May 31, 2024

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Lace 'em Up by Elise Faber
Series: Bang Brothers Hockey #1, Eagles Hockey
on June 11, 2024
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With a last name like Bang, the jokes were endless.
I’d decided long ago it was easier to pretend to embrace my namesake than try to prove myself to the world.
No one had ever seen through that…
Until I rescued a runaway bride from the side of the road.
Then my mom—my interfering, matchmaking mom—saw the diamond ring, made assumptions I didn’t have the heart to dispel, and, suddenly, Rory and I were pretending to be engaged.
Only…somewhere along the way, it became real.
Somewhere along the way, I realized I could never let her go.

Meet the Bang Brothers—five hot hockey-playing brothers who are allergic to commitment.
The brothers are about to face off against their newly-retired mother…who suddenly has plenty of time to play matchmaker. Add in their baby sister and some secret dating, a single dad, an accidental pregnancy, a marriage of convenience, and a wrong bed—or two—and these siblings are not going to know what hit them!

Lace 'em Up is Book 1 in the Bang Brothers Hockey series

Bang Brothers Hockey Series Titles:
Book 1: 6/11/2024–Lace ’em Up by Elise Faber
Book 2: 6/25/2024–Show ’em How by Jami Davenport
Book 3: 7/9/2024–Hit ’em Hard by Kat Mizera
Book 4: 7/23/2024–Lock ’em Down by Gina Azzi
Book 5: 8/6/2024–Light ’em Up by Kelly Jamieson
Book 6: 8/20/2024–Hook ’em Hard by Cathryn Fox

A decadently sinful kick-off to the Bang Brothers series we’ve all been waiting for! Elise Faber is first up in the list of beloved hockey authors who are teaming up to bring us this steamy series of a much-loved hockey family. Faber gave a glimpse of what was to come at the tale end of the first book in her Eagles Hockey series Broken Laces and this book picks up where that one left off. You don’t have to have read that book first, but I highly recommend that one too because it was equally yummy. I loved King and Rory and the warmth that their relationship portrays within a few pages of the book, and getting to know his family and her support system as he helps her heal from trauma is heartwarming. The characters are down-to-earth, the drama is heated and the love and passion is intense. I wanted just a smidge more in revenge for the wrongs done to her, but overall I loved it and can’t wait for his sibling’s stories!

I highly recommend this book to hockey fans who enjoy heat and angst mixed into their romance. Elise Faber will be followed by books by Jami Davenport, Kat Mizera, Gina Azzi, Kelly Jamieson and Cathryn Fox for the rest of the series.

* Review * 15 SUMMERS LATER by RaeAnne Thayne

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

15 Summers Later by RaeAnne Thayne
Published by Canary Street Press on June 18, 2024
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15 summers ago, everything changed…

Ava Howell seemed to have it all. She moved away from Emerald Creek, Idaho, married the love of her life and published a bestselling memoir. But she never expected that her husband would feel so betrayed by a secret from her past—the truth of what happened to her and her sister all those years ago—that he’d walk away. Now Ava is back home and trying to move on with the only person who can truly understand…

Following years of healing, Madison Howell is finally happy. After college she built a no-kill shelter where she works with animals every day, and she’s in love with the town veterinarian, Dr. Luke Gentry. But she can’t ever bring herself to tell him. Years ago, his dad died protecting Madi and her sister, so how could he ever love her back?

With the truth laid bare, and the past that Ava and Madison have worked so hard to leave behind threatening everything they have built for themselves, the Howell sisters’ reunion is bittersweet. And as Ava and Madi attempt to remedy the rifts in their lives and reconcile their futures, they must face the demons of their past together.

RaeAnne Thayne’s unique voice always endears me to her story from the very first page! With this summer’s brand new women’s fiction release, Thayne is once again hooking her reader with attention grabbing characters, heartwarming love and also a bit of a twisted background that we learn about a little at a time over the course of the book. This story was slightly unorthodox for Thayne, but really enjoyable and fulfilling to the reader to witness the emotional healing of the characters. It isn’t what I would consider a fluffy beach read as the cover might lead one to believe, but it’s very rewarding once we get to the heart of each character. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys seeing family and friends overcome a past trauma to go on to grow and prosper in happiness and joy.