Ava MacAdams Saving Her Marriage to the Duke

Book 2 in the Brides of Convenience series:  started this in 2024 and finished in 2025

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124950908-saving-her-marriage-to-the-duke

I did read the first in this series last year but this second book is a complete stand alone, all new characters and the stories don't connect. 

The Duchess of Lancaster (Arabella) has been married to the Duke for 5 years but it's really in name only as they have been living separate lives.  Shortly after getting married The Duke left for one of his country estates he never touched her prior to leaving town and she has remained a virgin.  

Unfortunately for Arabella the gossip columns are going wild making  claims that she is letting everyone into her bed, she doesn't attempt to change anyone's mind as she thinks this might be a way to get her absent husband back to her and maybe they could actually try having a real marriage.  This news does reach Evan (the Duke) who makes his way back to town with plans to teach his wife about proper behavior for a Duchess... more importantly how she should behave as "HIS" Duchess.  

Arabella left on her own as spent her time planning parties with her brother, sister in law and her husband's cousin who she has grown close to in his absence.  She has also collected several animals (like Monkeys).  

Evan attempts to continue to keep his distance from her but he is drawn to her (naturally) and a lot of spicy times happen (open door so if you like closed door stuff this one isn't going to be for you).

It comes out over the course of the story that Evan has tragically lost his first wife and their unborn child and because of this he doesn't want to get close to his new wife.  He doesn't want to chance her getting pregnant... yet they do nothing to prevent a pregnancy during their intimate moments.

Drama occurs with a wayward cousin with secrets of his own and a super mean Grandmother (the dowager duchess) who is up to shady shenanigans.  

Can the Duke get over his past heartache and give this new love a chance?  

Have you read anything by Ava MacAdams?  Which book do you recommend?  what did you think of this book.

*Duke  *scandal  *historical romance  *spice (open door and a lot of it)  *2nd chance for romance  *happy ending 

*miscommunication/no communication

Trigger warnings: Mentions of death (first wife and child)  

While I don't necessarily think the book was "bad" it was just an ok historical romance novel for me. It had a lot of extra drama:

•  I got irritated with both male and female leads for their lack of communication and the running away that Evan did, both were a bit immature at times. 
• I also was irritated with Arabella's sister-in-law for seeming to just want to spend all of Arabella's money on parties with little care to how she is feeling about anything Arabella basically tells her that she is sad and not in the party mood and the sister is like "So what lets party" (not in those words but you get the idea).  
• Then the Duke's cousin is supposed to be Arabella's really good friend but places her in a bad situation because it will hurt the other person that he was actually with... well it hurt Arabella at the time friends don't do that to friends. 
• I picked up this book and set it down multiple times before finally finishing this and I'll probably read the rest of the series I think I just need a break from it for now.  

Morgan Leigh: Latte Love

Cherry Falls Series Book 1 read in 2025

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/224074509-latte-love

I found this book through the author in one of the book groups I'm in on Facebook.  It's a sweet cozy read that's under 300 pages.  I loved the small town vibes and the FMC's family is really close helping each other out (and often getting in the way).

Gabriel (our MMC) is a gruff police officer he's a newly single dad and looking for a Nanny to watch over his daughter Aura at night while he works.  Gabriel's mom has been helping out a lot but her life is back in Italy, not Cherry Falls and while she's been wonderful she needs to get back to her own life.

Millie (our FMC) is a hard worker who has always dreamed of owning her own café and her dream is coming to life soon she has a soft opening of her business when she runs into Gabriel (this causes him to give her the nickname "Bumper" which he uses frequently throughout the rest of the book).  

Millie overhears Gabriel interviewing the wrong person for the role of Nanny and decides to intervene, she offers herself to be his new nanny, he doesn't know if he should take this help from her as they didn't start off on the right foot but he needs someone and soon.

Millie and Gabriel both have been burned by past relationships.  Gabriel's ex decided she couldn't handle being a mother and left without much notice and hasn't really bothered to reach out since.  Millie had a overbearing ex that used to put her down and she really doesn't want to end up in that kind of relationship again.

Even though they both have walls up for various reasons they can't help growing closer together as they spend more time with each other and their shared love for Gabriel's daughter Aura.  Can they find a way to open up and let each other in?  Or will they miss out on what they could have together due to not being able to get over past hurts?

Some drama later in the book with Aura's birth mother and wanting to regain custody.  

Have you read this book?  What is your favorite "cafe" inspired romance novel?  

*what I liked about this book:

• Small town hallmark movie kind of vibes
• likeable side characters (Millie's large family, Gabriel's mom and his work partner Josh)
• Cute baby 
• MMC was broody (at first) but then more cuddly towards the FMC
• MMC --> sweet, handsome man in uniform 
• Indie author --> first book  

*some things that missed the mark for me with this book

• Repeat sentences (could use some better editing, not hard to overlook and I know that it's harder as an Indie author to get editing help)
• Frequent and confusing time jumps, the soft opening of the shop was coming up soon... then it was still days away, later in the book several months get jumped and maybe the story didn't flow as well as it could have because of a bunch of bigger time jumps?
• If the FMC is starting a new business I didn't understand how she had the time to be a Nanny and try to run her shop... maybe just a bit too many things going on at once 
• Millie is running a new business but has time to go with Gabriel and Aura to a water park (last minute), to Italy for a family vacation and later on to Costa Rica... when is she making her pastries for this shop?  does she ever sleep?
• The 3rd act break up was a bit sudden they were just discussing the "L" word and he brings up a topic that Millie is flustered with then she just bolts and doesn't let him even finish talking to her about it when he tries to talk to her a few times later she ignores him and bolts again... how is he supposed to explain himself or how he feels if Millie won't let him speak at that point I felt she was the broody and unreasonable one and he was the sunshine.

I think overall the book was cute and there were a lot of good ideas there, the author could probably use some editing help to narrow down the focus so there isn't "so much extra" going on that takes away from the story.  I hope to read the second in the series when it comes out.  

*Enemies (sort of) --> More  *Broody (MMC) *police officer (MMC) *sunshine (FMC)  *some spice *Some adult language *single dad  *dual POV  *nanny  *FMC business owner 

*age gap  *He falls first  *forced proximity

  *small town romance  *Indie author  *First book for this author 

*Happy Ending 

*miscommunication/no communication  *frequent time jumps  

Lauren Landish: Rule #1 Never Marry your Brother's Best Friend

 Never Say Never Book 1 read in 2024

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75419854-never-marry-your-brother-s-best-friend

Carter Harrington is a wealthy businessman in a line of wealthy businessmen, his family is super rich and he grew up with his father having high expectations on him to join the family business and help it thrive.  While trying to land a new client his friend (and business partner) Zack has a good idea this client (Elena) that they want to win over is a wealthy widow with a large estate that needs to be managed (her current manager is set to retire soon) and her husband was an art lover and word has it that he had quite the collection no one has seen it in ages as it's been a closed to the public collection at Elena's estate but this could be an in if he knows more about art... lucky for Carter --> Zack knows just the person who can teach him, his younger sister Luna is an artist and while she works at a local museum she could probably use the extra money so he could potentially talk her into being his tutor... Great idea!

Luna agrees to tutor Carter with flash cards to learn more about artists/artwork,  and gives him a tour of the museum she works at like she would any other guests of the museum... only Carter has something else entirely planned while she shows him her favorite painting in the museum and discusses why she loves it Carter proposes totally caught off guard since they are not even friends let alone dating she doesn't say anything Carter kisses her in front of everyone around her (including her co-workers) and her brother is there filming the entire "event."  

Carter realizing that he will never learn enough about art in time to win over Elena decides to go all in on this plan he convinces Luna to go along with this wild plan by bribing her with the opportunity to see the art collection that is at Elena's estate.  Luna is a terrible liar and is not even sure how she will be convincing as Carter's fiance she's a lot younger and feels that he is way out of her league and they have nothing in common but her brother Zach.  Carter is a tall, handsome, rich businessman who commands a room Luna is a socially awkward, curvy, short and shy and she likes that no one notices her when she walks into a room.  

Luna does have an inner fierceness which she writes into her comic book that she has been working on (but has been too nervous to share with anyone).  

Luna doesn't like Carter due to a misunderstanding from years ago (it is explained later in the book)

The couple ends up at Elena's estate where they have to stay over and pretend to be an actual couple in a room with one bed... somewhere along the line while spending more time together feelings grow and the "fake" part of their relationship doesn't feel so fake anymore.

Elena's niece comes into play and adds additional drama because she wants more say into how things are controlled at the estate, but thankfully Elena is a sharp lady and knows when someone is up to no good.  Carter and Luna also have to continue their "fake" relationship as he continues to try to work to win over Elena.  

Carter has a large (sometimes overwhelming) family and they make appearances throughout the book, he has an adorable niece and his brother's dog gets into some shenanigans.  Luna's best friend Samantha comes in to offer "words of wisdom." 

Likeable side characters and some funny moments 

Overall I enjoyed the book it was on the high end of ridiculous at times but it was funny and sweet with a happy ending.  

Have you read this book or any from this series?  How did you feel about it?  What is your favorite Lauren Landish book?  

*Brother's Best friend *Dual POV  * (surprise) Virgin FMC  *Age Gap (older male)  *Artsy FMC  *FMC with self esteem issues

*Millionaire MMC  *Fake dating/engagement --> More  *Spice  *Enemies --> Lovers 

*some possessiveness/jealousy  *dirty talk  *third act break up

*Forced Proximity *one bed *drama  *Opposites Attract *happy ending  *The first in a series 

Some negatives for the book:

*probably wasn't necessary for them to be more than "fake dating" for the client, it's not like she was over the top about needing her new estate manager to be married to get the job, she seemed to be pretty easy going considering her large fortune.  

*Zack (the brother) goes along with a "surprise" proposal when he knows his sister doesn't like to be the center of attention but then goes all "if you hurt her I will hurt you" on his friend... maybe you could have at least told your sister the plan in advance

*some parts of the story seem to be forced in (the engagement, the break up, the brother acting protective when he feels like it, trying to show the FMC as extra quirky)

*MMC seems to be a bit overbearing and manipulative at times it might be part of his upbringing as a super wealthy guy that always gets his way (even if he feels like he's always competing with his family)

*not sure why our couple have to have loud fake sex to be "believable" as a couple when trying to convince an older wealthy woman to do business with Carter...  seems more believable that they would be on their best behavior not doing anything in the room... but maybe that's just me (?) 

Lore Olesya: Glass Hearts

 Read in 2025

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223915382-glass-hearts

Princess Maralena (The Glass Princess) and her family are still grieving the loss of her mother she passed away several years prior but the King has since forbidden mirrors and the ones that are around are either broken or covered.  There is magic in the world but seems to be less magic in the Glass kingdom since losing the Queen, later we also find that the gods for the different kingdoms have left the realm and that's one reason for decreased magic in the world.  While usually noble females are married off as a teenager Mara remains unmarried but the King has decided this needs to change she is turning 21 after all... good news for her is that at least she is getting the opportunity to choose her own husband.  

The Sun Prince is handsome and determined to have Princess Mara as his wife even though word has gotten out that the Glass Kingdom's magic is dwindling he knows that the princess is bound to have hidden power and he wants to be able to get his hands on her magic... Yes our handsome Sun Prince is up to shady shenanigans!  

The Glass King has invited many eligible men from all over the different kingdoms to come to compete in a tournament for his daughter's hand.  While many of the men are way older Mara still believes that she will be able to choose her own match.  Mara's older brother is also unwed but she envies him at least he won't have to leave the only home he's ever known and become a pawn in the royal game to build alliances.  

Mara meets Evrardin while he's at the castle for the tournament with the Sun Prince (Evrardin is the captain of the guard for the sun kingdom) he exchanges some flirtations with Mara and then he makes her a bet that she will end up engaged to the Sun Prince by the end of the tournament, she takes the bet knowing that she has been given the approval from her father to select her own husband... only at the start of the tournament her father makes some jabs towards one of the other kingdoms and in the same speech announces that the winner of the jousting tournament will also win his daughter's hand.  This is a huge blow for Mara her life is being decided for her and she now lost the last choice she had left.  

Evrardin has taken to following Mara and she is irritated by Evrardin's presence she doesn't need him around she has her own guards... he has the pleasure of telling her that the Sun Prince has given him the task of being her personal protector once they are back in the Sun kingdom... leaving them a lot of time to get to know each other better.   

The Sun Prince makes unreasonable demands on Mara once she returns with him to his kingdom and while she is working hard to figure out how to accomplish what the prince wants, she desperately wants to be anywhere else, how is she going to get out of this?  

While Mara works towards the princes goals she stumbles upon secrets that the Sun Kingdom wants hidden and more than just her own life may be at stake.  

Evrardin's life has not been his own for quite some time will he be able to shake the Prince's demands and go after what he really wants?  

Over all I really enjoyed this book, did feel that some of the story dragged in the middle but I would read more from this author and if you like fantasy/romantasy you will like the twists, turns and drama!  

Hoping for more stories in this same world!  

*ARC read  *Romance  *Fantasy  *magical world  *Forbidden romance  *fairy tale  *450 pages 

*multi POV --> dual POV with occasional POV from side characters *drama  *slow burn (very slow) *some spice  *banter  *Enemies --> More 

 *adult situations/themes  

Lola Glass: Never Feed a Dragon

 Read in 2025

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214388228-never-feed-a-dragon

This is the third book in the Mate Mountain series this book focuses on August and Jasper's other brother Eli (all 3 have made appearances in the previous two books of the series) from the moment Eli meets Vi there is something brewing... for him he had known the instant he saw her that she was going to be his mate... she was on the other end of the spectrum as they continued their verbal sparring every time they got together.

Feeling lonely and wanting someone to go home with after her sister's wedding Vi enlists Eli to help her find a guy to take home for a "one night stand"... he already has the perfect guy in mind, himself no one else is going to go home with her when he knows she should be his.

Vi knows that she is now going to have Eli in her life whether she wants him there or not since her new brother in law is his brother she decides on the day of her sisters wedding to make him spaghetti as a peace offering... little did she know this would be the start of a series of events that would change her life forever.  

While Vi doesn't know this Eli has been trying to set off a mate bond with her ever since he first saw her... he has tried drinking from her drink (which is what worked for Jasper when drank from Randa's drink in the second book), he has flirted with Vi, flirted with other women in front of Vi, verbally sparred with Vi at every opportunity so when she agrees to take him back to her place he is a little surprised that what actually starts their magical mate bond known as heat is during the actual deed... but now it's too late because that is what seals their bond.  

Unlike the first two books in the series where the couple basically locks themselves in a cabin/ or mountain home they go on vacation... which I felt was an expensive way to just stay in a room mostly since they were still in the middle of their "heat" and uncomfortable so they couldn't go out much doing tourists stuff.  

Vi is very hung up on an old relationship where she was treated poorly and the guy ended up cheating on her, because of this she never wants to try having another relationship again... I felt this got a bit old since Eli was going out of his way to prove that he wasn't like that and wanted to be with her he was very open with his love and support.  A lot of discussions about how their relationship is going to go and deciding it doesn't all need to be decided immediately... I began to wonder if Vi was ever going to come around to realize she is with this guy forever and should make some kind of an effort.     

If you are looking for series that has a well thought out plot and world building this is not that type of book series, if you are looking for a fun light read that's entertaining with a bunch of spice... this has a hot dragon shifter + magical heat process started with the woman he has been dreaming of for years = fireworks (basically spicy hot dragon shifter romance with many happy endings).

Have you read anything by this author?  Which series is your favorite?

*Romantasy  *Shifter romance (Dragon)  *virgin MMC  *fated mates  *enemies --> lovers  

*possessive MMC  *golden retriever MMC  *MMC gave FMC nickname "Spaghetti"

*lots of spice  *fluffy light read  *paranormal romance  *Happy ending  

Wendy Vella: Sensing Danger

The Sinclair & Raven book 1  (read in 2024)

The Sinclair family have been given heightened senses (Smell, taste, hearing, seeing) so this part of the story leaves a bit of the unknown supposedly several hundred years prior a Sinclair saved the Duke of Raven (who was the King's good friend) after this a pact was signed and ever since a Sinclair should protect and save (when necessary) a member of the Raven family and because they have been trusted to be protectors they were somehow granted these extra special powers.  

Due to the most recent Duke of Raven being a pompous jerk the Sinclair family who lives down hill from the Duke's home has not had many interactions with him but they have learned that this Duke has passed away and there is a new Duke in Residence. 

While on her way home one night Eden with her heightened hearing hears a plot to throw someone into the ocean... this would surely lead to death for this person as it's freezing out, seeing these men get on with their plan and toss a tied up man into the water she risks her own life getting in the water to save him, it turns out this is James (the new Duke of Raven).  Following with her lengthy family history of a Sinclair saving a Raven.

James has returned to his home after a lengthy absence (as his father had kicked him out when he was a boy) he finds that he has a younger half sister Samantha that he needs to care for, she is frightened of him because their father was cruel to her as well and he feels that his focus should be on caring for this child now that he is her guardian but now there are obviously other issues... mainly the fact that someone just tried (and almost succeeded to kill him) and they will probably be back soon to finish the job.

Eden and all of her siblings (there are a bunch of them which are in the rest of the series so if you decide to read this book you will get to know them all) decide they need to go to London with the Duke to keep watch over him it is their job as Sinclair's to protect the Raven's after all.  The Duke doesn't want to make it easy for the Sinclair family to protect him though and he is a bit of a hot head giving Eden mixed signals and throwing out the "I'm a Duke, listen to me" card when he feels like it.    

I read this awhile ago and I remember enjoying the book and the series overall... the villain in the book popped up quickly and the situation was dealt with quickly but I didn't feel it took away from the story.  

I loved the Sinclair family and enjoyed seeing James come out of his icy shell once he realized that he could have a loving family life.  

Have you read anything by Wendy Vella?  Have you read this series?  Which book is your favorite in the series?  

some negatives: 

Lots of bickering between the Lead male and female got a bit old at times gah!  just get together already stop pushing each other away and not communicating. 

The Duke at times kind of forces kisses on Eden (even though she's asking him to stop) she is drawn to him too but still if she is saying no he shouldn't keep pushing.  

*Historical romance *Spice  * Brooding Duke with mood swings (who can't love anyone... naturally)

  *paranormal elements  *enemies to lovers  (pushing each other away) 

*brave female lead who rescues our male lead  *happy ending  *drama

Elle Kennedy: The Play

 Briar U Book 3  --> whole review might be spoilers but it's a pretty popular series so you might already know this stuff.  

Hunter Davenport is from a wealthy family, he is a hot hockey player and he's now the captain of the team. This year is going to be different since he made himself a promise that he is going to put hockey and his team first this year, last season ended badly when he unknowingly slept with a rival players girlfriend (this rival player broke his arm during a crucial game at the end of the season).  What's going to be different this year is he is going to be celibate... no women, no drama, just focus on the game... he can do this right? 

Demi Davis is a hard working student she has a long term boyfriend of 8 years they have been together since they were 13 but she was smitten long before that when he moved in next door to her when she was 8 and they lived in Miami.  Demi's dad is a surgeon and wants her to follow his medical footsteps, she is far more interested in psychology just hasn't found a way to tell him she doesn't want to be a doctor she knows that he has been pushing her towards it and she doesn't want to disappoint him.  Her mother is supportive but seems to follow along with whatever her dad wants to do when it comes to certain things and that seems to include what Demi should study in school.

Hunter and Demi end up thrown together on a project for a psychology class where one student is to play the therapist and figure out the diagnosis of the other student (playing the patient) they get to know each other as friends through these sessions, Hunter feels his role as a patient is made easier since he just channels his dad (a narcissist).  Demi has several guy friends and begins to consider Hunter as another one of those friends.  

There is one guy (TJ) that everyone else can see has a bit of a crush on Demi, but she sees him as a good friend and nothing more he is seen throughout the book wanting to spend time with her but Demi double plans and frequently has to put off their plans for doing things with Hunter or other friends.  

Demi feels like Nico (her boyfriend has been pulling away from her he has made some shady excuses lately for why he can't come over and Hunter (who was introduced to him) sees him at a frat party coming out of a bedroom with a girl (who isn't Demi) and zipping up his pants.  Hunter struggles with whether he should tell Demi or not but after speaking with some friends decides to just tell her what he saw.   Initially Demi doesn't believe that Nico could be cheating but it comes out later that he has been cheating on her (and with multiple girls). 

Hunter and Demi continue to build a friendship and Hunter even helps Demi look for her rebound, Demi just wishes Hunter would agree to be her rebound already... 

Demi's parents are not very accepting of the fact that Nico is no longer in her life and instead of respecting her wishes to not see him they make her go with them to have dinner with his family for Christmas... drama!  

Demi continues to get closer to Hunter and Hunter really doesn't know how much longer he can continue to resist her, he is drawn to her and he knows there would be fireworks if he let himself go there with her.  But he wants to prove to himself that he can reach the goals he set and have Hockey as a top priority.  Hunter also struggles with the worry he is going to follow his father's footsteps (his dad has cheated on his mom on multiple occasions) and he is trying so hard not to be like him that he is putting off his possible dreams of being in the NHL because he doesn't know if he could handle that lifestyle.  

Eventually they can't fight their feelings anymore and end up together, Demi's parents continue to struggle that Nico is no longer in the picture and didn't even want to give Hunter a chance (I found this tough... they should have been more supportive towards their daughter and her feelings after her ex was found to be a cheater).  

There is also a side story where Hunter's team mates want a mascot and their coach gives them a hard boiled egg to watch over... if they can take care of this he will consider going to the Dean to see if they could potentially get a pig.  Their egg of course ends up going on adventures, being used as an excuse to irritate their team mates and gets a bunch of followers on it's Instagram... it's a good team building exercise for responsibility.  

Some negative things about the book:

Hunter seemed to be a side character in his own story for a good portion of the book

Demi decides that she wants a rebound but Hunter continues to say he is off the market he wants to remain in the sex-free zone, this part I felt was wrong on Demi's part she kept teasing him about his "monk" status and pushing for him to give in already and break his dry spell since it really wouldn't hurt his hockey games, if the roles were reversed everyone would be upset.  

There is a scene where Demi and Hunter end up taken to the local jail and he takes a selfie of himself with Demi being behind bars, this probably just bothered me because I was a prison nurse for over 10 years... cell phones are contraband and the officers wouldn't have let him keep it with him.  

I won't go too much into this but there is multicultural representation but it doesn't seem to be well done, seems to be more stereotypes of different cultures that are seen on TV/movies or something.  Same with some characters and their sexual orientation.

A friend of Demi's at the very end of the book ends up having suicidal ideations with an active plan in place, I felt the author should have spent more time with this if they were going to add it to the story not just throw it in at the very end to have the LFC save the day.   

*College romance *Dual POV  *some spice  *Hockey Romance *sports romance *YA  *happy ending 

*slow burn

Trigger Warnings:  suicide attempt (not main character), cheating 

Lola Glass: Never Flirt With a Dragon

 Mate Mountain Book 2

This book picks up where book 1 left off at Elodie & August's (our first couple) wedding.  Randa (Elodie's friend) is getting tired of being the third wheel between her twin sister Vi and Eli (August's brother) they have been bickering all night and asking for her to get in the middle of their argument... You know what sounds good going over to sit by Jasper (August's other brother and leader of the dragon clan) no one is bothering him and he's hot... of course he is all dragons are.

Randa goes over to sit with Jasper and he continues to not pay much attention to her (although she's wrong... he's been watching her all night probably too closely he doesn't want to get close to a female as an unmated dragon this would be devastating if a mate bond formed).  Taking a drink from Randa's drink (accidently) triggers "heat" which leads to the magical need for them to seal their bond or attempt to get through it without sealing it over the next 2-4 weeks.

From here while I didn't necessarily dislike the characters or the story, as with the first book there wasn't much of a story it was small amount of plot plus some steamy scenes where they are fighting their urge to make things official and seal their mate bond.  Elodie and August put their honeymoon on hold to help provide Randa with some information on how to get through the month without becoming a bonded pair she does this mainly through text messages from Elodie and it becomes a bit of a struggle for Randa to keep secrets from her twin sister.  Ultimately Elodie doesn't feel it will be easy for Randa to fight the heat since she has a lower pain tolerance and the magic will make Randa be in more pain pushing her and Jasper closer together to make their bond official.

Jasper is a sweet and respectful guy who only knows how to make pancakes but is willing to learn how to make other things for Randa.  Randa doesn't know how to cook either as her twin sister was usually the one to make things and they had been living together until she was flown up to mate mountain away from her home and family to live with a handsome dragon shifter for the next month.

Randa is an artist who can work from anywhere (and her boss is really understanding about her current situation).  Randa knows she will struggle to be so far away from her family, friends and everything she has ever known.  Does Jasper even want to be with her? this is a common question she faces throughout the book since she knows from Elodie that dragon's are highly against trying to actually find a mate as it would be restrictive to their freedom as once they are mated a dragon can't fly without their partner.

Randa and Jasper have some big decisions to make if they do become a mated pair where will they live?  Jasper is the leader of the dragon clan that guards the prison and needs to stay up on Mate Mountain for the majority of the time that's part of his role as the leader.  How will Randa cope with living so far away from her twin sister, Elodie and her parents she knows that Jasper would probably be willing to fly her places... but it takes away from her freedom to go when she wants to as she's now dependent on him for a lift, also the first time was super scary it was a bumpy flight and what if she falls off?  

Some more drama occurs when Jasper meets Randa's parents, Randa's mother is kind of judgmental and doesn't understand why Randa would even consider being mated to someone she barely knows.

There is a happy ending to this and the couple were easy going it just made for a story that dragged a bit, parts of this were very similar to the first storyline just in a different location (instead of decorating a cabin they are decorating his parents old apartment (now his apartment as the leader) on the mountain), they are in "heat" fighting their urges, they don't leave the place for days and spend a lot of time in bed.  

I plan on reading the next in the series and would read other books by this author it was an entertaining easy light read and made me laugh a few times.  

pretty much the same tropes I wrote last time--> 

*spice  *Protective MMC  *Dragon shifter (male) *MMC Virgin   

*light read, not much of a plot  *mates  *slow burn *forced proximity  *fantasy *paranormal romance

*happy ending  *Insta lust

Brandon Barrows: 3rd law mixed magical arts

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61319710-3rd-law?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=hK0jHt0qD7&rank=35

I Loved this book! The characters have heart and leave you wanting to learn more about them and their magical world.

The leading character Einosuke is an underdog with a fighting spirit who is doing the best he can to learn about magic and how to use it on his own. Driven by the need to know what happened to his missing brother he is focused on becoming a Mage Agent which he feels will lead him towards the truth.

A chance meeting with Kusa as she is running from her own problems has Einosuke feeling she just be just what she needs to help with his goals of learning more about magic... but will she help? There are mobsters after her after all and that's a pretty big deal!

this is a fast paced, action packed story that had me turning the pages and sad when it ended. Looking forward to reading the next book!

If you are a fan of anime or manga and like giving new authors a try this is the one for you! 

*light novel  *Indie author  *helping to support a dream 

*Full disclosure --> my husband wrote this book and he was really excited about it when it came out but it never got enough attention to do well enough to make a second book.  I don't read all of my husbands work but I do try to support him when I can and I honestly loved this book and would love to see it do well enough to get a second book... I need to know what happened to Einosuke's brother!  

P.S. Thank you for supporting Indie authors it truly means a lot 💓

https://www.amazon.com/3rd-LAW-Mixed-Magical-Light-ebook/dp/B09RCGS1FX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3S8OXX73LLBXS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cGXT5PDDY1556ZhKcQgg0g.QCm9YeBue05UCB249NZhXyTVpqAk3aL2z0V5iaiq3bk&dib_tag=se&keywords=brandon+barrows+3rd+law&qid=1746978357&s=digital-text&sprefix=%2Cdigital-text%2C111&sr=1-1

Elle Kennedy The Risk

 

Briar U book 2

Brenna (our female lead) is introduced in the previous book as the hockey coach's daughter, she is beautiful, fierce and confident.  Jake is the super handsome hot shot hockey star for a rival team he is in his senior year and has already been drafted to a NHL team in Canada for the following season, he's mentioned in the first book of this series when our couple meet at a party and have a start to a bit of a "rivalry" since he is playing for a different college team and the coach for his team is an old team mate of Brenna's dad but they can't stand each other due to ancient history at this point (their beef is from when they were in college and is explained later in the book).

Brenna is trying to get a internship at a company called Hockey net the guy she is interviewing with is to put it lightly a jerk he isn't paying attention to anything she says he thinks that because she's a woman she won't be able to do the job.  Sadly the only time he's actually focused on the interview at all is when he is talking about our guy Jake... before she can think too much about it the interview is ending and she name drops in a big way saying that she didn't want to bring it up during the interview but Jake is actually her boyfriend... but of course he isn't why did she say that?  This begins the start of her asking Jake for a favor since she was now invited over to a dinner party at the important hockey net guy's house and he wants to meet her boyfriend... will Jake even agree to this?

Jake has a request of his own he's willing to be her "fake" boyfriend but only in exchange for a real date, he knows they have chemistry... this chemistry to me didn't seem like much more than they are both super hot people that won the genetic lottery but it's a start.  Jake is kind of a playboy and has never really had a girlfriend while Brenna has been a bit more selective with who she sees.  Brenna hasn't really had many boyfriends but there are glimpses of the past throughout the book with a troubled ex who keeps calling and asking for favors (like money) he has a history of substance abuse and there are hints throughout the book that there was something else that happened that led to the end of their relationship but Brenna shoves it down and doesn't talk about until almost the end of the book.

The fake dating situation is pretty brief as Jake and Brenna begin to see more of each other, Brenna has been keeping this a secret from her father and her friends... since it could potentially be seen as dating the "enemy."  What would they say if they found out?  

**Possible spoiler**

Jake has a best friend from childhood her name is Hazel, he doesn't have any romantic feelings towards her but as the reader throughout the book you can see that she has feelings towards him, but Jake is clueless and doesn't see the signs.  A little bit of drama occurs when Hazel finds out that Jake is possibly getting more serious with a girl, she's never seen this before since he's always dated around in the past and she confronts Brenna to basically warn her away from him since Hazel considers Brenna to be distracting Jake from his goals.  

While I didn't necessarily dislike the book I felt there were a lot of extra side stories that the book spent time focusing on and I would have liked more time spent on the main characters.  At one point Brenna goes to Boston to hang out with her favorite cousin who basically ditches her for her on again off again boyfriend (who she sees all the time rude!).  There is also a side love story going on with another Hockey player that we were introduced to in the first book Mike Hollis and a over the top drama queen Rupi, I think she was meant to be charming but she came off to me as a bit of a stalker and very pushy she basically told the guy he was going to take her on a date and didn't take no for an answer when he didn't even know who she was.  

Brenna has some long term issues with her father that come back to haunt her when she gets stuck moving back in with him when her apartment gets flooded.  I felt that Brenna's dad was a bit hard on her she's an adult and he kept treating her like an irresponsible teenager when she has grown as a person and has been doing well to prove that she's no longer the same party girl she was when she was younger.  I did like that Brenna was able to resolve most of her issues with her dad and they were working towards having a better relationship by the end of the book.

Third act break up which was resolved pretty quickly.

What is your favorite Elle Kennedy book?  

*enemies--> more  *YA  *College romance *hockey romance *Sports romance *fake dating   *forbidden romance  *spice  *drama

*Dual POV *3rd act break up *happy ending 

*Trigger warning and potential spoilers --> discussion of miscarriage (in the past), mentions of drug use (other characters not main characters) 

Lola Glass: Never fall for a dragon

 Mate Mountain Book 1  -->  I guess I'll just say up front this whole review might be a spoiler for the book: 

Elodie (a human female) interrupts an argument between August and his sister outside of a cafe... only problem is August is a dragon shifter and once he catches Elodie's smell  this starts the mating process known as "heat."  

Male dragons like to stay away from the human female population, they want to remain bachelors and  the "heat" process could start at any point if they catch the smell of a human female that could potentially be their mate and their dragons fire begins to burns thru the woman's body (I think?).  The "heat" process is painful for the female and lasts for 2-4 weeks where the "dragon magic" is trying to push the couple closer together (basically a month of high passion where they have to touch more and more).  Very few couples make it through the "heat" without sealing their bond, basically it lasts for 2 weeks if they seal the bond and 4 if they don't but very little is known about how to make it through the month without giving in to their desires to "seal" their bond and become a couple there has only been 1 known couple in history to do this and they didn't give up their secret.    

The argument between the siblings is due to August needing to report for his six month stay in prison soon.  Made even more dangerous with all the other supernatural beings there and the fact that Dragons are more rare and essentially the police force for this world he might not make it out of prison alive if he goes, but if he doesn't go he will be banished from the dragon clan on top of the mountain and they are his family even if he doesn't always agree with their old fashioned rules (which are never really explained).  A lot of things in the dragons world are "very secretive" and "dragon stuff" 

The beginning of the book feels like I missed part of the story as there are things going on without much explanation at all and continues to not be explained later in the book either.  Elodie once starting this heat process with August is placed in a car and driven to his cabin where she is basically given no choice in the matter she  has to put her life on hold while this process is happening, she was in her last semester at college and her friends and family are going to worry about her, but she is allowed phone calls and minimal contact with her friends (due to her not being allowed to smell like anyone else) but has to give vague details of what is going on because of the "secrets".  

**to help with reading the book if you decide to**  all dragons are male, they can bond with human females through the heat process which starts if a male comes close enough to smell a human female that could be a potential mate, the "heat" process starts as a painful need to seal the bond by having sex (lots of it), once a dragon is in a bonded pair they can't fly without their female on their back so most dragons want the freedom to fly on their own and avoid human females like the plague.  Human females do not become dragons after they are mated to a dragon shifter but do obtain some of their mates dragon magic and continue to go into heat once a month (only for shorter periods of time) once bonded**  I think this is the just of it please feel free to let me know if I missed anything if you have read the series.  

Elodie and August are very attracted to each other and at first touching helps with the pain Elodie experiences but then the "magic" makes it more painful until they have to get closer together and have spicy times they do this all over the cabin (which had been quickly furnished by his dragon friends sister and brothers) due to the pending prison sentence August doesn't want to subject Elodie to his fate too as once dragons are a mated pair their mate has to be incarcerated too, he isn't sure he will make it out alive and he can't put her through it as well she won't survive and he won't be able to protect her well.

August is spared having to go to the prison during the month they are together to wait out the "heat" process but they have constant guards outside of the home.  A lot of the book involves thinking about sex, wanting sex or thinking about how they can do everything but have sex... this is a major plot point as it is part of the magical "heat" process that has started pushing them closer together.  They also eat a lot because being this horny all the time makes you hungry.      

Pages are spent just sitting around the house with Elodie doing homework and him rubbing her feet, they watch some movies, they eat a lot she takes many showers to wash off other scents and he keeps the house clean.  If they work on really getting to know each other better during their time together it's not really on the pages.  Can they get through the heat without becoming a mated pair?  how will they survive in prison if they have to go together?  Could they really make a lasting relationship work after what started as a mistake of wrong place at the wrong time?  

Forced proximity at the cabin has them both growing closer together, even though they fight off their "urges" the best they can how are they supposed to hold back forever every day it's growing harder and harder to not just do what the magic... and maybe their hearts now want which is to seal their bond.  

If you are looking for a book with detailed back story, detailed world building and well thought out explanations for what is happening this is not that book.  If you are looking for a light read with lots of spice and a lot of things explained away as just being a "dragon secret" or "unknown" this is what you are going to get. many things in the book are built up to be a big deal but not really explained why they are a big deal (August has to go to prison for making a deal with different supernatural species to protect his sister... what was after her? and why were the dragons so mad that he was trying to protect her? not explained).  I knew what I was getting into when I started this book so I wasn't disappointed, but it's the type of book you really have to be in the mood for to start. 

I found it to be a quick read, and it was entertaining, I plan to read the rest of the series.  

Have you read anything by this author?  what would you recommend?

*spice  *Protective MMC  *Dragon shifter (male) *MMC Virgin  *strangers --> more  

*light read, not much of a plot  *mates  *slow burn *forced proximity  *fantasy *paranormal romance

*happy ending  *Insta love/lust

Trigger warnings:  Brief mentions throughout the book of a vampire ex who was no good and ended up putting her in the hospital (DV) 

Would you like to be an ARC reader? here are a few opportunities for you!

Both of these books are available to order at this time thank you for checking:

Who Are We Now?  https://www.amazon.com/Who-Are-Novel-Romantic-Suspense-ebook/dp/B0DBG5FKTZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PJ1IW1RJKOKB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Sv7LMrnE6CwRdiobFJO64_fjFrN_YYoI66dz9pZCIs_GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.hhPV_E9CU4PLW_tM4fBAUV4marrUs2cOFP7ccQxPCfo&dib_tag=se&keywords=who+are+we+now+Beth+anderson&qid=1750978968&sprefix=who+are+we+now+beth+anderson%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-1

The Sapphire Sonnet:

https://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Sonnet-Hedon-Hall-Book-ebook/dp/B0DF25X83Q/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33GPPL7PKJS0E&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.DNn4wlY3hxcjDH64D4a7hsPjpDFYDC9Nt2G3K04cUrQ.OrGOnd2wV8zBZNGiMv7Gfv13Upg6oLgrIVL-izoyHSQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=isabella+brimstone&qid=1750979014&sprefix=isabella+brim%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-1

Opportunity #1 to be an ARC reader:

I have worked on a why choose novel with another author and we would love to have a larger group of ARC readers for pre-release reading and reviewing.   we would appreciate reviews for Amazon, goodreads, tiktok, Instagram, personal blogs and wherever else you post reviews, it is a huge help for Indie authors to get the word out about their books even leaving a star rating on amazon helps others find the book when they search!

We truly appreciate the supportive romance community and thank you for taking the time to read about our book 💖

why choose romance novel with one female lead and two males, open door spice 

Skylar spent years trapped—in a dead-end relationship, in a mother’s cold shadow. But when her mother vanishes without a trace, Skylar is thrust into a mystery that upends everything she thought she knew. With her two best friends, Barrett and Levi, by her side, Skylar hunts for answers—and along the way, finds herself drawn to both men in ways she never expected. As secrets unravel and danger draws near, Skylar must find the courage to reclaim her future... and her heart.

If this sounds like it's something you would like to read please send me a message with your email address on facebook or Bluesky and I will send the ARC through book funnel when ready!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1623950861238483/user/1107950979

*please reach out if you would like me to help spread the word about your upcoming ARC opportunities, or if you are an author and would like me to read & review your book let me know 😊

Opportunity #2 to be an ARC reader:

Hello all! I'm looking for ARC readers who would enjoy reading a very spicy New Adult/College Romance. You'll read about: - in the library, - in the classroom, -FFM scenes and more *The spicy scenes in this book are detailed and explicit - the door is WIDE open... sometimes literally. But it isn't constant - there is also emotional connection and character development, especially via friendships. The Sapphire Sonnet is the first book in a series called Hedon Hall, about 5 women who are best friends in college. Each book will contain multiple explicit scenes, and though each book has its own tropes, all will include bi characters, polyamory, and lots of s*xual empowerment. The Sapphire Sonnet contains: -a MF romance and HEA -FMF scenes -partner sharing -teacher/student -exhibition/voyeurism In addition to the spicy stuff, you'll enjoy: -the shy girl next door coming out of her shell and learning to prioritize her own needs -deep and meaningful female friendships -a loving family dynamic for the FMC -smart women in STEM majors who know how to work hard AND play hard. I'm looking for ARC readers who can read the book between June 1st and June 25th. Send me a DM if interested https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571241478406 Or sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYllJ-W-o4yXvUakEL0a7AWQ7nJJUB9K8SKXaiKKKCovJB4A/viewform?usp=header

Audra Lenna Lee: Unseen

 book 1 The Glenrich saga read in 2025

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223785201-unseen

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, I'm not usually a dark romance reader but the story kept me turning the pages wanting to find out more about Lillian and Adonis.  

Adonis is a trained assassin, his father is the head of the organization he works with and he views love as a weakness so he has worked hard to keep that out of his son's life.   He lives by a code and part of the code involves never falling in love... especially not with what they call the "pawn" or the next mark for death.  His father has been controlling him and two of his friends since they were younger.  

Lillian is a beautiful girl but struggles with low self esteem and self doubt from being plus sized and having a history of DV with her ex boyfriend who also spent a fair share of time putting her down and telling her that no one would ever love her (but him of course) due to her size.  She also has a beautiful mother and sister who are smaller and exclude her from going out with them because they are embarrassed by her size... talk about toxic people in her life.  Thankfully she has two true friends Liz and Mary who help build her up and have her back. 

Adonis is very handsome and when he comes in contact with Lillian he is torn between loyalty to his code his father and the task at hand and following his heart... is he even worthy of love after all he's done because he doesn't feel worthy of someone who is truly kind and loving like Lillian but he wants to prove that he is worthy of her love even if he doesn't deserve it.    

Lillian at the start of the book is very down on herself and her looks and size but with Adonis showing her that she is beautiful she begins to see that in herself too.  Lilian at first wonders what Adonis is doing paying attention to her he's so handsome he could be with anyone why her?  Only problem is that he is after something she has been put up for collateral as a "pawn" and Adonis has a job to do he knows that... but he also has developed feelings for her can he go through with it when the time comes?  

Everything happens pretty quickly and I would consider this more of an insta love type story.  Some of the other characters have some secrets of their own which will hopefully be talked about more in the rest of the series.  Plenty of twists and drama.  

**Possible spoilers** 

Lillian's ex comes and attacks her in her home and demands money to pay his debts she ends up at the hospital with a possible head injury, and the hospital just seemed to discharge her right after she woke up but she was described to have bruising and swelling to her face and she also was unconscious when she got to the hospital, did they not do any scanning to rule out a possible brain bleed?  I would hope that if they brought her to a decent hospital they would have kept her longer for monitoring... it wouldn't have been a good idea if they released her to immediately jump on the back of a motorcycle and upon returning to Adonis's home perform orally on Adonis I just don't see how she would have been in the condition to be able to do that after being assaulted that badly.  

I did find the writing style a bit hard to read, it didn't flow well at times and it kind of took me out of the story.  Some repetitive things happening and a few cringeworthy phrases.  Lillian got a few nick names from her man  and they were used constantly.  I think I would have enjoyed the book more with better editing.  

I know this is the author's first book and putting yourself out there for the world to be a critic is really brave.  I plan to read the next book when it comes out and I think that this author did a good job for her first book.  

*plus sized female  *Indie author  *first book for this author  *found family  *he falls first *Dual POV

*assassin  *open door spiced  *Virgin FMC  *open door spice  *MMC pierced (you know where) 

*Forbidden love  *hidden identity  *Bad boy MMC  *obsession  *insta lust/love

*read the trigger warnings prior to reading:

Trigger warnings include: 
Mention or tries of force play, Deaths, Stalking, self-doubt, Emotional Abuse, Physical Abuse, 

Mental Abuse, Fat shaming, death of parent 

If you or anyone you know are in a DV situation please know you are not alone most States have resources to help you get out of your home and to a safe space:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Call: 800-799-7233

Text BEGIN to 88788

https://www.thehotline.org/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=domestic_violence