Archives for June 2021

* Review * A BRAMBLEBERRY SUMMER by RaeAnne Thayne

June 12, 2021 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * A BRAMBLEBERRY SUMMER by RaeAnne Thayne

A Brambleberry Summer by RaeAnne Thayne
Series: The Women of Brambleberry House #5
Published by Harlequin Special Edition on June 29, 2021
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Will the secrets of her past…

Prevent her from having the future she’s always wanted?

Rosa Galvez’s attraction to Officer Wyatt Townsend is as powerful as the moon’s pull on the tides. But with her past, Rosa knows better than to act on her feelings. When Wyatt and his adorable son become Brambleberry House’s newest tenants, Rosa finds her resolve slipping. Her solo life slowly becomes a sun-filled family adventure—until dark secrets threaten to break like a summer storm.

Heartwarmingly beautiful! A BRAMBLEBERRY SUMMER by RaeAnne Thayne is the fifth book in the series centering around this memorable house filled with unforgettable characters who each have had hurdles in life to overcome. I feel like this would have been a more complete story had it been one of Thayne’s longer books to delve more into their backstories but I couldn’t have enjoyed the charm of Rosa and Wyatt and especially little Logan anymore than I did.

Rosa was everything I wanted her to be and more! She’s loyal, she’s kind and she’s determined to never hesitate to stand up for anyone who needs her help.

Wyatt is kindhearted and fair, but his inquisitive nature doesn’t like knowing Rosa is keeping secrets.

I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys a small town coastal town that is filled with character and charm as a back drop of a good romance.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * THE TROUBLE WITH BAD BOYS by Katherine Garbera

June 10, 2021 Leave a Comment

The Trouble with Bad Boys by Katherine Garbera
Series: Texas Cattleman's Club: Heir Apparent #4
Published by Harlequin Desire on May 25, 2021
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A playboy who’s all about the likes…

Is about to get a lesson in love!

Notorious social media influencer Zach Benning is happy to swoop into Royal, Texas, promote the Soiree on the Bay and leave with a fat paycheck. While he’s at it, he’ll give plain-Jane event planner Lila Jones a makeover, online and off. The last thing he expects is to fall for his ravishing creation! But is he really seeing the captivating woman underneath all the newfound hype?

Opposites attracting has never been quite so adorable! With book four in the Texas Cattleman’s Club: Heir Apparent series Katherine Garbera delights us with a sure of himself man being brought to his knees by a plain Jane in THE TROUBLE WITH BAD BOYS. The characters are cute, their connection is temptingly delectable and though the end was too rushed for my liking, I really enjoyed their story!

Lila is a sweetheart. She needs publicity to make the Soiree on the Bay a roaring success, but she’s really having to put herself out there with the likes of ZB to make that happen.

Zach is adorably cocky and I loved every minute of him. He’s successful and self-assured, but he has scars beneath the surface that hold him back from being real with himself.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast paced Cinderella type trope with lots of laughs and a whole lot of heart.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * MY ONE NIGHT by Carrie Ann Ryan

June 9, 2021 Leave a Comment

My One Night by Carrie Ann Ryan
Series: On My Own #1
Published by Carrie Ann Ryan on April 13, 2021
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A one-night stand is supposed to end once the sun rises. Only it doesn't always work out that way in this opposites attract and tortured hero romance.

Elise Hoover never expected this. She didn't want to go to another party, but when her friend pulls her in, she somehow finds herself hiding in a corner with...him.

Dillon Connolly.

The smirking, so-called good guy with the shadows in his eyes. A single glance, a sweet smile, and she lets herself have one night of giving in.
Only she has to promise herself not to fall in love. No matter the cost.

Fun, flirty and so addictive! Fans of Carrie Ann Ryan’s Fractured Connections series are going to be squealing with delight when they realize her brand new series is kicking off with Dillon Connolly as the hero! MY ONE NIGHT is the first book in Ryan’s On My Own series and centers around two houses of college friends as one pair hooks up, tragedy strikes close to home and assumed dreams get a rude awakening for one young heart. I enjoyed them all and can’t wait to see what the future holds as the series continues!

Elise is a doll. She’s trying to live up to her parent’s expectations while still carving out the life that she wants, but temptation in the form of a hunky party host might be her undoing!

Dillon is the sweetest. I loved him in his brother’s stories and I loved him in his own. He’s loyal and hardworking and I loved seeing him finally get the future that he deserves.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fresh story revolving around a close-knit group of young adults as life hands them ups and downs on their way towards forever.

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* Review * THE TRAP by Carol Ericson

June 9, 2021 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

The Trap by Carol Ericson
Series: A Kyra and Jake Investigation #4
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on June 29, 2021
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Can they outplay The Player?

When a fourth copycat killer strikes, Detective Jake McAllister and Kyra Chase race to find the mastermind behind LA's serial murders. Now there's a new lead, but to protect the woman he loves, Jake must reveal a crucial secret about Kyra's past—the real reason The Player wants her dead. Exposing the truth could turn this investigation on its head…and force this notorious criminal to make one final move.

The stunning conclusion we never suspected! With the final book in her Kyra and Jake Investigation series Carol Ericson saved the best for last as lies and secrets unravel and bring the storyline to a powerful end. This has been an intense series filled with heartwarming characters as danger circled around them with every new killer who surfaced. I really enjoyed it!

Jake and Kyra grow closer every day as the world around them falls apart and danger comes knocking on their door.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a fast paced mystery filled with a hint of romance and tons of action.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * LOVE BLOOMS by Jennifer Faye

June 9, 2021 Leave a Comment

Love Blooms by Jennifer Faye
Series: Bluestar Island #1
Published by Lazy Dazy Press on April 13, 2021
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He's an injured firefighter. She bakes the most delightful treats. When their worlds collide will the baker help heal the firefighter with a mix of blueberry muffins and her caring way?

The elegant baker, Hannah Bell, has always lived on Bluestar Island with her family. While still grieving for her father, who died in a fire, she focuses all of her energy on making her dream come true--opening her very own bakery. But when a broken water pipe washes away her carefully laid plans, she's on the verge of losing everything.

New York firefighter Ethan Walker's life is in a tailspin after he's injured on-the-job. When an urgent call detours him to Bluestar Island, he agrees to help his lovable but meddlesome great-aunt. But organizing the island's Spring Fling proves a lot harder than he originally imagined. He needs help...and fast.

Under the magic of Bluestar Island's sea breeze and warm sunshine, Hannah and Ethan must not only face their immediate obstacles but also their own turning points in life. Will they have to do that alone? With a leap of faith and a dash of romance, they might just find the perfect mix to make their dreams come true.

Includes a delicious recipe for The Elegant Baker's Blueberry Crumble Muffin!

Jennifer Faye always knows just how to wrap a small town around her reader’s hearts! With the first book in her brand new Bluestar Island series Faye delights us with a baker falling for a visiting firefighter in coastal Massachustts. The characters are refreshingly sweet and the town is heartwarming. There were a few too many background characters for my liking, but overall a really intriguing story. I’m looking forward to more in the series!

Hannah is a sweetheart who brightens everybody’s day in her small town. Watching her strive to make all of her dreams come true was inspiring.

Ethan was a dream. He’s not sure what life holds for him in the future, but he doesn’t hesitate to help out family when they need it.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a quaint small town filled with meddlesome but lovable characters and a path towards forever.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Release Blast/Review * THE WICKED AFTERMATH by Melissa Foster

June 9, 2021 1 Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Release Blast/Review * THE WICKED AFTERMATH by Melissa Foster

The Wicked Aftermath by Melissa Foster
Series: The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside #2
Published by World Literary Press on June 9, 2021
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When the person you blame for your grief is the only one who can save you from the pain...

Tank Wicked lost his sister and has since vowed to save everyone else in his path. He lives by the creed of the Dark Knights motorcycle club, sworn to protect and respect his community. He selflessly saves lives as a volunteer firefighter and treats the men and women who work for him at his tattoo shop like family. But life isn’t a balance scale where good deeds negate bad things to come, and one foggy night life guts Tank once again. When a car careens over the side of a bridge and into a river, Tank springs into action, plunging into the water to rescue the passengers. Four people go into the river, but only three come out alive.

Leah Yates is just trying to make it through each day. When the man she blames for her grief becomes the only one who can pull her from the depths of despair, she discovers that even hope comes at a price. Maybe this time she won't have to face it alone.

Melissa Foster has permission to rip my heart to shreds anytime as long as she puts it back together as beautifully as she did with Tank’s story! This highly emotional and heart wrenching addition to the Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside series will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions all while showering love, devotion and even laughter all around you. Brilliantly written and breathlessly devoured!

Leah is a sweetheart and had my heart quickly. She suffers a loss so deep she doesn’t know how to move forward, but Tank’s love heals her in ways she never dreamed of.

Tank is a doll. His world stopped turning when his little sister died, but having someone else need the knowledge that he has gained is beneficial to his sanity. He knew Leah was special the moment he laid eyes on her … he just didn’t know how much she was going to change his world.

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who loves a close knit family who rallies around each other through life and love. They love hard and they laugh their way through life’s playground.

THE WICKED AFTERMATH
The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside
Melissa Foster
Releasing June 9, 2021
World Literary Press

Blurb:

When the person you blame for your grief is the only one who can save you from the pain…

Tank Wicked lost his sister and has since vowed to save everyone else in his path. He lives by the creed of the Dark Knights motorcycle club, sworn to protect and respect his community. He selflessly saves lives as a volunteer firefighter and treats the men and women who work for him at his tattoo shop like family. But life isn’t a balance scale where good deeds negate bad things to come, and one foggy night life guts Tank once again. When a car careens over the side of a bridge and into a river, Tank springs into action, plunging into the water to rescue the passengers. Four people go into the river, but only three come out alive.

Leah Yates is just trying to make it through each day. When the man she blames for her grief becomes the only one who can pull her from the depths of despair, she discovers that even hope comes at a price. Maybe this time she won’t have to face it alone.

THE WICKED AFTERMATH is an emotionally gripping story of love, loss, and hope, with a rich and entrancing happily ever after. Set on the sandy shores of Cape Cod, the Wickeds feature fiercely protective heroes, strong heroines, and unbreakable family bonds. If you think bikers are all the same, you haven’t met the Dark Knights. The Dark Knights are a motorcycle club, not a gang. Their members stick together like family and will stop at nothing to keep their communities safe. Some of the Wickeds’ love stories will be hilariously fun and deeply emotional, others will tear at your heartstrings and include injections of humor, but they will all leave you wishing you could climb between the pages and join them. All Wicked novels may be enjoyed as standalone romances.

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53970833-the-wicked-aftermath

Goodreads series link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/269450-the-wickeds-dark-knights-at-bayside

Buy Links:

➜KINDLE: https://smarturl.it/WA_Kindle
➜APPLE: https://smarturl.it/WA_Apple
➜NOOK: https://smarturl.it/WA_Nook
➜KOBO: https://smarturl.it/WA_Kobo
➜GPLAY: https://smarturl.it/WA_GPlay
➜PAPERBACK: https://smarturl.it/WA_Pb

Audio coming July 2021, narrated by Lance Greenfield and Jennifer Mack

➜Amazon: https://smarturl.it/WAa_Amazon
➜Apple: https://smarturl.it/WAa_Apple
➜Audible: https://smarturl.it/WAa_Audible

For more Dark Knights, check out The Whiskeys: https://melissafoster.com/series-the-whiskeys-dark-knights-at-peaceful-harbor/

For more Bayside Summers fun: https://melissafoster.com/series-bayside-summers/

Excerpt:

Read Sneak Peek here, https://melissafoster.com/the-wicked-aftermath-sneak-peek/

Author Info

Melissa Foster is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, & USA Today bestselling author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.melissafoster.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Melissa_Foster
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3023973.Melissa_Foster
Newsletter: http://melissafoster.com/newsletter/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/melissa-foster
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissafoster_author/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@melissafoster_author

SERIES LINKS:

A LITTLE BIT WICKED (Book 1)

➜KINDLE: https://smarturl.it/ALBW_Kindle
➜APPLE: https://smarturl.it/ALBW_Apple
➜NOOK: https://smarturl.it/ALBW_Nook
➜KOBO: https://smarturl.it/ALBW_Kobo
➜GPLAY: https://smarturl.it/ALBW_GPlay
➜PAPERBACK: https://smarturl.it/ALBW_Pb

Also available in audio book (narrated by Savannah Peachwood and Aiden Snow)

➜AMAZON: https://smarturl.it/ALBWa_Amazon
➜APPLE: https://smarturl.it/ALBWa_Apple
➜AUDIBLE: https://smarturl.it/ALBWa_Audible

CRAZY, WICKED LOVE (Book 3) – Rel March 2022

➜KINDLE: https://smarturl.it/CWL_Kindle
➜APPLE: https://smarturl.it/CWL_Apple
➜NOOK: https://smarturl.it/CWL_Nook
➜KOBO: https://smarturl.it/CWL_Kobo
➜GPLAY: https://smarturl.it/CWL_GPlay
➜PAPERBACK: https://smarturl.it/CWL_Pb

Audio pre-order coming soon!

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * OUT OF THE BLUE by Arell Rivers

June 9, 2021 Leave a Comment

Out of the Blue by Arell Rivers
Series: The Hunte Family #4
Published by Tarnished Halo Publishing LLC on June 6, 2021
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Trent

I never expected to see her again.

I certainly never thought my record label would hire her to be my band’s social media manager.

But now, here we are, on a tour that could make or break my career—me with a massively dark secret that could ruin everything, and her with enough emotional baggage to fill a stadium. I should leave her alone.

Too bad I’ve never been good at doing what I should…

Cordelia

I’ve worked too hard, come too far, overcome too much, to get screwed over by something as frivolous and fleeting as love. So, I absolutely will not be giving in to my attraction to Trent.

Well, not again, anyway. That anonymous one-night stand is all he’ll get out of me. My heart can never be part of the deal.

No matter how much he makes me wish things could be different for us…

An unexpected surprise to say the least! With book four in her always entertaining Hunte Family series Arell Rivers brings the group all together again for an addition no one was expecting. The characters are well developed and the angst is real. I enjoyed their story very much.

Trent is down-to-earth and humble but he’s a bit overwhelmed at the moment with the secrets he has uncovered just as his band is starting to get the break they have worked so hard for.

Cordelia is a complex character. She’s trying to get by after her world fell down around her, but roadblocks keep going up in her way.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good rocker romance with a deep emotional connection and hard feelings to overcome.

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* Review * THE GO-TO GIRL by Leigh Riker

June 9, 2021 Leave a Comment

The Go-To Girl by Leigh Riker
Published by leighbbooks on August 14, 2020
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Personal shopper Tess O’Neill is everybody’s Go-To Girl. Finding the right thing for a client is a no-brainer. Fixing her own life? That’s a different matter because Tess can’t seem to get over her charming ex-husband. But giving him another chance would mean risking her hard-won independence—and Tess’s heart again.

Recovering gambler Grady O’Neill knows Tess doesn’t trust him any more than she does her poker-playing father. Grady can’t blame her. He was never an ace in life’s deck of cards, and he did break her heart. Still, he’s not the messed-up guy he used to be. How to convince his personal Go-To Girl they still belong together?

She can’t take the gamble. He has to bet it all. Or, can they both win this game?

A heartwarming reunion of first loves! THE GO-TO GIRL by Leigh Riker quickly stole my heart when I met Tess and Grady. The characters are flawed but redeemable and their love is super sweet.

Tess is complex. She’s been hurt and is deservedly bitter, but she’s good natured and kind. Her revelations along the way show the growth she’s indulging in as she finally stands up for herself and what she needs.

Grady is a doll. He hurt her almost beyond repair with his actions in the past, but he’s a changed man and sincerely wants to prove that to the woman who still owns his heart.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a reunion of ex-spouses who have a whole lot of love still in their hearts for each other, but also a lot of fences to mend.

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* Review * PRIVATE PROPERTY by Skye Warren

June 8, 2021 Leave a Comment

Private Property by Skye Warren
Series: Rochester Trilogy #1
on March 9, 2021
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When I signed up for the nanny agency, I didn't expect a remote mansion on a windswept cliff. Or a brooding billionaire who resents his new role. His brother's death means he's now in charge of a moody seven year old girl. She's lashing out at the world, but I can handle her. I have to. I need the money to finish my college degree. As long as I can avoid the boss who alternately mocks me and coaxes me to reveal my darkest secrets.

Temptingly tantalizing! With the first book in her Rochester Trilogy Skye Warren introduces us to Jane and Beau in PRIVATE PROPERTY and I was hooked quickly. The characters are secretive but intriguing and the setting is mysterious.

Jane is sweet and unsuspecting. She needs this nanny position in order to afford to finish her schooling, so even though it seems to be taking her to the middle of nowhere, she’s determined to see it through.

Beau is mysterious and addictive. He’s got more secrets than he knows what to do with, but he’s tempted to let the sweet Ms. Mendoza distract him from his woes.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a bit of mystery mixed with a tension filled romantic saga that keeps us guessing what’s going to happen next. There is a cliffhanger at the end of this book in anticipation of the second book in the trilogy.

Filed Under: Book Reviews