many years away. The only reason he had returned to Olive Township had been to settle his mother's estate; she passed away several months ago. As if this visit wasn't already difficult enough, he's also combating with traumatic stress from his time in the military.

A cute tidbit is that this book was inspired by The Princess Bride , which is among its many wonderful qualities. It was a heartwarming friends-to-lovers, second-chance romance, and I was completely here for it.

The one thing that kind of threw me off was when Penn decided to be all secret spyish with his identity, which I was 100% sure about, but I gave this part of the book plot and him the benefit of the doubt because honestly, why hide? And another thing, if you truly loved someone even all these years later, how could you not know it was them all along?

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of ValentinePR and this is my honest review.
]]> 4.22 2025 Penn (Olive Township #1)
author: Jennifer Millikin
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/01
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: arc, for-review, review-valentinepr
review:

Penn and Daisy are childhood friends who grew up; they've always been close, closer than most best friends, in fact, but one day tragedy strikes that alters both of their lives, leading them to go their separate ways. Fast forward to them as adults; fate has alternative plans for these two. Daisy is now engaged to a man she does not love, and it is killing her.Penn has made it back home after sooo many years away. The only reason he had returned to Olive Township had been to settle his mother's estate; she passed away several months ago. As if this visit wasn't already difficult enough, he's also combating with traumatic stress from his time in the military.

A cute tidbit is that this book was inspired by The Princess Bride , which is among its many wonderful qualities. It was a heartwarming friends-to-lovers, second-chance romance, and I was completely here for it.

The one thing that kind of threw me off was when Penn decided to be all secret spyish with his identity, which I was 100% sure about, but I gave this part of the book plot and him the benefit of the doubt because honestly, why hide? And another thing, if you truly loved someone even all these years later, how could you not know it was them all along?

⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of ValentinePR and this is my honest review.

]]> <![CDATA[The Dixon Rule (Campus Diaries, #2)]]> 200544094
Shane just moved into her apartment building and seems dedicated to sleeping his way through her entire cheerleading squad. Sure, he’s a tall, gorgeous hockey player, but he’s messing with her turf. This calls for some ground rules: no parties in her apartment, leave her teammates alone, and—most importantly—leave her alone.

What Diana doesn’t realize is that Shane’s sick of hookups and tired of being on the rebound after his long-term girlfriend called it quits. He wants a relationship. And when his ex comes back into the picture, he pretends he has one to make her jealous…and who better to play the girlfriend role than his sassy new neighbor?

Despite Diana’s reluctance to break her rule, a fake relationship is the perfect solution for her own ex issues, and soon she can’t deny something is sizzling between her and Shane. Something hot and completely unexpected.

And it might just be getting a little too real.]]> 496 Elle Kennedy 1728260728 Lisa 0 to-read 4.23 2024 The Dixon Rule (Campus Diaries, #2)
author: Elle Kennedy
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hopeless (Chestnut Springs, #5)]]> 161184314 He doesn't believe that anyone holds her last name against her...so he offers her his.

Beau Eaton is the town prince, a handsome military hero with a tortured past. Bailey Jansen is the outcast bartender, a shy girl from the wrong side of the tracks. He's thirty-five and all man, and she's twenty-two and all...virgin.

He's also her fiancé. Correction: her fake fiancé.

It starts out as a bet, a point for Beau to prove. And it's a win-win: Beau gets a break from his concerned family's prying, and Bailey gets a chance to shed her family's reputation while she saves up to ditch this small town for good. All she has to do is wear his ring, follow his lead, and pretend she can't keep her hands off of him in public. Easy enough, right?

But it's what happens between them in private that blurs all those carefully drawn lines. It's what transpires behind closed doors that doesn't feel like pretending at all. This engagement was supposed to be for show. This agreement? It has an end date.

Beau once told Bailey he'd never fall in love. She's determined to make him change his mind.]]> 448 Elsie Silver 1728297044 Lisa 0 to-read 4.01 2023 Hopeless (Chestnut Springs, #5)
author: Elsie Silver
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
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]]> <![CDATA[Reckless (Chestnut Springs, #4)]]> 125090463 He's scorching-hot trouble wrapped up in a drool-worthy package. And he's looking at her like she might be his next meal.

Theo Silva. Rowdy bull rider. Notorious ladies' man. Winter Hamilton knows exactly what it means when he eyes her like that. But she's almost free of her toxic marriage and has sworn off men entirely. So all she sees when she looks back at Theo is temptation served up with a heaping side of heartbreak. The man is hard to trust--but, it turns out, even harder to resist.

Make that impossible. Because Theo is persistent. And no matter how hard Winter tries to freeze him out, he melts her icy exterior and pulls apart all her defenses. Over a drink in a small-town bar, she finds herself blurting out her deepest, darkest secrets. Then, she spends the singular hottest night of her life with the man she never thought she'd say yes to.

He worships her body. He makes her blush. She comes alive beneath his hands. Then she tells him to forget it ever happened. She wants simple, and with him it all feels complicated.

It was supposed to be a one-time thing. A secret.

But that little plus sign is going to make this secret impossible to keep.]]> 448 Elsie Silver 1728297036 Lisa 0 to-read 4.40 Reckless (Chestnut Springs, #4)
author: Elsie Silver
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Powerless (Chestnut Springs, #3)]]> 125195303
But hockey heartthrob Jasper Gervais isn’t looking at me like a friend anymore. And he isn’t touching me like one either.

To his fans, he’s the handsome, talented athlete on TV. But to me he’s still the lost boy with sad eyes and a heart of gold.

The man I’ve loved in secret for years.

So when my life falls apart on my wedding day, it only makes sense that he’s the one to swoop in and save me. And when his world comes crashing down around him, I’m there to return the favor.

But the more time we spend alone, the more Jasper doesn’t feel like a friend at all. He feels like everything I’ve ever wanted and thought I could never have.

Our feelings aren’t straight forward though. They twist and turn around the pain of his past and the reality of my present.

Jasper Gervais acts like he wants me.

But after years of turning me away, he’s going to need to prove it.]]> 464 Elsie Silver 1728297028 Lisa 0 to-read 3.97 2023 Powerless (Chestnut Springs, #3)
author: Elsie Silver
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heartless (Chestnut Springs, #2)]]> 125460757 Working as a nanny for the world's grumpiest single dad should be simple...except she can't keep her eyes off him. And he can't keep his hands off her.

Cade Eaton is thirteen years older than Willa Grant, and he barely looks her way, even though she's living in his house for the summer. That is, until she gets him into the hot tub one night for a game of truth or dare. Then, all bets are off--and so are their clothes.

Cade is gruff, a little rough around the edges, but broad-shouldered ranchers with calloused hands and filthy mouths are this city girl's kryptonite. So who is she to resist?

But it's in their quietest moments together that he softens. It's in the unexpected way he takes care of Willa that she realizes his hardened exterior is just a façade. And it's when she watches him go all sweet with his little boy that she starts to fall for him, whatever the consequences.

Someone once convinced Cade that his best wasn't good enough. But Willa has never felt more cherished than she does in his arms.

Her contract says this arrangement is only for two months.

But her heart says this is forever.]]> 432 Elsie Silver 172829701X Lisa 0 to-read 4.34 2022 Heartless (Chestnut Springs, #2)
author: Elsie Silver
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Terms and Conditions (Dreamland Billionaires, #2)]]> 60476301 I’m destined to become the next CEO of my family’s media empire.
The only problem? My grandfather’s inheritance clause.
Fulfilling his dying wish of getting married and having an heir seemed impossible until my assistant volunteers for the job.
Our marriage was supposed to be the perfect solution to my biggest problem.
But the more we act in love for the public, the more unsure I feel about our contract.
Caring about Iris was never part of the deal.
Especially not when breaking her heart is inevitable.

Iris
My plan to marry Declan was simple in theory.
Move in together. Throw a wedding. Have a baby.
We set rules to prevent any kind of issues.
Ones that were never meant to be broken, no matter how much Declan tempts me.
But what happens when our fake relationship bleeds into our real one?
Falling in love was never an option.
At least not for me.

Terms and Conditions is the second book in a series of interconnected standalones following three billionaire brothers.]]> 466 Lauren Asher 1737507730 Lisa 0 to-read 4.10 2022 Terms and Conditions (Dreamland Billionaires, #2)
author: Lauren Asher
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Flawless (Chestnut Springs, #1)]]> 125157226 The rules were simple: keep his hands off his agent's daughter and stay out of trouble.

But now he's stuck with her. There's only one bed. And well, rules are made to be broken.

Rhett Eaton is the face of professional bull riding. The golden boy. Or at least he was until it all blew up in his face after a public brawl. Now his agent says he has to clean up his image, and sticks Rhett with his ball-busting daughter for the rest of the season as "full-time supervision."

But Rhett doesn't need a goddamn babysitter--especially one with skin-tight jeans, a sexy smirk, and a mouth she can't stop running.

A mouth he can't stop thinking about.

And he quickly learns that Summer Hamilton isn't just another conquest. She sees the man behind the mask, and she doesn't run--she pulls him closer, even when she shouldn't.

She says this means nothing.

Rhett says this means everything.

She says there are boundaries they shouldn't cross. That Rhett's reputation can't take any more hits...and neither can her damaged heart.

Rhett says he's going to steal it anyway.]]> 400 Elsie Silver 1728297001 Lisa 0 to-read 4.01 2022 Flawless (Chestnut Springs, #1)
author: Elsie Silver
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Well, Actually 217387757
Forced to confront Rylie on a live episode of Sausage Talk, he offers Eva a deal: allow him to take her on a series of dates to make up for his toxic behavior, then debrief them on his channel to show he’s changed. Eva refuses to play nice, but agrees to the scheme to advance her own career and continue defaming Rylie’s good name. When these manufactured dates start to feel real, Eva has to wonder if the boy that broke her heart has become the man that might heal it.]]> 384 Mazey Eddings 1250333318 Lisa 0 to-read 4.02 2025 Well, Actually
author: Mazey Eddings
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> Summer in the City 216406487 From #1New York Timesbestselling author Alex Aster comes her adult debut novelSummer in the City—a swoony, fast-paced rom-com set in New York City in which a screenwriter and a sexy tech CEO go from lovers to enemies and back to lovers again�

Twenty-seven-year-old screenwriter Elle has the chance of a lifetime to write a big-budget movie set in New York City. The only problem? She’s had writer’s block for months, and her screenplay is due at the end of the summer.

In a desperate attempt at inspiration, Elle ends up back in the city she swore she would never return to, in an apartment she could never afford (floor-to-ceiling windows, skyline views, and a new coffee shop to haunt included). It’s the perfect place to write her screenplay…until she realizes her new neighbor is tech “Billionaire Bachelor� Parker Warren, her stairwell hookup from two years ago. It’s been a lovers-to-enemies situation ever since.

When seeing him again turns into a full night of hate-fueled writing, Elle realizes her enemy/twisted muse might just be the key to finishing her screenplay... if she can stand being around her polar opposite. She writes anonymously, and he’s on the cover of every business magazine. He frequents fancy red carpeted events, and she doesn’t like leaving her emotional support five block radius.

One summer. One wall apart. He needs to fake a buzzy relationship during his company’s precarious acquisition. She needs to write a movie around a list of NYC locations. Both need a break from their unrelenting schedules, and a chance to rediscover the skyscraper glimmering, pizza crusted, sunlit charms of the city.

Summers always end, and so will this agreement. It’s all pretend. Promise.

Until it isn’t.]]> 300 Alex Aster 0063411687 Lisa 0 to-read 4.00 2025 Summer in the City
author: Alex Aster
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/01
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]]> Priest 60717715 From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Sierra Simone comes her steamy, TikTok-famous Priest series, in which sinners and saints alike test the bonds of religion, love, and lust.

He's a priest, and here is his confession.

There are many rules a priest can't break. A priest cannot marry. A priest cannot abandon his flock. A priest cannot forsake his God. Tyler Bell has had no problem playing by the rules for the last three years after a family tragedy set him on the path to priesthood. That all changes when the delicious, sultry voice of Poppy Danforth sinks its claws in him through the screen of his confessional booth, and he can't get her sins out of his head.

It should be easy to put his impure thoughts of her to rest, considering the vows Tyler has taken. It should be nothing to overcome what the sight and sound of her does to him, when his life with the Church means everything. But once he has his first forbidden taste of those red lips, Tyler can't help but break all his rules for Poppy―no matter what it might cost them both.]]> 320 Sierra Simone 1949364240 Lisa 0 to-read 3.48 2015 Priest
author: Sierra Simone
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Lost and Lassoed (Rebel Blue Ranch, #3)]]> 207611511 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. She’s never needed one before. She’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 she’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 he’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?]]> 313 Lyla Sage 0593732456 Lisa 0 to-read 4.33 2024 Lost and Lassoed (Rebel Blue Ranch, #3)
author: Lyla Sage
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Next Best Fling (Librarians in Love, #1)]]> 201627008 Two broken hearts decide that the best way to get over their first loves is with a no-strings-attached relationship in this spicy and charming debut romance.

Librarian Marcela Ortiz has been secretly in love with her best friend for years—and when he gets engaged, she knows it’s long past time to move on. But before she gets the chance, she has a bigger problem to contend with in the form of Theo Young, ex-NFL player and older brother of the man she’s in love with. When she discovers Theo's plans to confess his feelings for his brother’s fiancée at their engagement party, Marcela is quick to stop him—despite how tempting it is to let him run away with the bride-to-be. She manages to convince Theo to sleep off his drunken almost-mistake at her place and when they arrive at a family brunch the next day together, everyone wrongly assumes they hooked up.

Since Theo needs a cover for his feelings for the bride and Marcela needs a distraction from her unrequited feelings for the groom, they decide to roll with the lie. Until one late night at a bar, they take it a step further and discover a layer of attraction neither realized existed. Soon, they find themselves exploring the simmering chemistry between them, whether in library aisles or Marcela's bed. There are no boundaries for the rebound relationship they form—just a host of complicated feelings, messy familial dynamics, and uncovered secrets that threaten to tear them apart before they can even admit to themselves that their rebound is working. Maybe a little too well.]]> 384 Gabriella Gamez 1538726637 Lisa 0 to-read 3.61 2023 The Next Best Fling (Librarians in Love, #1)
author: Gabriella Gamez
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/01
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]]> <![CDATA[The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1)]]> 5821978 276 Jenny Han 1416968237 Lisa 0 to-read 3.77 2009 The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1)
author: Jenny Han
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2009
rating: 0
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shelves: to-read
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]]> Archer's Voice 32822135
Archer's Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.]]> 377 Mia Sheridan 1538727374 Lisa 0 to-read 4.14 2014 Archer's Voice
author: Mia Sheridan
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> Eleanor & Park 15745753 "So did Jerry Lee Lewis," Eleanor answers.
"I'm not kidding," he says.
"You should be," she says, "we're 16."
"What about Romeo and Juliet?"
"Shallow, confused, then dead."
"I love you," Park says.
"Wherefore art thou," Eleanor answers.
"I'm not kidding," he says.
"You should be."

Set over one school year in 1986, Eleanor & Park is the story of two star-crossed misfits—smart enough to know first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.]]> 328 Rainbow Rowell 1250012570 Lisa 0 to-read 3.92 2012 Eleanor & Park
author: Rainbow Rowell
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/01
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]]> Red, White & Royal Blue 41150487
As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?]]> 448 Casey McQuiston 1250316774 Lisa 0 to-read 4.06 2019 Red, White & Royal Blue
author: Casey McQuiston
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Comeback (Holland Brothers, #3)]]> 216375349 My brother’s best friend is such a jerk.

An imposing, handsome jerk who doesn’t trust me. And now we’re roommates.

He wanders around the apartment in nothing but gray sweatpants, looking like a broody, tattooed muscle god, and playing music that shakes the walls. I want to hate him for treating me like an intruder, but there’s something about the way he looks at me—like he’s trying to figure me out—that keeps pulling me in.

Archer Holland is loyal, caring, and protective—with everyone except me.

Every time I move around our apartment, I can feel his glare. And the worst part? It only makes me want him more.

Not that it matters.

He’s my brother’s best friend—the one guy I can never have. But after a late-night rescue, we go from sharing a wall to sharing a bed.

I’m not sure what my brother would do if he found out, but it doesn’t matter because Archer says it can’t happen again.

That imposing, handsome jerk is about to find out I’m done playing by his rules.

Comeback is a football romance with lots of spice, swoon, and a happily ever after. It’s the third book in the Holland Brothers series and can be read as a standalone.

Tropes:

- forced proximity / roommates
- broody tattooed football hero
- sneaking around
- ASL and chronic illness rep
- dual POV]]> 369 Rebecca Jenshak 1951815769 Lisa 4 4.01 2025 Comeback (Holland Brothers, #3)
author: Rebecca Jenshak
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: arc, for-review, review-valentinepr
review:
This is my first. Holland Brothers book, and I may be kind of biased, especially since I've not read any other book in the series.
]]> <![CDATA[Honor (Sky Ridge Hotshots, #3)]]> 221860418 Xander

Being a career hotshot, a wildland firefighter, is all I've ever known. It's my greatest passion. This job is dangerous, and after watching my parents' marriage fail because of it, I knew long ago I'd never be a relationship kinda guy.

All of that changes when my best friend moves his recently widowed--and pregnant--younger sister and her two kids in next door. I've been crazy about Teddy for years. So when I happen to assist in an unexpected emergency home birth for her new baby, I find myself spending more and more time near her and her kids. Teddy's heart is locked up like Fort Knox after losing her husband, and breaking down her defenses is damn near impossible... but I want to show her that I'm here to stay. For all of them.

As superintendent, my duty to my crew has always been my priority. But with Teddy's heart on the line, can I give up the only life I've ever known? Or am I doomed to be honor bound and lose the only woman I've ever loved?]]> 364 Danielle Baker Lisa 0 to-read 4.19 Honor (Sky Ridge Hotshots, #3)
author: Danielle Baker
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.19
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]]> <![CDATA[Protect (Sky Ridge Hotshots, #2)]]> 221979631 Rowan Kingsley

Imagine coming into the town pub with my crew, dirty and exhausted, only to walk right into my biggest regret. The twin sister of my lost best friend and the one who got away. I haven’t seen Violette Taylor in years but I haven’t forgotten her either.

I used to be Rowan to her. Now, I’m just King, the guy who broke her heart, but not for the reasons she thinks.
Violette is back in town for good, she's a single mom and a nurse in the burn unit I accidentally wind up in.

Can you call that fate? Maybe, if she wasn’t doing her best to stay far away from anyone who reminded her of her past, especially a career hotshot like me. But I know something she doesn’t; life rarely offers second chances. So, if this is my chance to finally make things right, I’m taking it.]]> 414 Paisley Hope Lisa 0 to-read 4.16 Protect (Sky Ridge Hotshots, #2)
author: Paisley Hope
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.16
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]]> <![CDATA[Fight (Sky Ridge Hotshots, #1)]]> 221979619 Callahan

Fighting wildfires is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do and I’m damn good at it. Being the captain of an interagency hotshot crew of wildland firefighters is high-risk, high-reward. The risk blindsided me five years ago when I lost one of my crew and was changed forever. Now the only rewards I allow are to work harder, smarter, and enjoy easy, sexy nights with strangers.

Until I meet Prescott Timmons. Her smart-mouth and adventurous spirit have me forgetting all of my rules—until her past shows up and lies start to feel too familiar. I swear to never spare her a second glance, but when she finds herself in a life or death situation with mother nature, my instincts kick in, and I take action. Stranded and sharing a bed again, we’re forced to face our truth. Do we let this fire burn out or fight?]]> 379 Sloane St. James Lisa 0 to-read 3.92 2025 Fight (Sky Ridge Hotshots, #1)
author: Sloane St. James
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/30
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]]> <![CDATA[Easy Meal Prep: Save Time and Eat Healthy with Over 75 Recipes]]> 212923967
In Easy Meal Prep, nutrition coach and meal prep expert Erin Romeo, the Food Prep Princess (@foodprepprincess on Instagram), guides you through the essentials of meal prep, a key component to any diet—whether you’re high-protein, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb, or just trying to eat healthy. This highly accessible guide includes:


How to prep a week’s worth of meals in a few hours
Over 75 healthy and delicious recipes
How to meal-prep in 5 easy steps
5 meal-prep plans to get you started
Tips and tricks for food planning

So, skip the takeout and never be at a loss for a healthy meal again with this essential guide to easy meal prep.]]> 144 Erin Romeo 1577155068 Lisa 0 to-read 3.88 Easy Meal Prep: Save Time and Eat Healthy with Over 75 Recipes
author: Erin Romeo
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.88
book published:
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date added: 2025/01/30
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]]> The Drummer's Heart 218024103 That was the one rule my bandmates followed, because they knew how much it messed me up to think about her, especially on tour.
My ex, Nicole.
The one who got away and the woman who still owned every piece of my heart.
After our divorce, I threw myself into the rock scene, trying to forget my heartbreak.
Three years after we split, a phone call from Nicole changed everything.
She told me her grandmother wasn’t doing well.
Mimi was still family to me, and she apparently had one wish before dying: to spend time with us—Nicole and me.
With Mimi’s caretaker away on vacation, it would be the ideal time for us to move in with her for a couple of weeks.
Of course, I couldn’t refuse.
But there was a catch.
Nicole apparently never told her that we’d gotten a divorce.
She hadn’t believed Mimi could handle it, because her grandmother loved me so much.
So, not only would I have to see Nicole again, but I’d be pretending to still be her husband.
Two weeks in a tiny house in a small town with the woman who broke my heart. Or was it me who broke hers?
It was complicated.
And it was about to be a heck of a lot more complicated sharing one bed in the guest room with a woman who wasn’t mine anymore.]]> 340 Penelope Ward 1959827812 Lisa 0 to-read 4.23 The Drummer's Heart
author: Penelope Ward
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.23
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]]> Phantom 217987129 The married woman of the manor. The stranger outside. An intoxicating novel of dark temptation and dangerous desire by the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Cat and Mouse Duet.

November 12, 1944. This house holds on to souls for a lifetime. I thought I had given it to my husband when I vowed to love him until the end of time. I lied. Nothing could have prepared me for the day my phantom appeared outside my window. He was terrifying, yet hypnotizing, and I couldn’t deny my intrigue. I never intended to fall into a whirlwind romance with my stalker. Especially because he’s so much more than that. A criminal. A mobster. The man who offers me solace from the monster in Parsons Manor. There are many that haunt these halls, yet it’s only my husband I fear.]]> 367 H.D. Carlton Lisa 0 to-read 3.98 2025 Phantom
author: H.D. Carlton
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Rewind It Back (Windy City, #5)]]> 216156650
When I was eleven, my family moved next door to his.
When I was thirteen, he was my first crush.
When I was sixteen, we fell for each other.
And when I was nineteen, we broke each other’s hearts.

Six years later, I’ve landed an internship with a big-name interior designer in a new city. Unfortunately, that city just so happens to be the one he plays hockey for.

I thought Chicago was big enough to avoid him, until I get the surprise of a lifetime and unknowingly move in right next door. Even worse? The renovation project I’m assigned to in hopes of turning that internship into my full-time dream job...

It’s 𝘩𝘪𝘴 house.

But how am I supposed to update his bachelor pad into a family home when we can’t even stand to be in the same room?

I may have loved Rio DeLuca once, but I’m not that same girl anymore.

𝑹𝒊𝒐

I never thought I’d be the only single one left in my friend group. But after years of trying to find love, I’ve concluded it may not exist for me anymore.

That is, until I accidentally hire Hallie Hart to renovate my house and our jaded history has me rewinding memories I’ve kept secret for years.

You see, there’s something that my friends don’t know.

That connection I’ve been looking for since I moved to Chicago, that one person some search their entire lives to find... I had already found her when I was twelve years old.

And now the only girl I’ve ever loved is moving into the house next door.

Again.]]> Liz Tomforde Lisa 0 to-read 4.67 2025 Rewind It Back (Windy City, #5)
author: Liz Tomforde
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Wild and Wrangled (Rebel Blue Ranch, #4)]]> 213650748 She’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 she’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 she’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 Lisa 0 to-read 4.28 2025 Wild and Wrangled (Rebel Blue Ranch, #4)
author: Lyla Sage
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)]]> 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 Lisa 0 to-read 4.09 2025 First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)
author: B.K. Borison
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Charlie Method (Campus Diaries, #3)]]> 212688557 The third in the steamy, hilarious Campus Diaries series by New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy, set in the same world as Off Campus and Briar U.

College senior Charlotte Kingston is living two lives―and she's nailing both of them. By day, she's the perfect sorority girl, a STEM student in biomedical engineering, and the adopted daughter of an overachiever family. At night, she's Charlie: a risk-taking daredevil looking for fun who finds herself chatting on a dating app with two anonymous hotties.

Will Larsen may seem like the breezy boy next door, but his congressman father is a constant thorn in his side. After a scandal hits another Division 1 hockey program, Will's dad is determined to distance his son from it, hiring a journalist to prove how squeaky-clean Will and his team are. Which means the last thing Will wants is for anyone to find out he and his best friend Beckett Dunne―a laidback Aussie shielding secret heartache―sometimes share girls in the bedroom.

When Charlie finally meets them in person and realizes she's been chatting with two gorgeous Briar U hockey players, things get steamy―fast. But all their messy secrets are piling up, and real life soon threatens to shatter the fantasy. With Charlie, Will, and Beckett all coming to terms with what they want and what others want for them, difficult decisions will need to be made.

Especially when lust starts to look a lot like love.]]> 528 Elle Kennedy 1464219354 Lisa 0 to-read 3.48 2025 The Charlie Method (Campus Diaries, #3)
author: Elle Kennedy
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dream Girl Drama (Big Shots, #3)]]> 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 #1New York Timesbestselling 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 Lisa 0 to-read 3.47 2025 Dream Girl Drama (Big Shots, #3)
author: Tessa Bailey
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Spiral (Off the Ice #2) 213618272
Elias Westbrook, a newly drafted hockey player for the Toronto Thunder, is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. With a growing fan base and too many expectations on his shoulders, he’s struggling to make his first career goal. The tabloids are reporting on his every move, including which woman he was last seen with, but all he wants to do is escape the spotlight.

Enter from stage left Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina with dreams of joining the Aurora Ballet Theatre, but her lack of popularity online leaves her at a major disadvantage for securing the lead role. When Sage finds herself with the perfect opportunity to make her dreams come true by fake dating Elias, she takes her shot.

Soon enough, the flimsy fake-dating rules they set in place fall away in the face of their sizzling connection. But before things spiral out of control, Sage and Elias will have to decide if they’re willing to take the leap together or if they'll call it quits.]]> 338 Bal Khabra 0593818288 Lisa 0 to-read 3.88 2025 Spiral (Off the Ice #2)
author: Bal Khabra
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome, #3)]]> 211164792 Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this rivals-to-lovers romance.

Emily Walker hates having her carefully crafted world disrupted by anyone, most of all her legendary nemesis, Jack Bennett. He's the opposite of the wonderful heroes she dreams up in her double life as a romance writer, which is why Emily was perfectly happy when Jack left Rome, Kentucky, mid-school year, with his fiancée. The last thing Emily saw coming was Jack’s return at the start of the summer after calling off the wedding and ending his relationship, but he’s here to stay—as her colleague and her neighbor.

Jackson Bennett is glad to be back, eager to renovate his house and work on the next mystery novel under his bestselling pen name. But when he realizes he’s now neighbors with the one woman who has always pushed his buttons, he discovers something he’s even more excited for—thwarting Emily and her petty plans to sabotage his return.

With their chemistry-fueled animosity at an all-time high, Emily accidentally sends an email to their school’s principal that could reveal her secret literary side hustle. She needs to steal back her manuscript, and Jack—she hates to admit—is just the man to help her. Surprisingly, Jack agrees. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?]]> 384 Sarah Adams 0593723694 Lisa 0 to-read 4.08 2025 Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome, #3)
author: Sarah Adams
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Watch Me (Shatter Me: The New Republic, #1)]]> 216364822 Lose yourself in this exhilarating return to the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe, the first book in a new series set ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.

James Anderson had a plan. Or half of one. All that matters is that he managed to do what his older brother, the famous Aaron Warner Anderson, never did: infiltrate Ark Island, the last refuge of The Reestablishment. In the past decade no outsider has breached the stronghold of the authoritarian regime, but James is in. In a prison cell, sure, but as far as James is concerned, a win is a win.

It’s been ten years since the fall of The Reestablishment. Ten years since the notorious duo � Juliette Ferrars and Aaron Warner Anderson � led a worldwide rebellion and established the New Republic of the West. But after a decade of unsettling quiet, The Reestablishment is ready to make a devastating move, and they have the perfect person for the job.

Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. She always has a plan. On Ark Island, where constant surveillance is packaged as security, even emotions must be experienced with caution. A trained assassin, her every movement is monitored by synthetic intelligence—and when she’s given an order to kill, she never hesitates.

Brimming with pulse-pounding action and torturous romance, Watch Me is an explosive journey through a dystopian landscape where enemies-to-lovers has never felt more impossible. Step into a beloved and breathtaking world that demands an answer to a desperate question�

Who are we when no one is watching?]]> 368 Tahereh Mafi 0063419009 Lisa 0 to-read 4.48 2025 Watch Me (Shatter Me: The New Republic, #1)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Great Big Beautiful Life 218559595 Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years--or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.]]> 384 Emily Henry 059344129X Lisa 0 to-read 4.26 2025 Great Big Beautiful Life
author: Emily Henry
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Overdue: A Novel 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 she’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 she’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 Lisa 0 to-read 3.87 2025 Overdue: A Novel
author: Stephanie Perkins
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Friends with Benefits 217388127 Lifelong best friends say 'I do' to a marriage of convenience, trading vows for a financial safety net and benefits. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Katherine Center.

Evie Bloom pays attention to the details. Her very job depends on it—as an aspiring Foley artist, she’s responsible for every crisp footstep, smacking kiss, and distinct sound in film and television. So when she’s selected for a fellowship opportunity that would make all her career dreams come true, she’s quick to spot the there are no health benefits, and for someone with a chronic illness, that’s a non-starter.

Theo Cohen is an elementary school teacher who can't afford to live on his own in LA, and is facing eviction after his roommates couple up and move out of their dream of a rent-controlled apartment. But there is one loophole in his each tenant must meet an income threshold, unless the tenants are married.

For Theo, the answer is obvious. Marry Evie, his best friend since forever. It’s not as if they don’t spend all their free time together anyways. Not only will Theo be able to keep his apartment, but Evie can be added to his insurance plan so she can accept her dream fellowship. It’s such a logical, practical solution. Never mind that Evie doesn’t really want to be married—not to Theo, not to anyone—ever. Or the small, complicating fact that Theo has always been a little bit in love with Evie.

But it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Marriage. It will just give them space to breathe, and much-needed relief from the daily financial stress. It won’t change anything.

It’s . . . going to change everything.]]> 384 Marisa Kanter 1250358892 Lisa 0 to-read 3.69 Friends with Benefits
author: Marisa Kanter
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.69
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Pucking Obsessed (Kings of Castlebrook, #1)]]> 216868703 If he can’t have her, no one can.

Hayden Lockwood harbors a dark obsession with Madison Caldwell. The brooding hockey captain's unhinged infatuation began the instant he laid eyes on the most untouchable girl on campus. The night his mother and her father were found slain amidst their affair, Hayden couldn’t tear his eyes away from the girl who didn’t shed a single tear. Hayden’s fixation on Madison deepens as he watches her every move, intervening at every imposing threat and sabotaging any potential suitor.

Madison can’t avoid the hothead hockey player when their surviving parents find comfort in each other and decide to marry. As their parents� wedding approaches, a violent attack on campus forces Hayden and Madison to make life-altering choices. When someone threatens to expose the dark secrets of their elite circle, Hayden is forced to reveal just how obsessed he is with Madison, and how far he’s willing to go to protect her.

Kings of Castlebrook are elite hockey legacies born to cause trouble on and off the ice. Please read Pucking Obsessed with caution as it contains dark themes, and please note that this book is not enemies to lovers and there is no malice between the main characters.]]> 318 London Snow Lisa 4 arc, for-review

The red flags in this book, and there are many of them, will make you evaluate what you consider to be red flags and how willing you are to embrace them personally because I know I did, and last but definitely not least, those trigger warnings are there for a reason, so beware going in thinking this is a semi-sweet, naughty hockeyromance because honey, it is not! I even had to google some of those trigger words for descriptions like co*k warming. I just had to clarify it meant what I thought it meant, and I’m not an innocent girly, just saying.


⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of The Author Agency and author London Snow this is my honest review.]]> 3.79 Pucking Obsessed (Kings of Castlebrook, #1)
author: London Snow
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: arc, for-review
review:
This book can be described delicately as obsessed. Ok No. How about we try stalkerish, possessive, fixated, and feral as more appropriate words to characterize this book and this book's main character, Hayden, and this lad gives no f*cks about it, and the icing on the cake is that all of these feelings are directed at his stepsister? Yes, stepsister, but let’s not get it twisted But let us not get things misconstrued. Madison, his stepsister and the name of his existence, isn't so innocent; she, too, is attracted to her new stepbrother, despite her facade. The girl is smitten. The vibes in this novel remind me of Culpa Mia and Pretty Little Liars merged together and I'm kind of into it.


The red flags in this book, and there are many of them, will make you evaluate what you consider to be red flags and how willing you are to embrace them personally because I know I did, and last but definitely not least, those trigger warnings are there for a reason, so beware going in thinking this is a semi-sweet, naughty hockeyromance because honey, it is not! I even had to google some of those trigger words for descriptions like co*k warming. I just had to clarify it meant what I thought it meant, and I’m not an innocent girly, just saying.


⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of The Author Agency and author London Snow this is my honest review.
]]> <![CDATA[The Wrong Palmer Boy (Love and Grief Duet, #1)]]> 221408185 Their love is frowned upon by some, but lines are meant to be blurred�
When Gigi’s mother remarries, she’s pulled from the buzz of New York City to the quiet, unfamiliar town of Kinsdale Springs. Her newly acquired family member, Luke, is anything but friendly. He thinks she’s spoiled and out of place, while she finds him rude and cold. The person closest to Luke, Andrew, is his complete opposite—charming, easygoing, and before too long, Gigi falls for his allure.

But when tragedy strikes, grief becomes an unlikely bridge, and Gigi and Luke start growing dangerously close. Attending the same college only makes it harder to keep their distance.

With so much left unsaid, unanswered questions, and both of them wrestling their own demons, Gigi and Luke must confront their grief and the increasingly blurry lines of what’s acceptable� or face the consequences of crossing them.

The Wrong Palmer Boy is a forbidden romance. It is the first book in a duet and the story ends with a cliffhanger.

This is not a love triangle.]]> 240 Sara Amanda Lisa 4
Our main characters Gigi and Luke are both going through so much, and when it all comes to the surface, you can't help but want to shelter these two. Especially Luke, with all that he’s been through, I can’t even believe how this boy is still standing, let alone surviving. Don’t get it twisted; Gigi may come off as sunshine and rainbows, but she is doing what she has to do in her situation.

This book gives gut-wrenching, angst-filled, heartbreaking emotions I didn’t expect to have while reading this book. Sara, the author, gives a clear picture of what is going on in these folks' lives, and the ending—I am at a loss for words.


⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of Love Notes PR and this is my honest review.]]> 4.24 The Wrong Palmer Boy (Love and Grief Duet, #1)
author: Sara Amanda
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: arc, for-review, review-lovenotespr
review:
I had no idea what I was in for when reading this book; the stepbrother/stepsister trope isn’t mykind of thing. Well, honestly, I’m not sure if it is now or not. I wasn’t prepared for all the feels this book had me feeling. Taboo it was not.

Our main characters Gigi and Luke are both going through so much, and when it all comes to the surface, you can't help but want to shelter these two. Especially Luke, with all that he’s been through, I can’t even believe how this boy is still standing, let alone surviving. Don’t get it twisted; Gigi may come off as sunshine and rainbows, but she is doing what she has to do in her situation.

This book gives gut-wrenching, angst-filled, heartbreaking emotions I didn’t expect to have while reading this book. Sara, the author, gives a clear picture of what is going on in these folks' lives, and the ending—I am at a loss for words.


⚠️ I was gifted an ARC courtesy of Love Notes PR and this is my honest review.
]]> Caught Up (Into Darkness, #2) 217562358
I wanted this woman, and I was a man who always got what he wanted.

Nico 'Junior' Trocci knows Lauren Marchetti is off limits. She is sweetness and laughter, whereas Junior exists in a world of violence and depravity. Men like him don't get to have women like her. It's why he pushed her away back in high school and has kept his distance ever since.

But when Junior looks Lauren up online, he discovers the shy, bookish girl he remembers is gone. In her place is a strikingly beautiful woman whose social media is filled with scantily clad pictures of herself and a connection to a nearby play club. Junior's innocent curiosity quickly turns into a dark obsession. But watching Lauren from a distance isn't enough; he needs to make her his.

He's ruthless; a walking red flag. Good thing red is my favorite color.

Lauren is intrigued by the mystery man who keeps showing up at her club, who tempts her white-hot desires. But as their flirty online messages stir up a deeper form of connection, Lauren worries she's developing real feelings for this brooding stranger. As their combined desire ratchets up to a breaking point, who will seduce who? And will they survive the fall?

Caught Up is a fast-paced dark romance with a morally grey male lead. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the content warning at the beginning of the book.

]]> Navessa Allen 1529442443 Lisa 0 to-read 4.21 2025 Caught Up (Into Darkness, #2)
author: Navessa Allen
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lights Out (Into Darkness, #1)]]> 201017011 “I don’t need another kink.�

That thought pops into my head whenever I pull up my favorite social media app, but alas, every time I scroll, I learn something new about myself, and another one is born. And yes, I know I’m responsible for what the algorithm shows me, but I’m trying to ignore that fact.

Lately, my feed has been dominated by masked men. I’ve favorited videos with them dressed in full cosplay, decked out in futuristic military apparel, and wrapped up like ghouls.

But more than anything else, my FYP is filled with shirtless men wearing ghost masks. Bonus points if they’re heavily tattooed, wielding a knife, or covered in fake blood. At night, I dream about being chased by them, of them catching me and doing deliciously dark things to my more than willing body.

I never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become my new reality.

Lights Out is a fast-paced dark romance with a morally grey male lead. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the TWs at the beginning of the book. ]]> 338 Navessa Allen Lisa 0 to-read 4.17 2024 Lights Out (Into Darkness, #1)
author: Navessa Allen
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Just Try, Again and Again: An Angsty, Second Chance Romance (Again and Again Trilogy Book 2)]]> 220061143
Bryce is married, but not in any conventional sense. For years, his wife, Haruki, has been a phantom, a ghost he has encountered only a handful of times. Once, they believed they were twin flames, destined for eternal happiness. Yet fate played a cruel game, repeatedly tearing them apart whenever they inched closer to their happily ever after.

Just as Bryce has about given up on Haruki, she reappears on his doorstep. Their past is a labyrinth of heartbreak and missed chances. Now, with the shadows of their history lingering, the question will Bryce and Haruki surrender to the relentless forces pulling them apart, or will they fight for their once-in-a-lifetime connection?

This is not a story of second chances. How could it be when they never even had one? ]]> 266 Sara Amanda Lisa 0 to-read 4.38 Just Try, Again and Again: An Angsty, Second Chance Romance (Again and Again Trilogy Book 2)
author: Sara Amanda
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Always You, Again and Again (Again and Again Trilogy #1)]]> 214637806 Broken once, broken twice - maybe the third time’s the charm?

Nick has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

Riding our bikes together, misspelled birthday cards, innocent declarations of love� We lived in a fairy tale, our own little bubble. So when he moved continents away, it felt like he took a piece of me with him.

Then he came back in senior year, and we continued where we had left off, promising each other forever this time. But nothing ever goes as planned, and we quickly realized that we weren't the cheerful, carefree kids we used to be.

When life broke us in ways we thought weren’t possible, I had to leave Nick behind.

Nick was my first love, but will he be my last?

Always You, Again and Again is a second-chance romance book that is filled with angst. This love novel features two star-crossed childhood sweethearts and their search for a seemingly impossible happy ending.]]> 236 Sara Amanda Lisa 0 to-read 4.16 Always You, Again and Again (Again and Again Trilogy #1)
author: Sara Amanda
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.16
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Coincidentally Kismet 223202148
Cameron Wright has had her life planned out since before she was tall enough to see over the steering wheel on her dad’s tractor. Find a man, marry him, and pop out half a dozen babies. Never one to miss a step, her plan was foolproof, that is until her one true love decided to ditch their college plans to become what she would refer to as the next real-life Rambo. Setting off on a new adventure across the country, working for world-renowned hairstylist Daveed Jones, she’s attempting to shake off the memories and finally let go of the past. You might as well start over when everything else has blown up in your face, right?

Committing fully to seizing the reins, Cam is hitting the dating scene, forcing herself to trade french fries for salads, and making memories concocting alter egos while spinning around the dance floor at the local country bar and soaking up the sunshine with her lovable roommate. There’s only one problem. After each new date, she finds herself waking up overheated, fantasizing about her ex.

Will Davenport is determined not to feel feelings. He walked away from love to avoid repeating the mistakes of his father, swearing it off altogether. When his sister makes a sudden appearance on his doorstep, the more-than-content bachelor joins his friends for a night on the town. Little does he know, the shock of his life is coming in the form of the one girl who he’s always claimed as his own. Will’s no stranger to navigating sticky situations, he does it daily as a special operations soldier. But the road to winning her back is paved with obstacles, two-stepping, and enough peonies to bankrupt the wealthiest of suitors.

Can Cameron resist his attempts at winning her over in favor of staying safely tucked into the friend zone? Or should she give in to fate, finally acknowledging they are coincidentally kismet?]]> 350 Kelli Cooke Lisa 4 
NowthatI'vereadit,I'llofferyoualittlebackstory.Theplotrevolvesaroundourtwomaincharacters,CameronandWill,whoaregrantedasecondchanceatromanceyearsaftertheywerehighschoolsweethearts.

Fast forward into adulthood, and these two cross paths again and decide to give it a second try, but it isn't as easy to pick up where they left off. Cameron has trust issues. Will really broke her heart when he broke up with her just before they had their college plans together mapped out, so she has her guard up and is protecting it at all costs, but then there is a part of her who doesn't want to lose Will again, but she is not sure she can truly trust him. And Mr. Will, he has his own personal issues; he always has, but now that he’s back from the military and his issues have gotten worse, he’s totally a different man with some severe PTSD, but the one thing he knows is that even after all this time, his feelings for Cameron haven’t changed.

Over time, I found myself confused between loving and liking this read, primarily because I felt it to be slow to begin and too wordy in places where it didn't need to be, but then it caught up and unexpectedly raced out of nowhere. I even thought I had missed a few pages. The only thing that brought back the novel were their own personal issues, the truly difficult parts/feelings; the author did not sugarcoat anything, which I like. With said, I'd give this read 3.75 stars if it weren't for the slow start, wordy sections, and the push and pull of each character. I would have given it 4 stars.]]> 3.98 Coincidentally Kismet
author: Kelli Cooke
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.98
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/13
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: arc, for-review, review-lovenotespr
review:
First off I want to be honest what attracted me to this book was the cover ( sorry cover whore) I can’t help it even being more honest I didn’t even read the synopsis I was sold on the cover alone. then poof next thing I know an ARC courtesy of Love Notes PR landed in my lap. So you basically say I went into this book blindly and I’m not too mad about it.

NowthatI'vereadit,I'llofferyoualittlebackstory.Theplotrevolvesaroundourtwomaincharacters,CameronandWill,whoaregrantedasecondchanceatromanceyearsaftertheywerehighschoolsweethearts.

Fast forward into adulthood, and these two cross paths again and decide to give it a second try, but it isn't as easy to pick up where they left off. Cameron has trust issues. Will really broke her heart when he broke up with her just before they had their college plans together mapped out, so she has her guard up and is protecting it at all costs, but then there is a part of her who doesn't want to lose Will again, but she is not sure she can truly trust him. And Mr. Will, he has his own personal issues; he always has, but now that he’s back from the military and his issues have gotten worse, he’s totally a different man with some severe PTSD, but the one thing he knows is that even after all this time, his feelings for Cameron haven’t changed.

Over time, I found myself confused between loving and liking this read, primarily because I felt it to be slow to begin and too wordy in places where it didn't need to be, but then it caught up and unexpectedly raced out of nowhere. I even thought I had missed a few pages. The only thing that brought back the novel were their own personal issues, the truly difficult parts/feelings; the author did not sugarcoat anything, which I like. With said, I'd give this read 3.75 stars if it weren't for the slow start, wordy sections, and the push and pull of each character. I would have given it 4 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Find Me (Shatter Me, #4.5-5.5)]]> 43521352 Calling all fans of Tahereh Mafi’s New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series! This gorgeous paperback bind-up includes Shadow Me and the fourth novella in the series, both in print for the first time ever.

In Shadow Me, Juliette is still reeling from Warner's betrayal, and Kenji is trying to balance his friendship with her with his responsibilities as a leader of the resistance against the Reestablishment. Things get even more interesting when an unexpected person from Omega Point’s past surfaces.

The fourth novella brings readers back to the Shatter Me world one last time before the final novel installment in the series hits shelves in 2020.

The Shatter Me series is perfect for fans who crave action-packed young adult novels with tantalizing romance likeDivergentandThe Hunger Games. This captivating story was praised as "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love" by Ransom Riggs, bestselling author ofMiss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

And don’t missDefy Me, the gripping fifth book in the Shatter Me series!]]> 224 Tahereh Mafi 0062906283 Lisa 0 to-read 4.05 2019 Find Me (Shatter Me, #4.5-5.5)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Reveal Me (Shatter Me, #5.5) 43514655 This fourth companion novella to Tahereh Mafi’s New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series is narrated by fan favorite character Kenji Kishimoto!

The explosive revelations in Defy Me have left readers reeling and desperate for answers. This fourth and final novella in the series will bring readers back to the world of the Shatter Me before the final novel installment hits shelves in winter 2020.

And don’t miss Find Me, the gorgeous paperback bind-up that brings together Shadow Me and Reveal Me in print for the first time!]]> 112 Tahereh Mafi Lisa 0 to-read 3.96 2019 Reveal Me (Shatter Me, #5.5)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Shadow Me (Shatter Me, #4.5) 40863452
The ending of Restore Me left readers gasping, and this novella full of Kenji’s signature sass and big heart is the perfect story to tide fans over until Defy Me, the shocking fifth book in the Shatter Me series.]]> 69 Tahereh Mafi 0062906267 Lisa 0 to-read 3.97 2019 Shadow Me (Shatter Me, #4.5)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Believe Me (Shatter Me, #6.5) 58517502 The devastatingly romantic fifth novella in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Shatter Me series, chronicling the events after Imagine Me, the explosive sixth novel.

Juliette and Warner fought hard to take down the Reestablishment once and for all. Life in the aftermath isn’t easy, as they and their friends at the Sanctuary work with their limited resources to stabilize the world.

Warner has his sights set on more than just politics. Since he proposed to Juliette two weeks ago, he’s been eager to finally marry her, the person he loves more than anything and has endured so much to be with. But with so much chaos around them, it’s been nearly impossible for them to have a wedding. And even Juliette has been distracted by everything they need to do.

At long last, Warner and Juliette’s future together is within reach, but the world continues to try to pull them apart. Will they finally be able to be happily, officially, together?

Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Tahereh Mafi's bestselling Shatter Me series with Believe Me!]]> 177 Tahereh Mafi 0063228319 Lisa 0 to-read 4.13 2021 Believe Me (Shatter Me, #6.5)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bourbon & Secrets (The Bourbon Boys, #2)]]> 213996845
Any woman who did, ended up dead. It wasn’t just a rumor. It was my reality. I buried my wife along with too many secrets surrounding the night she died.

Now, I’m a single dad with two priorities above everything else: raising my two girls and making great bourbon.

But when Faye Calloway returns after I ran her out of my small town—looking like a fantasy on stage and nothing like the cop she was trained to be—I know for a fact that she’s hiding more secrets than the one she blackmailed me to keep.

While everyone is focused on the teasingly beautiful burlesque dancer, I’m distracted by the woman with a hidden agenda. The smart-mouth, who says what she wants. And the instigator, who prefers a very specific way to drink her bourbon.

But as secrets begin to unravel, I realize she’s fiercely protective of the ones she loves. When she puts herself in danger to right the past, the rules stop mattering.

Only two things have the power to keep my family from falling apart and losing the woman I love—bourbon and secrets.

Romantic Suspense
Single dad
Small town
Secrets & Blackmail
Hate-to-love
Returning home
Found Family
Bourbon “Tasting"]]> 432 Victoria Wilder Lisa 0 to-read 4.19 Bourbon & Secrets (The Bourbon Boys, #2)
author: Victoria Wilder
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.19
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[You Were Never Not Mine (Lancaster Prep Next Generation #3)]]> 218404141 exactly who she is…]]> 400 Monica Murphy Lisa 0 to-read 4.56 2025 You Were Never Not Mine (Lancaster Prep Next Generation #3)
author: Monica Murphy
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Play It Off (Kings of Campus, #2)]]> 219289377 From bestselling author Monica Murphy comes a sweet, sexy story about the secret crush between a college QB and his teammate’s sister, and the obvious chemistry that keeps them in the huddle.

Sienna

I’ve had a thing for Gavin Maddox ever since I was a freshman, but it’s a mission doomed to fail. Of all the guys I could have picked on campus, I had to go too far with the quarterback, my brother’s best friend.

We’ve spent the last two years avoiding each other. It’s not that easy when you have the same friends, not to mention I can’t forget the way it felt to be with him. But I can be civil. Polite. Detached.

I think�

Gavin

Sienna Cooper is off limits—except for that one time. I can’t forget it, but I need to forget her if I want to keep my head in the game. This is my senior year and, more importantly, my last season of college football. I can’t let anything distract me.

I’ve respected Sienna’s boundaries for this long. I can do it for another year.

…Can’t I?]]> Monica Murphy 1662522819 Lisa 0 to-read 5.00 2025 Play It Off (Kings of Campus, #2)
author: Monica Murphy
name: Lisa
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Mr. Broody (The Nest, #2) 218109148
To most people, he’s the Chicago Falcons starting right winger and hot single dad, but to me, he’s my first boyfriend, my first kiss, my first love.

Eight years ago, that all changed when our lives took us in two different directions. Our break-up almost broke me, so I kept my distance until our hometown called me back to where our story began.

I promised myself a quick visit to help my family out, and then I’d leave town before he even knew I was back, which should have been easy. He’s way too busy being a professional hockey player and raising his son to ever find out.

Of course, I’m only in town for a week before I run into him, and one thing is clear from our brief encounter—Henry wants to hash out our past, whereas I’d rather forget it.

But my plan really goes up in flames when I take a temporary substitute teaching job, and on day one, his son walks into my classroom. Boom.]]> 390 Piper Rayne Lisa 4
⚠️I was gifted an ARC courtesy of ValentinePR and this is my honest review.]]> 4.03 2024 Mr. Broody (The Nest, #2)
author: Piper Rayne
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/02
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: arc, for-review, review-valentinepr
review:
I adored Mr. Heartbreaker By Piper Rayne , but Mr. Broody retains an extra special place in my heart because of Bodhi; he was such a little character. He was incredibly adorable and holds a special place in my heart. He ended up being the architect behind the attempt to reconcile Jade and his father (Henry). Jade and Henry's romance is a second chance at love, and I am here for it. I adored these two together; they honestly made my heart happy. Mr. Broody didn't need or contain all of the craziness that most romance novels do, which is what I liked best about it. Mr. Broody should have been nicknamed Little Bodhi because he was the real star of the story. He had me chuckling at his devious ways. I liked how he was involved in helping his father in rekindling his relationship with Jade.

⚠️I was gifted an ARC courtesy of ValentinePR and this is my honest review.
]]> Wyatt (Lucky River Ranch, #2) 214037675 Roping horses leads to riding cowboys in this sexy friends-to-lovers, fake-dating, lessons-in-seduction romance by Jessica Peterson.

Wyatt Rivers is the perfect no-strings hookup—a cowboy Casanova who rocks a Stetson, looks smokin� hot in his Wranglers, and never rests his head on the same pillow twice.

He’s exactly what I’m looking for. If only Wyatt wasn’t also my best friend�

I’m back in my hometown of Harstville, Texas, for a few months while I wait for my dream job to start thousands of miles away. While I’m here, I hope to end an epic dry spell in the bedroom, preferably with a local cowboy. If the rumors are true, they really do ride harder and stay on longer.

Wyatt and I have been best friends since second grade, and I’ve been in love with him for almost as long. But he’s as wild and untamed as a colt that can’t be broken—not to mention, totally out of my league with his good looks and heartbreaker reputation.

Then I get to thinking: since Wyatt is such an expert, why doesn’t he teach me the ropes of how to find a hookup? He begrudgingly agrees, and a little fake flirting suddenly leads to fake dating, which leads to real kissing, which leads to real…well, everything else.

And let me just say, the rumors are absolutely true.

Now, I want so badly to be Wyatt’s last rodeo. But I’m leaving town, and even if I wasn’t, I’m not sure Wyatt would ever change his playboy ways.

I know cowboys can’t be tamed. Apparently, neither can hearts�

WYATT is an interconnected standalone novel in the Lucky River Ranch series.]]> 362 Jessica Peterson Lisa 4 4.07 2024 Wyatt (Lucky River Ranch, #2)
author: Jessica Peterson
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: arc, for-review, review-for-author, review-valentinepr
review:
This was my first Jessica Peterson book, and I was a little nervous because I had heard her cowboy romances were top-notch! Cash, for example, is the 1st book in this series that everyone keeps recommending to me. Also, to be completely honest, I think I've only read one or two cowboy romance book series ever; I so need to verify that on ŷ!
]]> <![CDATA[Faking Ties (The Sentinels #1)]]> 216912112 Hunter Holt. Bad Boy. Pro football player. My fake boyfriend?

Look, the plan was simple: impersonate the princess of pop, stay under the radar, and avoid tripping in my borrowed designer heels. Easy, right?

Wrong.

It all went sideways when some guy kept harassing me at the gala.

When Hunter stepped in to rescue me, the paparazzi caught every second of it. One moment in time—gone viral.

Now he wants me to be his fake girlfriend to rehab his image. I’m not interested, but if pretending to date him keeps my job—and the money I desperately need to help my mom—I don’t have much of a choice.

Fake it until you make it might be the name of the game.
But if I’m not careful, I’ll be falling for our lie.]]> 424 Alexis Gorgun 1961621061 Lisa 4
The fake relationship between Hunter and Elodie had so many feel-good moments that you couldn't help but root for them, despite all the twists and turns that nearly broke my neck (kidding).Elodie was a sassy, heart-of-gold FMC with worries like many of us. Hunter isn't the player/bad guy he's made up to be, and he has his own struggles that Elodie helps him deal with.

Iwas also glad to see that I wasnottheonlyonewhothoughtthatthefootball/popstarromancein FakingTiesgave us readersTaylorandTravis vibes.

⚠️I was gifted an ARC courtesy of LoveNotes PR and this is my honest review.]]> 4.16 Faking Ties (The Sentinels #1)
author: Alexis Gorgun
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.16
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/13
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: arc, for-review, review-for-author, review-lovenotespr
review:
ConsideringthatthiswasmyfirstbookbyAlexisGorgun,ImustadmitthatIwillbecheckingoutmoreofherwork.

The fake relationship between Hunter and Elodie had so many feel-good moments that you couldn't help but root for them, despite all the twists and turns that nearly broke my neck (kidding).Elodie was a sassy, heart-of-gold FMC with worries like many of us. Hunter isn't the player/bad guy he's made up to be, and he has his own struggles that Elodie helps him deal with.

Iwas also glad to see that I wasnottheonlyonewhothoughtthatthefootball/popstarromancein FakingTiesgave us readersTaylorandTravis vibes.

⚠️I was gifted an ARC courtesy of LoveNotes PR and this is my honest review.
]]> The Do-Over 216963584
As the life choices she's made suddenly make less and less sense, Thea is forced to make a decision. Stick with the original plan or take a completely different path.

Thea has a chance to do it right this time and fill her world with the things that matter. But can people really change? And once life starts looking up, why does it feel like there’s something� or someone she can’t seem to replace?]]> 293 Phoebe MacLeod 1835333532 Lisa 3

⚠️I was gifted an ARC courtesy of The Bold Book Club and Netgalley and this is my honest review.]]> 4.01 The Do-Over
author: Phoebe MacLeod
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.01
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/11
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: arc, for-review, review-for-author, review-netgalley
review:
The Do Over by Phoebe MacLeod was an okay read. It had some entertaining, comical moments, but I felt it lacked romanticism. I felt it needed more banter, attraction, and sizzle. I wasn't convinced the two main characters were really it; I thought this read more like a primary female lead story than a rom-com book, which is unfortunate because I've heard nothing but positive things about this author's work. I'm not going to let this book taint my opinion of this author. I'll pick up another of her books and give it another try. I usually prefer to give an author another chance when I've read one of their novels that hasn't worked well with me since sometimes it's simply the book or even me, and you never know; their next book could be fantastic.


⚠️I was gifted an ARC courtesy of The Bold Book Club and Netgalley and this is my honest review.
]]> Any Trope but You 214151426 A bestselling romance author flees to Alaska to reinvent herself and write her first murder mystery, but the rugged resort proprietor soon has her fearing she’s living in a rom-com plot instead in this earnestly spectacular debut by a stunning new voice.

Beloved romance author Margot Bradley has a dark secret: she doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters. Not for herself, not for her readers, and not even for her characters, for whom she secretly writes alternate endings that swap weddings and babies for divorce papers and the occasional slashed tire. When her Happily Never After document is hacked and released to the public, she finds herself canceled by her readers and dropped by her publisher.

Desperate to find a way to continue supporting her chronically ill sister, Savannah, Margot decides to trade meet-cutes for murder. The fictional kind. Probably. But when Savannah books Margot a six-week stay in a remote Alaskan resort to pen her first murder mystery, Margot finds herself running from a moose and leaping into the arms of the handsome proprietor, making her fear she’s just landed in a romance novel instead.

The last thing Dr. Forrest Wakefield ever expected was to leave his dream job as a cancer researcher to become a glorified bellhop. What he’s really doing at his family’s resort is caring for his stubborn, ailing father, and his puzzle-loving mind is slowly freezing over—until Margot shows up. But Forrest doesn’t have any room in his life for another person he could lose, especially one with a checkout date.

As long snowy nights and one unlikely trope after another draw Margot and Forrest together, they’ll each have to learn to overcome their fears and set their aside assumptions before Margot leaves—or risk becoming a Happily Never After story themselves.]]> 336 Victoria Lavine 1668079275 Lisa 4 Margot begins to question whether HEA exists.I was cheering for these two from the beginning; their banter and chemistry were endearing and amusing. I really loved Margot and her sister's bond. I related to the narrative since I have a supportive sister and am a cancer patient, which added to my emotional connection. Overall, I was impressed with this author's book, especially considering it was her debut novel, and I hope to read more of her work.

⚠️I was gifted an ARC courtesy of Atria Publicity and Netgalley and this is my honest review.]]> 4.17 2025 Any Trope but You
author: Victoria Lavine
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/14
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: arc, for-review, review-for-author, review-netgalley
review:
Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine was a refreshing read. I loved the book's premise. I enjoyed how different it was to read. The main character is a writer (cliché, I know) who is basically cancelled because all of her HEA stories turn out to be not as HEA as they appear, so her sister convinces/sends her on a trip to find/reinvent herself and her writing so that she can make a comeback, but what Margot, our main lead, doesn't expect is to find romance with our male lead, Forrest, who happens to be the blueprint for perfect book boyfriend material. Margot and Forrest cross off so many book boyfriend check marks that
Margot begins to question whether HEA exists.I was cheering for these two from the beginning; their banter and chemistry were endearing and amusing. I really loved Margot and her sister's bond. I related to the narrative since I have a supportive sister and am a cancer patient, which added to my emotional connection. Overall, I was impressed with this author's book, especially considering it was her debut novel, and I hope to read more of her work.

⚠️I was gifted an ARC courtesy of Atria Publicity and Netgalley and this is my honest review.
]]>