Book Reviews – Page 18

* Review * COUNTRY FAIR COWBOY by Melinda Curtis

July 25, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * COUNTRY FAIR COWBOY by Melinda Curtis

Country Fair Cowboy by Melinda Curtis
Series: The Cowboy Academy #8
Published by Harlequin Heartwarming on July 29, 2025
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Will they win a blue ribbon…

For falling in love?

Dr. Wylie Newland loves being a vet, loves cheery Clementine, Oklahoma, but his crush on Dr. Hazel Hughes is a problem. The new resident has made it clear she’s a city girl at heart and won’t be staying. Working hand in hand at the fair is bringing them closer…and, hopefully, winning her over. Sure, Hazel is beginning to see that Wylie is pretty great, but he’s also stuck in many regards. With Hazel showing him new ways to look at the world, and Wylie showing her that settling down isn’t settling for less, could they take first prize for romance?

Melinda Curtis always delivers on warm and inviting characters! Love when they least expect it is putting it mildly when temporary veterinarian Hazel begins to have an impossible to resist attraction to her boss Wylie at the same time he’s decided he’s ready to settle down and hired the town matchmaker to find him a bride. She’s only in smalltown living to finish her training before heading off for bigger and better things … he’s read to settle into forever in the place that makes him feel fulfilled. Angsty yet adorable interactions make for a delightful quasi courtship and the town around them delivers a fun supporting cast. Highly enjoyed their story!

I loved Wylie and Hazel together right from the start. He’s hesitant to let himself believe in change and advancement and she’s determined to follow dreams that weren’t totally her own. They fit well and once they let love in, they were perfect.

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire Cowboy Academy series to anyone who enjoys a smalltown romance with a whole town rallying around to see love prosper as one after another resident finds their forever.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * THE GREEK’S WIFE RETURNS by Dani Collins

July 25, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THE GREEK’S WIFE RETURNS by Dani Collins

The Greek's Wife Returns by Dani Collins
Published by Harlequin Presents on July 29, 2025
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Their reunion was for show…

Will he reclaim her for real?

Heiress Carmel Davenport hasn’t seen Damian Kalymnios since their whirlwind marriage imploded as explosively as it began. Now the reformed wild child needs a fresh start. Which means facing her Greek husband to demand the divorce he refused her years earlier…

Damian will grant Carmel’s request…if they can call a temporary truce for his ailing grandmother’s sake. Only the ruse forces him to admit there’s more to his ever-tempting wife than she’s allowed him to see… Leaving Damian questioning whether to sign the papers—or set them on fire!

An emotionally riveting reconnection with her husband! Fans of Dani Collins will recognize Carmel Davenport from her brother Atlas and his wife Stella’s story previously. While this is a stand-alone story all on it’s own right, I do feel like you will get a feel for Carmel’s background much more if you go read Maid to Marry first. This book brings Carmel back into the realm of her quickie husband whom she hasn’t seen since shortly after the wedding five years ago. The characters are both quick to enchant the reader with a fast paced and dramatic reunion that turns into more than they bargained for. The tension is high, the lust is still burning and the emotional growth they endure is heartwarming. I really enjoyed their story!

Carmel is an interesting character. She went off the rails for a long time, but through the love of family she never really expected to connect with, she healed in ways she never thought possible. I really liked her and understood what made her tick. I’m happy she got the love and life she deserved in the end.

I highly recommend this book as well as Atlas and Stella’s story to anyone who enjoys a fast paced book filled with family drama and love finding a way through thick and thin.

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* Review * SOMEONE TO HAVE by Michelle Major

July 24, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * SOMEONE TO HAVE by Michelle Major

Someone To Have by Michelle Major
Series: The Skylark Series #3
Published by Romilda House on July 24, 2025
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I’ve spent my life hiding in the quiet corners of the library. It’s safer surrounded by books where the happily-ever-afters are guaranteed. Real life romance? Not so much.

But apparently, I'm tired of my hermit life because I do something spectacularly stupid and agree to get on stage. In front of people. All to catch my longtime crush's attention.

The only problem? I’d rather hug a grizzly bear than speak in front of a crowd.

Enter Eric Anderson. Hockey legend, walking temptation, and the last person I expect to come to my rescue. His solution? Confidence lessons. His methods? Flirting. Touching. Kissing. I’m supposed to practice being bold, and Eric’s all too happy to teach me.

But somewhere between his panty-melting grin and the way he looks at me like I’m the last cupcake in the bakery, I forget that he’s not the one I’m supposed to want. He makes me feel bolder, braver and dangerously close to falling for the wrong guy.

Now I’m standing center stage in more ways than one. And when you’ve spent your whole life in the shadows, stepping into the light is the scariest thing of all.

One-click for small-town steam, opposites-attract sparks, and a grumpy hockey hero who's destined to be your new book boyfriend.

Smalltown love always finds a way! With the third book in her Skylark series, Michelle Major is bringing this town and it’s residents to life one hookup at a time. This particular story has a brother’s best friend/unrequited crush trope as the book group bucket list promise continues to play out with another member. The characters are both easy to like and have a rich back story. I enjoyed the addition of his nephew Rhett into the storyline a lot. Easy to follow, well developed and lots of sentimentality in family and friends taking part in their lives. The ending was a bit rushed, but I enjoyed them so much overall. I can’t wait for more to come in the series!

Eric was my favorite character. I loved his kind heart and his loyalty to his sister even through hard times. His friendship with Toby was real and don’t even get me started on the love he poured out for his nephew with all the little things he did. He was just a really down-to-earth, caring man and I enjoyed him being who Taylor got to begin a life with.

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys a smalltown with a quirky cast of characters who interfere and love hard in each other’s lives.

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* Release Blitz/Review * EDGE OF HEAVEN by Kat Mizera

July 24, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Release Blitz/Review * EDGE OF HEAVEN by Kat Mizera

Edge of Heaven by Kat Mizera
Series: Crimson Edge #2
on July 24, 2025
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I have everything I’ve ever wanted—except the thing that matters most. Her.

Rock and roll is my life.
Playing bass for Crimson Edge is the best job in the world. Even when we’re on tour with our musical arch enemies.
Until the woman I’ve secretly been in love with for years starts dating one of them. I can’t stand the way he treats her, and I don’t know why she stays.
I can’t get involved—the band has too much to lose.
But I’m going to anyway.
One way or another, I’m going to make her mine.

An emotionally addictive, angsty delight! Kat Mizera is bringing all the feels with the next book in her Crimson Edge rockstar series and I loved every minute of it! The characters grabbed my attention immediately and I knew even from the first book in the series that there was going to be some drama when it came to their story. Her background in particular is well developed throughout the book and while we don’t get a huge amount of info on him, it doesn’t feel lacking in the set up of the story. I can’t wait for more to come in the series!

Taryn was a very complex character. She’s with Callum originally but there’s a past between her and Mick that we can obviously tell meant something. Once we start to uncover why she’s really still there putting up with Callum’s mistreatment, we can understand her mindset more and feel for her and her plight tremendously.

I highly recommend this book as well as the first in the series to anyone who enjoys a rocker romance with characters who party the lifestyle, but are sentimental when it comes to wooing “the one” when she walks into his life. Can’t wait to see more to come!

EDGE OF HEAVEN

Kat Mizera

Release Date: July 24

Available in Kindle Unlimited

I have everything I’ve ever wanted—except the thing that matters most. Her. Rock and roll is my life. Playing bass for Crimson Edge is the best job in the world. Even when we’re on tour with our musical arch enemies. Until the woman I’ve secretly been in love with for years starts dating one of them. I can’t stand the way he treats her, and I don’t know why she stays. I can’t get involved—the band has too much to lose. But I’m going to anyway. One way or another, I’m going to make her mine. Author’s note: There are some difficult themes in this story. For CW information, please check this book’s page on my website.

Grab Your Copy!

https://geni.us/EdgeofHeaven

Meet Kat Mizera:

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Kat Mizera was born in Miami Beach with a healthy dose of Wanderlust. She’s lived from coast to coast, and everywhere in between, but home is wherever her family is. A devoted mom and wife to her wonderful and supportive husband (Kevin) and two amazing boys (Nick and Max), Kat loves to travel the globe with her adventurous, hockey loving family. Greece is at the top of that list. She hopes to one day retire there, spending her days writing books on the beach.

Kat is former freelance sports writer who now writes steamy hockey romance about her favorite fictional teams, the Las Vegas Sidewinders and the Lauderdale Knights. The library of novels she’s penned also include sexy contemporary stories about baseball stars, alpha sex club owners, bodyguards, rock stars, and royalty. Regardless of genre, her books about bad boys with hearts of gold will steal your breath, rock your world and melt your heart.

To find out about Kat Mizera’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here

For more information on Kat Mizera and her books visit: https://katmizera.com/

Connect with Kat Mizera:

https://katmizera.com/pages/contact-kat

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Release Day Blitz

* Review * ENDLESSLY YOURS by Carrie Ann Ryan

July 22, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Endlessly Yours by Carrie Ann Ryan
Series: The Wilder Brothers #10
Published by Carrie Ann Ryan on July 21, 2025
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Four years ago, I promised my dying wife that I’d do one thing: I’d move on.

And I knew as I took that oath, I would break it.

Then I saw Rory. The woman I’d met on one of my darkest nights, and the woman I can’t ignore. Our one night is a secret we swore we’d never tell.

When I see her, I see a glimpse of what could be in the fire in her eyes.

When she sees me, she sees the grumpy, annoying Wilder brother who could shatter her dreams and her heart.

With one stolen kiss, we both know we have a choice: to keep running or finally give in.

Only when she suddenly finds herself the guardian to her two nieces, the world crumbles around us once again. She needs to protect her family, and I know I can’t let her do it alone.

The pull between us refuses to go away, but now I’ll have to choose which promise to break. And if I’m strong enough to be the final Wilder to fall.

A heartfelt and emotional conclusion to the amazing Wilder Brothers series! Carrie Ann Ryan has been tugging on our heartstrings throughout this entire series as we have focused on siblings and cousins settling into a family business after returning from serving their countries and picking up the pieces of life as they each found their forever love and started families, businesses, etc. This particular book brings heartache to the forefront right from the start because it’s Brooks … and he lost the love of his life four years ago to cancer. I was hooked before it even began, and getting to know the depth of the love and grief Brooks carries with him on a daily basis is pivotal in understanding the torture he feels when he might see moving on in his future. Ryan did a great job of showing his love from the past and interweaving it with his love moving forward. The characters are dramatic and endearing, the setting is emotional yet peaceful and the tension is top notch as lust and love begin to walk hand and hand. Great job of weaving the entire extended family into the plot to let us visit with all of our old favs one last time. Loved this book and the entire series wholeheartedly and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a family centric cast of characters who love hard and sacrifice themselves for others on the regular.

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* Release Blitz/Review * PENN by Sawyer Bennett

July 15, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Penn by Sawyer Bennett
Series: Pittsburgh Titans #17
Published by Big Dog Books on July 15, 2025
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Penn Navarro is the best player in the league—unstoppable on the ice, untouchable off it. But the moment the game ends, so do the celebrations. Because no amount of goals, no number of wins, can silence the demons that haunt him.

Hockey is my life. It’s what I was born to do. That’s not ego talking, just fact—I’ve spent years honing my skills, earning my place among the elite. But talent doesn’t erase my mistakes, and no amount of success will make me forget the damage I’ve done. It’s why I keep my distance from my teammates, because if you never let anyone in, you’ll never get hurt. Or those are the lies that I tell myself.

Mila Brennan represents the darkest parts of my history. She’s a ghost I’ve tried to bury, the reminder of everything I’ve lost. When she shows up in Pittsburgh looking for me, I know nothing good will come of it, because our sins don’t stay forgotten. They fester, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and Mila’s arrival means my time is up.

The past isn’t just knocking at my door—it’s kicking it down, crumbling all the walls I’ve built around myself in the process. And when the danger comes for us both, I’m forced to do the one thing I swore I never would. Let her in.

Emotional secrets unveiled! Fans of Bennett’s Pittsburgh Titans hockey romance series have been wondering for quite awhile now what makes Penn Navarro tick and why he holds himself back from being a part of the team camaraderie. This book details his past and what secrets he’s held close as he reluctantly reconnects with a piece of that past and sets out to keep her safe. Emotions are high throughout the entire story and seeing Penn actually make connections is really heartwarming. I loved seeing him open up and truly feel for the first time on the pages.

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys reading a really close knit group of hockey players and friends as they each wade through life until falling for “the one”.

PENN
Sawyer Bennett
Release Date: July 15

Meet Sawyer Bennett:

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.

A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.

If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).

Connect with Sawyer Bennett:

https://geni.us/SawyerBennett

Blurb:

Penn Navarro is the best player in the league—unstoppable on the ice, untouchable off it. But the moment the game ends, so do the celebrations. Because no amount of goals, no number of wins, can silence the demons that haunt him.

Hockey is my life. It’s what I was born to do. That’s not ego talking, just fact—I’ve spent years honing my skills, earning my place among the elite. But talent doesn’t erase my mistakes, and no amount of success will make me forget the damage I’ve done. It’s why I keep my distance from my teammates, because if you never let anyone in, you’ll never get hurt. Or those are the lies that I tell myself.

Mila Brennan represents the darkest parts of my history. She’s a ghost I’ve tried to bury, the reminder of everything I’ve lost. When she shows up in Pittsburgh looking for me, I know nothing good will come of it, because our sins don’t stay forgotten. They fester, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and Mila’s arrival means my time is up.

The past isn’t just knocking at my door—it’s kicking it down, crumbling all the walls I’ve built around myself in the process. And when the danger comes for us both, I’m forced to do the one thing I swore I never would. Let her in.

Buy Link:

https://geni.us/SB-Penn

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Release Day Blitz

* Review * SWEET THING by Kate Meader

July 13, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Sweet Thing by Kate Meader
Series: Chicago Players #1
Published by Kate Meader LLC on July 15, 2025
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My dad's teammate needs a nanny and I need a job. Sounds perfect, right? Except for my massive crush on him ... the one he knows all about.

Lars

I just found out I’m a dad.

My one-night stand dropped a baby bombshell in my local bar where I was celebrating my team’s win. Then she fled, leaving me holding my new daughter.

Thank God for Adeline. The daughter of my teammate and closest friend on the Chicago Rebels, she practically raised her little sister and knows exactly how to deal with this situation. I need a nanny; she needs a job. Problem sorted, right?

Not so fast …

Adeline

I think you’re the sexiest guy alive.

That’s what Lars Nyquist overheard me say while recounting my embarrassing crush on him. Yeah, that Lars Nyquist. Defenseman for the Chicago Rebels. Owner of the thickest thighs in the league. More than a decade my senior. Oh, and my dad’s teammate.

My only option? Leave the country, of course. Luckily, I’d already planned a round-the-world trip with my bestie and by the time I returned to Chicago a year later, I expected my blunder would be long forgotten. Shows what I know. Now I’m lying awake in the bedroom next to his while playing nanny to his surprise little girl. But I can ignore this stupid infatuation. I have to. Even though the sight of Lars learning to be a dad leaves me breathless and takes that crush to a whole other level.

One that has the potential to break my sorry little heart …

There’s nothing quite like seeing an old fan favorite in a different setting! Kate Meader stole many a reader’s heart when Theo Kershaw walked onto the pages of her previous hockey series. He’s fun, he’s over the top and he’s genuinely a good guy. This book kicks off a brand new Chicago Players spin-off series and Theo’s daughter Adeline is the heroine! We get to see how life played out for Theo, his wife Elle and their kiddos and even good ol’ Aurora! I loved every single minute of it!

Lars was befriended by Theo and brought into the family fold as his teammate and best friend. Now he’s making waves by becoming an instant dad … and having chemistry with Theo’s daughter, the temporary nanny. Uh oh!

Great character connections, lots of emotional turmoil and drama to sift through and so much steamy goodness! I highly recommend this book to hockey fans!

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* Review * SHADOW ON HER GRAVE by B.R. Spangler

July 13, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Shadow on Her Grave by B.R. Spangler
Series: Detective Casey White #13
Published by Bookouture on July 18, 2025
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The beads of saltwater caught on her cracked lips glitter in the moonlight, her long brown hair floating in the tide. But this beautiful girl is lost forever. And Casey’s biggest fears are realised. Someone is copying the worst of her previous cases: following her like a shadow. And they’ll stop at nothing to make sure she pays for her own mistakes…

As her soon-to-be-husband, Jericho Flynn, goes back to work as town sheriff, Detective Casey White is left juggling her work alongside her growing family. And when a spate of troubling murders hit the Outer Banks, the happy couple are stopped in their tracks…

Casey is called to a crime scene with eerie echoes to a killing she solved years ago. A young woman has been anchored to a boulder and drowned, just like in the Saltwater Graves murders.

Then a handwritten poem is delivered to Casey at the station. She immediately recognises the writing as that of a previous victim she couldn’t save. The killer is pointing them to yet another crime scene from Casey’s past. Only someone with knowledge of the original cases could recreate these murders with terrible accuracy. And the only link is Casey herself.

The team chase the lead to a now-derelict beach house, way out on an abandoned island. Casey is totally devastated when they discover the lifeless body of Jericho’s late wife, Jessie Flynn, posed in one of the upstairs rooms.

This is her most personal challenge yet. As they chase down a killer that could be closer than they ever imagined, will Casey and Jericho both make it out alive?

Fast paced and chillingly addictive! Fans of Detective Casey White will be thrilled to be reconnecting with Casey and her sidekicks as danger comes knocking close to home when a new case stirs up memories of past cases one after another. This series is always wrought with tension and danger and is highly entertaining as we try to piece together who is doing what. I love Casey and Jericho and can’t wait to see what the future holds. Tracy/Hannah is getting on my nerves with the games she keeps playing with Casey, hopefully one day soon she will straighten up and appreciate what she has. This particular plot was exciting and emotional at the same time. I highly recommend this series as a whole to anyone who enjoys a thriller with a great core group of investigators.

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* Review * ENEMIES TO LOVERS by Lani Lynn Vale

July 1, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Enemies to Lovers by Lani Lynn Vale
Series: Content Advisory #3
on July 8, 2025
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Baker Ritter knew how to pick them.

She met the man she thought she was going to marry in middle school, gave him some of the best years of her life, for him to leave her pregnant and alone hours before she’s due to have his baby.

To make matters worse, he brings his side chick to the birth, and she’s left with a decision—fight for what she wants, or cut her losses.

What she should’ve done was cut her losses. What she does instead is take him back and experiences what it’s like to live in hell.

When she’s at the lowest of the low, she calls her dad, an ex-con, who sends the one person he knows that can fix it all.
Copper Clayborne.

***

Copper Clayborne has no time for nonsense—that nonsense being a woman and a baby.

But that woman’s dad saved his life in prison and kept saving it until he was strong enough to save himself.

He owes everything to Baker’s dad, so of course he says yes when he asks to let Baker move in with him.

That doesn’t mean that he has to have anything to do with her.

He’s got a business to fix—then bring down in the most fantastic, public way possible.

He’s also got years of celibacy to make up for.

He doesn’t have time to fall for the woman and her kid.

He certainly doesn’t have the mental headspace to deal with her drama.

He gives it his all, but Baker wiggles into his cracked and bleeding heart, and makes herself right at home. Whether he wants her there or not.

Highly emotional and super satisfying! The third book in Lani Lynn Vale’s Content Advisory series is the Clayborne we’ve all been waiting for … Copper is re-establishing his life after prison and finds love when he least expects it … or wants it! Baker is a new mom, suffering a life of hell and just so happens to be the daughter of the man who continually kept Copper safe in prison. He might not be emotionally ready to have a weary woman thrust upon him, but there’s no way he can turn his back when his friend needs his help. Meant to be a temporary reprieve for a broken heart and body, his house turns into a home when Baker and her son Holt breathe life into it. Their story is filled with emotion, danger and intrigue as they fight their way towards forever with each other. I highly recommend this book as well as the rest of the series!

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* Review * ILLICIT ITALIAN NIGHTS by Melanie Milburne

July 1, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Illicit Italian Nights by Melanie Milburne
Published by Harlequin Presents on July 1, 2025
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She’s off-limits…
And the Italian is unraveling!

When her baby niece needs her, Addison Featherstone has no choice but to turn to Ludovic Jacobetti for help. Not only is he the infant’s godfather; his private jet can take them to Italy. There’s just one complication: playboy Vic has long been the object of innocent Addie’s deepest desires…

As his friend’s sister, Addie is entirely forbidden to Vic. Yet when they're alone in Lake Como, he’s forced to acknowledge she’s more alluring than he’s ever allowed himself to notice… And once the sun sets, their chemistry doesn’t simply become intoxicating—it’s irresistible!

Fast paced and addictive! I was quickly hooked on Addie and Vic’s love story. They were introduced by the marriage of their siblings to each other and then reunited when a travel snafu leaves their adorable toddler niece needing them to fill in quickly until her parents can make it home. Addie is shy and awkward but crushing on him, so when opportunity knocks she agrees to a fling … only close quarters allow her love to blossom and she must quickly end their interlude or risk embarrassing herself. I loved their connection with each other and how much they enjoyed their time with their niece. Their storyline moved quickly and in reality we didn’t get nearly enough time with them as a couple, but they were so intriguing that I simply loved them anyway.

Filed Under: Book Reviews