Jessica Peterson: Wyatt

 Lucky Rivers Ranch book 2 read 2025

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214037675

Sally is about to get everything she wants she's finally done with school she got her dream job in New York where she will be able to be challenged and continue to learn on the job as a highly skilled Veterinary Surgeon... only she has been staying at home with her parents in her childhood bedroom in her home town with all of her friends and the closer it gets to time to move the more anxious she feels about the situation, is this what she wants?  or is this her dad's dream for her?  

While working with her father (also a veterinarian) in town she has more time to realize how much she loves working near home and it doesn't hurt that she frequently comes in contact with her best friends since elementary school Wyatt... only problem is that he is still as hot as he was the last time she saw him and still out of her league, this one sided crush she's had on him for years is going to be the death of her.

Wyatt is a cowboy he loves Texas, he loves his job, he loves his home town and he loves working along side all of his brothers.  While he has been a ladies man and not one to settle into a relationship with just one girl (wouldn't want them to get the wrong idea) he lately has been wanting more to his life... he sees how happy his older brother Cash is since he found the love of his life and maybe he could have the same thing.  He's had a huge crush on his best friend Sally for a really long time but she is too good for him she needs more than a small town cowboy, she's going places and is going to be amazing in her career and he knows he would only hold her back he would never ask her to give up her dreams for him.

Sally has had a series of terrible boyfriends leading to her losing her confidence when it comes to men and dating and she just wants someone who she can be herself with she would love to have a fling with a hot cowboy while she's back in town before she goes to start her new job and has limited time for a love life.  She enlists her best friend Wyatt to help her... if he could just pretend to be dating her for a bit maybe she could get the confidence she needs to attract another guy.

Wyatt reluctantly agrees to this fake-dating situation only to quickly realize that he can't help her like she wants him to... if she is going to get with any cowboy in town it's going to be him it will be fine they can keep their feelings out of it have a "fling" for as long as Sally wants and then when she goes to New York he will let her go easy.

Naturally since they have both been friends forever and pining for each other in secret forever the line between fake and real gets erased pretty quickly.  But what will happen once the end of her time in town comes?  they both know that's looming before them and coming quicker than they like.  Sally would never ask Wyatt to leave his family and job he loves it in Texas, and Wyatt would never hold Sally back from her dreams.  

Sally also helps Wyatt open up about the loss of his parents at a young age which he has trouble doing with anyone else.  

Drama ensues when Sally's dad continues to "want better" for our girl... Will Sally be able to figure out what she wants to do with her life?  has she been so focused on what her dad felt her dreams should be that she hasn't really thought about what she wants her life to be?  

This was a cute Cowboy romance I was rooting for the lead characters fake relationship to finally turn real and I enjoyed the interactions with the side characters, with all the inner thoughts about how much they both had been into each other for years I felt myself saying "just tell each other already" multiple times.  

The book was pretty repetitive at times with the inner monologues between the characters.  I also felt that the end scene (which started in the end of the last book) where Sally's dad was holding Wyatt at gunpoint... that all felt glossed over pretty quickly like what?  that's not ok you shouldn't do that to someone even if the safety is on.  

The spicy scenes were spicy... but the dialogue became pretty cringe at times, yes we get it he's got a big hog but this whole scene was like his banana is too big and how is it ever going to fit... then she immediately will need advil for the soreness but is able to have sex with him 989 more times that week so it must have not led to her being that sore.  

I plan on reading the next in the series the end of this book set up the story for the next couple. 

*friends -->  More  *fake dating  *mutual pining  *Cowboy MMC  *Veterinarian FMC  *family drama 

 *Close family *Texas  *spice  *Western  *small town romance  *found family *lessons in love/flirting

*dual POV  *dirty talk  *story goes back and forth at times between the present and the past  

*death of MMC parents (in the past) 

Nina Jarrett: Friends of the Duke Inconvenient Brides the Prequels

 Book Sirens 2025 read

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61283803-friends-of-the-duke

I picked this book up after reading the Captain's wife and I didn't realize that was the 2nd of these prequels my blog about that can be found here : https://elbyslibrary.blogspot.com/2025/07/nina-jarrett-captains-wife.html

Interview with the Duke is a novella and is a short and sweet romance with minimal conflict.  Our Story starts with John Pettigrew the second son of a Marquess he is suddenly cut off from his family by his father after he tells him he wants to forge his own path as a writer he doesn't want to go into the army that life isn't for him... instead of having his family to support him he is now on his own.

John is living with his found family his friend who is more like an uncle/or father figure to him is a wealthy merchant and has welcome him into his home and supported his writing career our MMC has been writing columns for The Gentleman's Magazine it's not what he wants to do as he would love to do more of his own works but it provides a fairly stable income.  

While living with his friend for the past 4 years he has been falling for his friends daughter the fierce and feisty Dinah Honeyfield... she in turn has been falling in love with her father's houseguest and has been wondering if he is ever going to make his move to ask for her hand in marriage... she's not getting any younger and it appears that time has run out since her father has informed her they will be leaving soon for Bath where they will look for an eligible husband for her... she doesn't want a Bath gentleman she wants John he's so romantic he's a poet after all.

John runs into an old school friend the Duke while out and they catch up the Duke is sure to not want anything to do with him once he finds out that his father has cut him off... but surprises do happen instead of turning him away he builds him up and tells him how brave he was to stand on his own and make his own path when the easier way would be to just give in to his father's demands.  

Dinah knows she is running out of time and makes her intentions known to John that she only has eyes for him and that if he is going to make his move it needs to be now before her father takes her on a country wide husband search... only when he makes his intentions known to her father his friend is not happy for them, in fact he wants a better more illustrious match for his daughter and with him having severed contact with his father he is not in the running for his daughters hand in marriage.

These two are already in love could running away and eloping be an option?  John could crawl back to his father make amends and join the military like he wanted for him it would shatter his dreams of writing but he would be a better match for Dinah in her father's eyes and it would shatter his heart if she ended up with another man.  

Maybe his old friend the Duke could help with this situation he is in a powerful position and Dinah's dad does want a boost in status and being friends with a Duke is really high up in the Tons eyes.  

This was a cute quick read, even though they had known each other for years the series of events did feel more rushed and I think that I would have enjoyed the story and the characters more if the story was longer and I got more of a glimpse into their world and their romance, since it was under 100 pages I think a lot was left out in order to keep the story short.  I do plan to read the next in the series.

*Historical Romance  *some spice  *book sirens *friends --> more  *mutual pining  

*2nd son of a Marquess *fierce FMC  *author MMC  *found family

Aurora Sandelands: Ashes of the Rift

 ARC read 2025

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237931571-ashes-of-the-rift-arc-edition

Evandra (FMC) has lived a quiet life in a small town running an Inn with her father, she sometimes dreams of leaving on some sort of adventure but that's just a dream... speaking of dreams she keeps having weird dreams that seem so real, she dreams of a man and then one day he appears with 2 companions looking for a room for the night.

Eldrake (MMC) is a captain he is a natural leader and has been sent on an important mission he must find Evandra and convince her to return with him to his home Riftreach where he and others like him are in hiding they are down but not out as they work on training their forces to be able to fight in a rebellion against the king that has banished magic and their kind... if any of the Riftborn are found true dangers await them but they still have fight left in them and their uprising needs Evandra to win she is the key to their success.

Evandra has been given a contraband book by her father for her birthday it was her mother's book and she is surprised he has kept it as it is a forbidden book discussing the history of the magical Riftborn and Riftreach.  Once Drake tells her she is their only hope in winning their war and something happens in town that leads to her basically getting pushed to start this journey with Drake and his companions the real adventure starts.

Evandra journeys to the hidden town where she learns about who she is, her mother and how she fits in to helping these people... of course while she is training she is falling for the handsome dragon captain and knows that she couldn't leave these people they need her.  

Drake is drawn to Evandra in ways that he never expected... so much so that he might have found his mate, this could complicate the future mission but at this point it might be too late for him.

Evandra overhears a conversation between Drake and his leader that is misunderstood (since she didn't stay to hear what Drake's response was) and she ends up in a bad situation, will Drake be able to rescue her in time?  Is she strong enough to rescue herself?  Has she learned enough during her training?  

I really enjoyed this book it took me a bit to get into but once I got into it was hard to put down.  I loved a good slow burn where you are rooting for our lead characters and wanting them to find their happy ending, save the Riftborn and defeat the evil powers in their world.  I also loved the side characters and there was potential for another side love story going on where I wonder if this couple will have a story of their own in the future. 

*ARC read *found family *Romantasy  *slow burn *Dragon Shifter  *magical world

*Fierce FMC  *Protector MMC touch her and 💀 *grief   *violence  *death 

*multiple POV's (even the villain gets a POV at one point)  *some spice  

-->  My review for the book (I shortened it for good reads (or tried to.. for some reason it still is showing a longer version will see if it changes or not tomorrow) and amazon) 👇

Imagine a world where magic exists it's just hidden due to being banned the evil king has made it so all things magical and all magical people (Riftborn) are afraid to live out in the open.

There are Riftborn in the process of planning a rebellion and the key to that rebellion involves Evandra she is more powerful than she knows and having her help will be huge for their side.  Only Evandra has been working beside her father for years in a small town as an Inn keeper... oh and she has no idea that about her role in this rebellion or that she has any magical powers at all she is just barely finding out about the history of the Riftborn and Riftreach through an illegal book of her mother's that her dad gave her on her birthday it is kind of a Riftborn history of magic.

Evandra's life is about to get a lot less routine when the most handsome guy she's ever seen in her life walks into her Inn with his 2 companions looking for a room it's like he stepped out of her dreams... because she has been dreaming about this man vividly and often.  

Eldrake (Drake) a hot brooding dragon captain has been sent on a mission to bring Evandra back to their hidden town where she will train and prepare for their upcoming missions.

The Riftborn have a traitor in their midst working against them and with the evil king he is in possession of a magical artifact that is in contact with an even more evil entity but since their goals are kind of similar (more power) the entity is allowing horrific beings to be created that are aggressive and dangerous but follow the traitors orders.

This story has you rooting for Drake and Eva to get together and find their happily ever after but with so much evil closing in on them so quickly will this be enough time for Eva to get any sort of control over all of the power that has been given to her?  Will Riftborn ever be able to live safely in the open? 

ARC Opportunities: August 29, 2025

 

If you are looking for a new author/your next read consider being an ARC reader/reviewer I have been doing a lot of ARC reads this year and finding a lot of new to me authors with amazing books that don't always get the hype that the more popular authors get.  

Leaving reviews matter especially for Indie authors the more reviews that a book has the more it gets shown to others as an option to read.  

Thank you for supporting Indie Authors 💓

If you are an author with an upcoming ARC opportunity and want me to place it in my next ARC opportunities blog post let me know!  

I've added good reads links for if you are interested in the book but can't commit to the ARC read and review timelines.   These ARC opportunities were taken from the authors original posts.   (Sorry for the weird formatting... I was trying to fix it and it just kept getting worse)

·       Sabrina Wagner:  Technically Yours in Vegas

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240104122-technically-yours-in-vegas?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=YB0aEEVa6g&rank=1

 

Looking for ARC Readers for a Secret Identity, Friends to Lovers, Millionaire Romance.

Technically Yours in Vegas is a standalone in the Vegas Love series.

ARCs delivered by Sept. 23rd
Release Date: October 8, 2025

Blurb:
Decoding love one byte at a time…
Tom
Not all superheroes wore capes. Some were overqualified, underpaid personal assistants at a luxury hotel, like me. At night, I spent lonely hours behind a computer screen creating an innovative security system to fight cyber villains. It would revolutionize the casino industry and, hopefully, make me the next Vegas millionaire. Love wasn’t on my color-coded spreadsheet until Aurora LeFleur moved in across the hall.

The tech-savvy blond was smart, gorgeous, and way out of my league. I was afraid she’d never see me as more than a friend, but one kiss rewired my entire system. My data-loving brain knew she was keeping secrets. The lies were piling up and I began to think I didn’t know her at all. When you double down on love, the house always takes its cut, and my heart might just be the payment.

Aurora
I came to Sin City in search of my best friend who’d disappeared without a trace, not to fall for my nerdy neighbor. It was supposed to be a quick, undercover mission and then back to my complicated, messy life. I’d been dodging the future my father planned for me, but the clock was ticking down and time was running out.

Tom Bently’s brilliant mind and kind heart were impossible to resist. His kisses were electric. His touch, addictive. And he had no idea who I really was. I never wanted to deceive Tom but torn between family loyalty and love, keeping him in the dark was necessary. In a city that never sleeps, secrets don’t stay buried forever. With my poker face starting to crack and the stakes climbing, when the truth hits the table, the final hand might cost us everything… including our hearts.

Sign-up Form: https://bit.ly/TechnicallyYoursInVegas_ARCSignUp

 

·       Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood:  Overtime Goal

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232482826-overtime-goal?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Y78KsyD3BQ&rank=1

Calling All Influencers and ARC Readers 

Overtime Goal is an all-new age-gap bi-awakening M/M hockey romance and the fourth standalone book in the Buffalo Warriors Hockey series from bestselling authors Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood.

MM Hockey Romance
Bi-Awakening
Hockey Teammates
Age Gap
Best Friends to Lovers
First Times
Hilarious Banter
Codependent MCs
Found Family
Medium Angst
Lovable and Nosy Hockey Team
Hard-Earned HEA

Influencers, Bloggers, and ARC readers, sign up for the promotional tour here:

https://tinyurl.com/otgrjsu

·      L.J. Anderson  Monsters In The Woods

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239879552-monsters-in-the-woods?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=9RdyFav0Hf&rank=1

Are you in the mood for a spicy, apocalyptic romance? Look no further!

Monsters in the Woods

Trope Reveal:

Apocalyptic Romance

Reverse Harem

Captivity

Morally Gray Heroes

Touch her and D!e

Forced Proximity

Protective MMCs

Blurb:

To see the monster, look within…

Waking in a remote cabin after being hunted by the dead should be a relief. Unfortunately, I’m not alone.

Three dangerous men are watching me with ravenous eyes. They feed me, bathe me, offer me shelter, but their kindness isn’t cheap. And the price they’ve set is sky high.

I’ve never been owned by a person, let alone three men who look like they could take on the apocalypse itself. But if I want to live to see the next day, I’ll do as they say.

Because there are monsters in the woods…

Sign up to apply and for more info:

https://forms.gle/W7omZHStmCVyLYdBA

·       L.L.  Gremlin The Cardinal Club

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240634592-the-cardinal-club?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=EpfCG189zO&rank=1

 

𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝔼𝔸𝔻𝔼ℝ𝕊 𝕎𝔸ℕ𝕋𝔼𝔻!!!

Afara Wells is searching for her biological family amidst a dystopian plague. The only problem is she doesn't remember them. She doesn't remember anything.

[https://forms.gle/f2HBR4vQFyJf5aNj9](https://forms.gle/f2HBR4vQFyJf5aNj9...)

𝑨𝒈𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆: 18+ (𝑵𝑬𝑾 𝑨𝑫𝑼𝑳𝑻)

Genre: 𝐻𝘪𝑔𝘩-𝘧𝑎𝘯𝑡𝘢𝑠𝘺-𝘏𝑜𝘳𝑟𝘰𝑟, 𝘚𝑐𝘪-𝘧𝑖, 𝘋𝑟𝘢𝑚𝘢.

Tropes & Key Points : Dual POV, 𝐸𝘯𝑒𝘮𝑖𝘦𝑠 𝑡𝘰 𝘓𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘳𝑠, 𝘗𝑜𝘭𝑖𝘵𝑖𝘤𝑎𝘭 𝘥𝑟𝘢𝑚𝘢, 𝐹𝘰𝑟𝘤𝑒𝘥 𝘱𝑟𝘰𝑥𝘪𝑚𝘪𝑡𝘺, 𝑆𝘦𝑐𝘰𝑛𝘥 𝘤ℎ𝘢𝑛𝘤𝑒𝘴, 𝑀𝘢𝑔𝘪𝑐 𝑤𝘪𝑡𝘩 𝘤𝑜𝘯𝑠𝘦𝑞𝘶𝑒𝘯𝑐𝘦𝑠, 𝘍𝑜𝘶𝑛𝘥 𝘍𝑎𝘮𝑖𝘭𝑦, 𝘛𝑟𝘢𝑢𝘮𝑎𝘵𝑖𝘤 𝘤ℎ𝘢𝑟𝘢𝑐𝘵𝑒𝘳 𝘢𝑟𝘤𝑠, 𝘚𝑡𝘢𝑟-𝑐𝘳𝑜𝘴𝑠𝘦𝑑 ℎ𝘢𝑝𝘱𝑖𝘯𝑒𝘴𝑠 𝐹𝘔𝐶, 𝘛𝑜𝘳𝑡𝘶𝑟𝘦𝑑 𝑀𝘔𝐶, 𝘚𝑙𝘰𝑤-𝐵𝘶𝑟𝘯 𝘢𝑛𝘵𝑖𝘤𝑠, 𝘗𝑇𝘚𝐷 & 𝑀𝘦𝑚𝘰𝑟𝘺 𝘭𝑜𝘴𝑠, 𝘏𝑒 𝑐𝘩𝑜𝘰𝑠𝘦𝑠 ℎ𝘦𝑟 𝑎𝘯𝑑 𝑠𝘰 𝘥𝑜𝘦𝑠 𝑠𝘩𝑒, 𝘞𝑎𝘳 𝘈𝑐𝘢𝑑𝘦𝑚𝘺 𝘳𝑜𝘮𝑎𝘯𝑐𝘦𝑠, 𝘓𝐺𝘉𝑇𝘘𝐼𝘈2𝘚+ 𝑟𝘦𝑝𝘳𝑒𝘴𝑒𝘯𝑡𝘢𝑡𝘪𝑜𝘯, 𝑀𝘢𝑖𝘯-𝘤ℎ𝘢𝑟𝘢𝑐𝘵𝑒𝘳𝑠 𝑎𝘳𝑒 𝑃𝘖𝐶, etc.

 

·       Jessica Jude  King of Obsession

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/236872746-king-of-obsession?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_21

Looking for ARC readers for an angsty fake dating rockstar romance between a good girl and a bad boy!

Rhett

Being a rockstar has been the dream since the first time I picked up a guitar. The fame, the lights, the rush of playing sold-out concerts. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

But reaching that dream means keeping my past buried. To pull it off, I need someone to play along. Someone the world will believe. Lucky for me, I already know the perfect girl.

Unlucky for me? She wants nothing to do with me.

So now I have to do what I do best—charm her until she wants me as much as I want her.

It’s only for six weeks. What could possibly go wrong?

Saylor

Rhett Cole was my first kiss. My first heartbreak. The boy I couldn’t forget, no matter how hard I tried. When he walked away twelve years ago, I learned the hard way that fairy tales don’t come true for girls like me.

Now he’s back, more famous than ever, asking me for the impossible. Be his fake girlfriend for six weeks? Spend hours stuck on a tour bus with him? Share his bed?

Oh—and offering enough money to cover my bills for the next year.

It sounds simple. But nothing about Rhett Cole has ever been simple.

I’ve heard his promises before. And if I let him get close again, I know exactly how this ends.

But the more I push him away, the harder it gets to remember what’s fake… and what’s dangerously real.

Tropes:

• Rockstar romance
• Fake dating
• Second chance
• Famous x not famous
• Bad boy x good girl
• Friends to lovers
• Forced proximity
• Only one bed
• Groveling & angst
• Touch her and 
• He falls first & harder

Please note: This is not a dark romance, but there are triggers listed on the application form.

 ARC Read Period: Sept 30 - Nov 4

 Requirements: Leave an honest review!

 Bonuses: We have a ton of fun and you will receive lots of bonuses in addition to the book!

 Details: More details, including page count and TWs, on the application form. 

https://forms.gle/n4A9ki7dd3nL4GP37

 

·       Dia Beckett  Falling for the Grumpy Playboy

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240510406-falling-for-the-grumpy-playboy?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=4QvfYhKCBm&rank=6

 ARC Opportunity! Romance readers who live for sunshine x grumpy tension… this one’s for you! 

She came to London for scones and soul-searching. Instead, one wrong car landed her in the orbit of Simon Oliver: rich, stormy, and the kind of man whose kiss could wipe your memory clean.

 Tropes inside:
 Grumpy / Sunshine
 Opposites attract
 Forced proximity
 Slow burn to blazing heat
 Protective alpha male
 Hands that spell trouble
 HEA guaranteed

 Falling for the Grumpy Playboy by Dia Beckett

ARC signups are OPEN now! Comment GRUMPY for the link or tap here  https://forms.gle/fMDWeziMsTCQdhtW7

·      S. Von Hearts Burn Slow

*did not see a good reads link yet

Hearts Burn Slow by S. Von

ARC sign ups open!

Release Date - 10/8!

* Slow Burn

* Strong FMC

* Alpha-hole to cinnamon role MMC

* Fae

* Magic

* Chosen one

* Fated Mates

* Dual POV

* The prophecy

After meeting the Fae Prince from her dreams, an author with a recently diagnosed brain tumor watches her life fall apart until she’s pulled into Fairy for real and is faced with a life and death decision; but when the prince she’s falling for’s motivations come into question, she has to learn that she is worthy of more or risk the utter destruction of the fae race.

https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSf8wGp0qTBeXK.../viewform

 

·      Kassie Jones:  Messy & Bright

*no good reads link found yet

 Looking for beta & ARC readers 

Messy & Bright is a spicy, emotional, small-town holiday romance about a sassy, sarcastic FMC who’s tired of running and a golden retriever MMC with a complicated past.

This book promises:

 Christmas shenanigans
 Cozy small-town vibes
 Rivals-to-lovers tension
 A slow-burn romance

I want my all of my readers to feel comfortable and cared for while reading.

Please be aware of the following sensitive themes before signing up:

Terminal illness (Cancer)
Death of a parent
High school bullying

Early access, a mention in the acknowledgments, and festive holiday swag await

Sign up here:

https://forms.gle/fyJxy91JSCVFA9cU

·         Yinn Quirós  False Play

·        https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232123047-false-play?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=maU3L7Upw1&rank=1

·         

·        Tropes: Black Cat x Golden Retriever, Forced Proximity, Fake Dating, He Falls First, Workplace Romance.

·        Series: First book in an interconnected standalone series.

·        POV: Dual POV, 1st Person.

·        Content Warnings: Sexual explicit content, talks about anxiety, anger management issues, and domestic violence (not between main characters).

·        Expected Page Count: 500.

·        https://www.lovenotespr.com/false-play?