Nikki Lawson: Offside Hearts

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/134097798-offside-hearts

Noah Blake is an NHL superstar, Margo is a woman on a mission she is looking for a job as a social media manager in a chance encounter the two get stuck in an elevator together and have an intense moment in time where Margo is afraid and Noah is happy to comfort her however she needs to be comforted.  

Margo thinking she will never see this handsome stranger again is so wrong since he is one of the stars on the NHL team where she is starting her new job as their social media manager... so she will be working with him a lot she can't mix business with pleasure (even if she wanted to) and she needs this job it's an amazing opportunity for her and nothing will get in the way of her career even a super hot shot hockey guy.

Noah has been a ladies man in the past (the past being very recent) but the moment he sees Margo things change for him she is "The One" he knows it... he just needs her to see that they would be amazing together and to do that he needs to convince her that she should give him a chance to prove he's worth her time and not a playboy like the tabloids say.

Margo briefly rejects his advances towards her only to very quickly give in and next thing she knows she is in a very fast paced secret relationship with Noah who is so much more than she originally thought him to be and just maybe she's falling a bit more for him daily... but what will happen if their relationship comes out to the public?  Is there a rule against dating one of the players?  She doesn't want to be seen as a jersey chaser or even worse be seen as "just Noah's girlfriend" she wants to show she is good at her job on her own.

While Margo's family is very caring, loving and welcoming Noah's family is old money and very all about appearances what if Margo can't live up to their expectations?  

Naturally secret relationships with someone very much in the public are hard to keep secret and when a bit of scandal occurs will their relationship last?  or will it be just a moment in time like their elevator encounter?  

*Hockey Romance *Sports Romance *strangers --> more  *golden retriever MMC  *Pierced 👇

*spice (lots of it) *family drama  *Scandal  *workplace romance *she falls --> he falls harder  *NHL

*book boyfriend *miscommunication/no communication  *3rd act break up  *insta lust/love *cheesy

My thoughts:  May contain spoilers:

Likes:   I loved Noah he was a super sweet guy and he really cared about Margo.  Margo's family was family goals very supportive and willing to stand up for her even against a pro athlete if needed.  Loved Noah's team mates and might check out the next book to see if it’s any better.

dislikes: : I love hockey romances I really struggled to finish this book like I started reading it in June of 2025 and just finished it today (1/8/26) I almost DNF multiple times but powered through.

*I didn’t like the FMC she was obnoxious at times and I was actively rooting for Noah to find a new woman throughout different parts of the book 

*I just don’t believe that a person can go from a player seeing different ladies all over the country to all in with a stranger in a matter of a few days

*the spice starts with these two strangers in an elevator and in the middle of a panic attack the FMC grinds herself on this mans thick thigh… seriously

*the spice just continues from there I began to skip past some of these scenes to get back to plot

*the FMC gets hired as the social media manager but they act like the team needs to find fans for their franchise through her efforts alone… they are a NHL team I’m sure they have plenty of fans… she also knows very little about Hockey and is new to social media management I don’t see how she beat out all the other competition for this job or why it’s portrayed as basically just her with her cell phone recording things some days? Big teams have bigger social media teams it wouldn’t just be one girl with her phone.

*At any little issue instead of talking our FMC blows things out of proportion and jumps to conclusions not even waiting for the MMC to be ready to talk about the issues.

*Margo tells Noah she loves Sunflowers when they are in the elevator together… he calls her this all the time sometimes multiple times on the same page.

*Noah is so sweet and perfect… like too perfect do you have any flaws at all now?  Of course you do handsome we love you anyways but be real 😉

*the book was at least 100-150 pages too long, padded out with a bunch of filler which was a slog to get through.

*I could go on about this but basically this one wasn’t for me, I’m not saying it won’t be a good book for the right person. 

  à  Possible spoilers

 

*Margo has a secret she stole 20k from her previous employer but justifies the embezzlement because the guy was a jerk and her sister needed the money to get out of a bad living situation (I’m sorry but the family was really supportive I’m sure that if she went to their parents and brothers they could have found out a different way to deal with this  à also someone has embezzled from me and my neighbors in our association (it was 40k… and it really sucks to be stolen from… she now has to pay us back at $60 a month me and my neighbors are going to die before we get our money back… anyways back to this story)    

à Noah is totally fine with her stealing she is a wonderful person, the best one he knows and she is so great at her job… His stuck up father later hires an investigator and finds out from a former co-worker of Margo’s that she stole the money… if the other employee knew about the theft how did Margo get away with it? 

•   I was ok with how this part was resolved at the end and how Noah stood up to his father.  

Sandra Sookoo: Of Dukes and Forbidden Words

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243838816-of-dukes-and-forbidden-words

Barrington Combes-Mead Duke of Scarbourough finds an ancient Egyptian book while doing renovations to his townhouse, with his children grown and out of the house (unable to return due to poor road conditions) and being a widower around the Christmas holiday perhaps this is just the distraction he needs from feeling so alone during the holidays.

Barr wants to have the book translated before he decides whether to keep it for his personal collection or selling it.  The book is a bit on the erotic side (with pictures) and while at the library to find a translator he runs into Catherine Pickwick daughter of a professor she is used to research and has a love for ancient Egyptian culture... this just might be exactly who he needs to translate this book.

Cate agrees to work on the translation of the book and very soon after the couple falls into some extracurricular activities, Barr doesn't know what's gotten into him he hasn't been this enthusiastic about anything in quite some time she has brought some joy back to his life.  But when a possible curse attached to this ancient book begins to cause some "accidents" will he need to get rid of the book before it's translated?  When he does will he still be able to see his sweet librarian?  

Cate knows far too well from her previous relationships not to expect too much to come of this relationship either... if you could even call it that, he's a powerful Duke and she's a librarian not of nobility he couldn't possibly see her as anything more... or could he?

*Historical romance  *forbidden attraction  *class difference  *Handsome duke  *spice 

*MMC in 40's, FMC in late 30's  *ARC Read *Netgalley  *insta lust/love  *cozy read  *Spinster

Thoughts on this book:  likeable lead characters and side characters I really liked that our Handsome Duke was humble and kind towards his staff considering them friends and inviting them to his holiday festivities, and I liked that our leads were both a bit older than the usual historical romance couples.  This was a cute cozy quick read for me.  

Dislike:  While I wasn't expecting a literary masterpiece I do generally like more of a story to go along with my books, this book had so much spice (and it was a shorter book to begin with) that I found myself scrolling through pages to get back to some actual plot that didn't involve some form of disrobement... I just didn't feel that they knew each other well enough for things to progress so quickly.

Logan Chance: Oh, What Fun it is To Ride

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240103678-oh-what-fun-it-is-to-ride

Ivy Garland ends up in a charming town for the holiday season with a job to do she's a PR manager and she's been tasked with helping the town raise funds for the towns Snowflake Jubilee things are a bit of a disaster when she arrives since sponsors for the festival are threatening to pull out... does anyone even come to this tiny town?  

Ivy crashes into a sleigh upon arrival and the owner of said sleigh is of course a handsome, grumpy mountain man while his job is to cart people around in his horse drawn carriage his personality is closer to Grinch than Santa... and now his best sleigh is going to be out of commission for an unknown amount of time... is this even more devastating to the upcoming festival.  Luckily Rhett Ryder has a back up sleigh. 

Ivy over the next several days spends her next several days making content and charming everyone in town... even Mr. Frosty is starting to come out of his shell... which is good because Ivy is about to be spending a whole lot more time with him in close quarters when they get snowed in at his cabin up the mountain, what could they possibly do with their time together?  

Maybe Rhett isn't as big of a grump as Ivy originally thought, perhaps something bigger is going on...

This is a cute insta lust/love holiday rom-com with a lot of puns and hallmark vibes.  I love the small town aspect and the meddling townspeople help make the story more charming.  

I did feel that since it was a novella things had to progress faster but I always have a harder time believing that the characters could be in "love" in less than 2 weeks.  If you are looking for a cozy holiday rom-com that's a easy quick read with small town charm this might be the one for you.    

Have you read anything by this author?  What other books would you recommend?

ARC read 2026 booksirens; Holiday romance, grumpy/sunshine; Ex-military MMC; enemies to lovers; some spice; one room/forced proximity; instalust/love; novella; snowed in cabin; small town;  feel good/cozy read

PTSD, loss of loved one mentioned (in past) 

Cayenne Sirois: Between

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240749763

This story begins in our own world where our FMC is struggling to find meaning with her life as it is working at a job where she's overworked and under appreciated she ends up getting into a car accident leaving her in a coma but when she wakes up things aren't as they were before while she's not dead she is not in the mortal realm either but somewhere in Between.

Our FMC is left wondering what is going on she's with many others that she doesn't know but that's not a problem since she doesn't remember who she is either.  When a being that calls themselves Sintra and looks like a talking statue gives her and her companions a few options they can go into the after where they will be guided and helped to settle in peacefully or they can go through an unknown amount of trials/tribulation with the ending outcome being they return to their body in the "before."  But since none of them remember who they were before (not even their names) is this whole process even worth going through?  

Eight decides to pursue the second option and with a handful of others begins a lengthy process of going through many eerie landscapes that seem familiar but at the same time not never knowing what is waiting for them in any given area or when these tribulations will pop up everyone is on edge all the time and you can't let your guard down.  

This was different from the usual books I read but it pulled me in from the very first chapter I was invested in Eight and the other's journey and wanted to see them get through all of these trials and make it back to the Before.  The writer does a good job with pacing the tribulations out so even when they have more "rest" days it never feels like that since there is always an element of creepy movie vibes with no one remembering their life from before and never knowing if any of them will make it through the next tribulation or when it will be haven't they been through enough already!  

There is a side of romance between Eight and one of the other characters and our MMC is very sweet and protective over the whole group especially the young child that is unfortunately on this adventure with them.  

If you are looking for something different that will have you turning pages and wondering what will come next be sure to add this to your TBR!

*Indie Author  *First book  *Fierce FMC  *protective MMC  *close proximity  *found family  

*second chances *trials/tribulations  *spooky vibes  *slow burn  *between life & death

Kate Sweden Hooked by You

 

Wilder Horizons Book 3

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243018011

Emme (FMC) works with her sisters for Wilder Horizons a company that provides luxury trips to the wealthy.  When she gets Voluntold by her sister that she needs to secure a partnership with some vendors in Patagonia she is less than thrilled… she’s going from the sunshine state to snow… she better pack extra layers… only when she gets where she’s going her luggage took a detour and the owner of the lodge is less than friendly.

 Luc (MMC) likes his lodge in the middle of nowhere with minimal contact to the outside world… it’s part of the charm so when Emme bursts into his world with big plans for some more modern elements (like Wifi) he is less than thrilled.

But the longer she’s with him the more he can see how she takes charge but is willing to help, she’s a force and she has started to find her way through his cool outer shell. 

The closer she gets to leaving the more he finds that he wants her to stay and when a few disasters strike during their time together will they be able to weather these storms together or will Emme be taking the first flight home.  

This was another enjoyable read in this series I liked the banter and loved how both our characters were drawn to each other but were holding back for various reasons:  she's there for work not a whirlwind relationship with an expiration date,  he's had a big loss in his past and his lodge is his safety/comfort zone Emme disrupts his world in the best possible ways maybe he's been set in stone for too long focusing on the past, while it's 100% ok to take all the time you need to work through your feelings you also still have a life to live it was great to see Emme bring some joy back to his life that maybe had been missing for awhile.

It did take me a bit longer to get into this story maybe it was the long descriptions of the day to day tasks and landscapes. Using different languages scattered in also took me out of the story a bit at times because I was scanning for the English translation of what was said.  I also wasn't completely sure how much time had passed since she had been at his cabin but it was thrown into the story occasionally and I thought she had been there for a lot longer than she was, I guess I might be a bit cynical but I didn't see them completely falling for each other in the week (plus a few days) she had been there (even though they were together for some bigger events) making this more of an insta love story.

I have been truly enjoying this series and I look forward to the next book!    

*Travel romance *Rom- Com *Strangers à more *work trip *French MMC *forced proximity *Grumpy/sunshine *insta lust/love *meddling sisters

*Some spice *ARC Read *mentions of loss of loved ones (in the past)

Rebecka Cole: Winterberry Inn

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244622741-winterberry-inn

Holly is tired... tired of everyone wanting so much more from her than she's currently able to give, especially her own mom who has taken managing the holidays to a whole new level so when she's asked if she is bringing someone home for the holidays and told that there are going to be a festive awkward photo shoot in order to "boost" her online presence she decides to step out for some fresh air which involves getting in her car and driving far, far away from all of that nonsense... only on the drive away she ends up caught in a blizzard and quite possibly the most charming town she's ever seen in person... seriously did she land in a hallmark movie set?

Winterberry Inn is cozy, nearby and they have vacancy only not inside the Inn  (of course not) they do have a cottage in the back... great she'll take that thank you very much, except for Nick bursts in from the storm right when she's about to accept to attempt to stake a claim on the cottage that is rightfully hers... she did get there first.  

The storm getting worse and with no other place to sleep Holly comes to an agreement with this stranger (lets hope he isn't a serial killer)... they are 100% not sharing a bed though...

Nick is in this small town for work and while the town is charming he's a -->get in, do his job and leave kind of guy never stopping long enough to settle down or leave a lasting impression on any one place, he is under a lot of pressure from his boss to get the job done no matter the consequences and that's usually who he is but he just met someone to throw his whole world view off kilter and she's sharing his space for the duration of this storm and the more he spends time with her the more he feels like maybe his life isn't going in the direction he wants it to maybe he needs something more stable.  

This is a novella and usually the pacing can be hard since there is less time to tell the story but the author did a great job keeping the story line moving along and easy to follow.  You don't really get to know the characters really well but you get enough of an idea for the point of the story, I loved this feel good holiday romance it was a quick cozy read I was going to sit down and read a few chapters and ended up reading half the book in one sitting.  The lead characters are likeable and have you wanting to see them get a happy ending, I also enjoyed the side characters (like the meddling inn keeper).  

I loved the hallmark vibes and I found myself wishing I could visit this charming town myself the author did a great job creating the holiday magic in a small town charm which kept me turning page after page.  Looking forward to the next book from this author!  

*Novella *2025 read  *Holiday Read  *strangers -->  more  *forced proximity  *cozy read  

*hallmark vibes *small town *Grumpy(ish)/Sunshine *slow burn  *one room/one bed *banter

*Indie author  

Possible spoiler:

I do wish the epilogue was spaced a bit further in the future, it is set only about a week after the last chapter ends not giving much time for the couple to be together or for us to really see how things are going for them after leaving the small town.  

Maggi Andersen: Ravished by the Rake

 Improper Ladies book 3

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244254890-ravished-by-the-rake

Lady Prudence’s life gets turned upside down when her father is murdered in their home leading to her trying to unravel the mystery of why this happened along the way she enlists Jack (Viscount Hereford) to help à he is an agent for the crown, a rake and naturally determined to never fall in love or get married because women can only hurt you (he is dealing with some mom issues from childhood).

Shortly after Prudence faces her creepy cousin coming to take his new position as the Earl and insists that the best option for “everyone” is for them to get married… that’s a no from Prudence and she runs away from home in the middle of the night and again runs into Jack who escorts her safely to her Grandma’s home where she and Jack continue to try to piece together who could have wanted to harm her father. 

This was a cozy quick read for me, I’ve been reading historical romance since I was a teenager so nothing really was new but I enjoyed the banter between our couple (when they were actually together) for a short story they spend a lot of time apart and  there unfortunately was not much ravishing.  

FMC is a bit too independent for the time and often goes out on her own potentially getting herself into danger where Jack would need to rescue her. 

This is a stand alone and I read this without reading the first two books, I didn't even realize it was the 3rd in the series until after I had finished the book, the characters from the first books make very brief appearances in the book but it's not necessary to read their books to read this book. 

*ARC read 2025  *Netgalley *historical romance *mystery *handsome rake *quick read  *instalust  *interconnected stand alone *spy MMC *Fierce/feisty/independent FMC *happy ending *political issues  *banter

*grief (loss of father)  *abduction

possible spoilers: 

I felt the ending wrapped up really quickly a lot of the book feels like the characters aren't really doing much of anything to move the story along... then in the last 15% some older mysteries come into play and our leads are discussing love when they really didn't even have all that much time together there is a lot of inner monologue where you can see that they "like" each other but I had always felt it was more lust than love next thing you know they are all in immediately after both having feelings of never wanting to marry throughout a good portion of the book just seemed sudden to me and after the build up (sort of) with the villain the end feels kind of like an after thought.