Janice Whiteaker: Unbound

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243760203-unbound

Book Blurb:

Losing my dad was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through.

He was patient and kind. Loving and smart. The funniest person in every room and the last person on every dance floor. The most amazing man I’d ever known.

Except it turns out, I didn’t really know him at all.

My father had secrets, and their trail leads me straight to McKinley Security Systems.

Straight to Walker McKinley.

Walker is so different from the man who brought us together. He’s stoic and serious. Quiet and calm. Has an intensity and focus that pulls me in.

He makes me feel seen. Understood. Safe.

But I’m not safe, and neither is Walker. Unlocking the truth of our shared past carries a danger neither of us expects.

And one of us might not survive.

Tropes:

*Hambright PR ALC/ARC *Small town romance *strangers to more *grumpy MMC 

*Protective MMC *Fierce FMC *Spice *Hidden secrets *mystery *found family *betrayal

*long term grief (both mmc and fmc) *insta lust 

Thoughts:

This is the 5th and last book of the Bradshaw Brothers series and focuses on Walker (the Bradshaw's cousin) and Sybil.  

Walker (MMC) has been a bit of a mystery throughout the other two books I read, he is fiercly loyal to his family and comes to family functions but he always felt more closed off and grumpy.

Sybil comes into Walker's life towards the end of the 4th book and even though she may have lied about some things to get there... she had her reasons, number one being she knows that her father's accident was more than that and she wants to get to the bottom of it... her search has lead her to McKinley Security Systems and she just knows that if she's given the chance she'll find the answers she's looking for and hopefully help Walker too.

Walker has been grieving the loss of his mother for a long time, recently with everything that has happened he begins to wonder if there was more to his mother's accident.

When danger comes back into his life and Sybil reveals what's really going on could their lives have been intertwined all this time?  

Sybil is smart, funny, and sassy, Walker is grumpy and hard to read but she brings out a different side to him, she makes him laugh and while he's protective of her... she's equally as protective of him.

I loved being back in this large families world again, they are protective and have each other's backs and even though they were unsure of letting Sybil back in, Walker's aunt made sure she still felt welcome at family get togethers.

The more they dig into this old mystery to try to uncover truths and figure out how the pieces fit together the closer danger is to them... again.  

Sean Masters and Grace Noble were amazing Narrators!!

The leads were easy to like and it made it so much easier for me to root for them and want to get to the bottom of what had happened all those years ago.  I loved how their relationship unfolded from mistrust to feeling like they finally found their missing piece.

I enjoyed this story over all and liked how everything wrapped up, I did feel that there was such a big build up towards the end that when it came to the end it kind of wrapped up really quickly (I thought it would be more of the story).  

But I've been enjoying this series and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a small town romance with a fierce protective MMC, a smart capable FMC who doesn't give up with a side of danger with secrets revealed. 

I do need to go back and read the first two books in this series and I would recommend reading these in order. 

Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

Tequilla Havens: The Quiet Game

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/247926582-the-quiet-game

Book Blurb:

Some silences are chosen.
Some are inherited.

Selena Wilder is tired of running into walls.

She knows what she feels for Ezra Merrick. She isn’t blind. She isn’t foolish. But loving someone who hides behind quiet can feel like shouting into a locked room. And lately, the quiet in Willow Bend has taken on a life of its own.

Notes are still appearing.
The air still shifts when no one is looking.
And the past refuses to stay buried.

Ezra has spent years believing silence is safer than truth. If he doesn’t say it, it can’t break. If he doesn’t dig, it won’t bleed. But when the echoes of 1965 begin pressing closer—closer to his family, closer to Selena—his restraint starts to look less like protection and more like fear.

As tension builds between them, the line between caution and avoidance blurs. Old loyalties are tested. Family history resurfaces. And something in Willow Bend is no longer content to wait.

Because in a town where memory lingers in every creaking floorboard and every flicker of light, the quiet isn’t empty.

It’s listening.

Tropes:

*Indie Author *Small town romance *slow burn *mystery *Age Gap *supernatural elements

*Family mystery *cover up *secrets *town lies *multiple POV *Found family *longing

*pining *Forbidden romance (Ezra thinks so... no one else feels that way) 

Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Willow Bend Trilogy and should be read in order as these books build off each other and this one picks up where the last book ended.

While this book is multiple POV between our group the leading characters of this book are Selena and Ezra (middle Merrick brother).  

Selena and Ezra have been friends for a long time but something more has been coming to the surface for a long time, Selena one night wanting to push things further into more than friends asks Ezra a question... which leads to Ezra going into a big of a spiral... truth is he feels a lot towards Selena but doesn't believe he should due to his own reasons.

Ezra was frustrating throughout this book he wanted to be with Selena but was pushing himself away and pushing her away from him as well, he was hot and cold with her and sending mixed signals... I wanted to pull him aside and tell him to get it together and tell her how he felt already! 

The small town mystery continues in this book as Ezra, Selena and their friend group work to find the clues and put together what happened to the woman the town seems set on hiding even existed... throughout the first book and this book there was a paranormal element helping/leading our group in the right direction and had me wanting to get to the bottom of what happened all those years ago.

I love the found family elements being back in this story felt like visiting with old friends, and wanting to maybe play cupid pull Ezra aside and tell him to go for it, get your woman before she gives up on you... on another note I do get Ezra's internal struggle with his feelings but I think that he was so hyper fixated on these issues that he failed to see that anyone who mattered would be happy for him and Selena.

It's Christmas time in town but spooky vibes continue throughout the story with mysterious messages from unknown beings, notes that show up at random, strange voicemails and radio static that comes through as a transmitter from beyond the veil.  

I appreciated the blend of the mystery still happening along side the Romance and the tension from the push and pull from Ezra and Selena.  

Also what is happening with the Merrick Brother's aunt and uncle?   

This book revealed some hidden truths but with all the questions left unanswered I'm looking forward to seeing how everything ties together and is revealed in book 3.  

 Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

Jill Ramsower: Reaper's Wrath

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/259928551-reaper-s-wrath

Book Blurb:

Kidnapped from her wedding by a man she thought was dead…

Elio
Isa thinks a childhood friend has come to save her.
She has no idea I’m his identical twin.

Everyone from my past thinks I was killed, and in a way, I was.
I’m not the same boy who was abducted, but the monster he became.

A man so lethal, I’m now known as … the Reaper.

I’ve returned for a single purpose, and it isn’t to save Isa.
I’m here to claim her…

Tropes:

*Hambright PR ALC/ARC *2nd chance romance *Amnesia *forced proximity *Tragic Past

*touch her and 💀 *Trigger Warnings (check them) *Spice *Princess Bride (movie) Vibes

*Mafia Romance *danger *💀 *Dark Romance *leads in their 30's *possessive MMC

*Protective MMC *drama *morally Gray MMC *Slow Burn

Thoughts:

Isa (FMC) has an arranged marriage she knows it will benefit her family but she isn't really looking forward to it and it isn't a love match... in fact she's never been in love, she's never even really dated before or had any thoughts of men like that... until recently when she has started having dreams and inappropriate thoughts of her best friend's boyfriend (and deceased brother's best friend).

Thing is her best friend's boyfriend had a twin Elio, he was kidnapped as a teenager and thought to be long dead... only he is alive and isn't going to let the only woman he ever loved marry another man... especially that one so he does the one thing he shouldn't and steals her from her own wedding... bringing her to his yacht headed into the unknown (as far as Isa is concerned). 

Elio and Isa had a secret relationship as teenagers but due to a car accident (the one that took her brother's life) she doesn't remember it, Elio is determined to make her remember their time together and how they belong together.  

Elio is not in a safe position as there are dangerous people after him, but he is a dangerous person too so has a specific set of skills in fact he is known only as "Reaper" to some going in quietly getting the job done and leaving before anyone even knew he was there.  Due to a series of events that occurred after Elio was taken he wasn't able to contact his family and then decided it was better to lean into his new life as he felt betrayed.  

Elio is patient and protective and so sweet to Isa as she works towards remembering their love, but right away she is drawn to him in a way that she can't explain so even though she couldn't remember a part of her deep down did.  

There is a bit of a pirates feel as well since they are on the water traveling to different destinations.  I appreciated the nod to The Princess Bride which is one of my favorite movies from childhood.

We learn more about Elio and his past through flashbacks in chapters and it made his journey so much more heart breaking knowing what he went through, Isa suffered as well in different ways and it was so sweet to watch them find their way back to each other after so long.

The book was fairly lengthy and the middle section was a bit slower paced but it picked back up towards the end with action, reunions, drama, and a love worth waiting for.  

This is book 4 in this series (which I didn't realize or remember before I started it) but it can be read as a stand alone, I do plan to read the rest of the books in this series.  The Narrators James Cassidy and Melissa Barr did amazing bringing this story to life and I loved that it was in Duet.  Thank you to the author and Hambright PR for this ALC! 

P.S. Elio is on the unhinged side... he has someone tattoo her neck while she is asleep.

Have you read this one, what did you think?

Kayley Loring: Not Home Alone

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/257384550-not-home-alone

Book Blurb:

She just walked into her dream Christmas rental… and found her worst enemy already unpacked.

Eternal optimist Merrily Tucker is excited to spend Christmas in the most beautiful house in town; a twinkly, tinsel-lined rental that’s just hers for the holidays. But inside is one big problem… the man who once turned her down in front of the whole of Holly Grove, irritatingly handsome, certified Grinch Grant Moody. He says he’s the owner. And he’s planning to spend Christmas here too.

The town might think he’s a playboy, but Grant Moody is determined to spend his Christmas nights alone. Zero decorations, a ban on baked goods, and definitely no holiday spirit. A mix-up with the rental company isn’t going to get in his way. Even if the woman at his door is the irresistibly gorgeous one-who-got-away Merrily Tucker…

Merrily and Grant are both too stubborn to leave.

Battling for control over what music plays on the speakers and heaving Christmas trees in and out of the house, they find themselves all tangled in tinsel. But Merrily's "when I think about you, I touch my elf" t-shirt has Grant's candy cane tingling in a way that begs the question...

Secretly, do they actually want to be home alone together this Christmas…?

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Holiday Romance *Fake Dating *Forced Proximity *Enemies --> more 

*Spice *Small Town Romance *2nd Chance for Romance *Rom-Com *Grumpy x Sunshine

*hallmark vibes 

Thoughts:

Merrily (FMC) is returning home for the holidays after several years away she loves the holidays and things are off to a rocky start --> she couldn't stay in her childhood home with her dad because he remarried and his wifes huge family is staying there... but that's ok she's making it work she rented her dream house for 2 weeks the huge home she calls the "home alone" house (not the actual one but similar). 

Merrily has big plans and she is going to enjoy herself and celebrate the holidays in style... but she gets to the house and there is a big problem... in the form of playboy heartbreaker Grant Moody, they have a history he humiliated her 10 years ago in front of the town and she has spent all these years trying to put it behind her.

Grant has come home for the holidays from NYC wanting to escape his family who are very much all about money and big business at least he has a secret hideaway... no one knows but he bought the "home alone" house... he did tell them not to rent it out for the holidays though because he plans to enjoy his solitude as much as possible without all the holiday cheer... he spent the first few hours throwing out all the holiday cheer... so when he sees Merrily (christmas spirit in human form) he needs her to go too... in fact he'll refund her money and pay for other lodgings for her... only she's not budging.

Grant back in town is now being bombarded by his father to make a decision to take over the company... or it will be sold to an evil big money developer who will tear apart everything that he loves about the small town he grew up in.  The other problem is that there is a family friend who is feeling she should be going up the aisle soon she will be the bride and she wants Grant to be the groom... no thank you, in fact he has a girlfriend... Merrily.

In comes Grant's plan if Merrily agrees to fake date him he will talk his dad out of raising the rent of her father's store, it will also help that the townspeople love her and he could use some help looking less like a grinch win/win no problems at all... only of course lines begin to blur and soon enough it's not feeling so fake anymore, but what will happen when their holiday vacation bubble bursts?  Neither of them even live in this town anymore.

Grant also hasn't apologized for his behavior all those years ago... so there is that.

If you are looking for a fun holiday rom-com add this one to your list, it's funny, (it's got some hallmark vibes and is a bit corny at times) but I really enjoyed this one, if you are looking for something serious that does a deep character dive and has a big plot that's not this story it's a cozy holiday read.  The banter, the back and forth, the will they just kiss already!  Loved Merrily's family and the small town residents including the creepy neighbor that may have offed her husband... what! 

I got the ALC and the narrators Max Meyers and Victoria Connolly did a great job bringing this story to life. 

Have you read this one?  What did you think?

I enjoyed this one but here are some negatives from other reviews :

*Plot and characters were not well developed 

*over the top cheesy

*surface level relationship, mainly involving 2 hot people wanting to get together 

*They didn't spend much time together in the past before "the incident", haven't spoken to eachother during their time apart and were together for a short time in the present and things felt rushed so it was harder to believe what they saw in each other was more than Lust

*Too much time spent on the town play (based on the Nutcracker (minus the dancing))

Roxy Taylor: Claimed by the Orc King

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244947406-claimed-by-the-orc-king

Book Blurb:

A fated mates monster romance featuring an orc king, a portal to a brutal fantasy realm, and a heroine who refuses to kneel.

Thena came to FantastiCon to survive the weekend with minimal human interaction and maximum sarcasm. She didn’t plan on catching the attention of a seven-foot orc painted in war green—or the way her pulse stutters when he looks at her like she’s already his.

Viggo Klausson isn’t a cosplayer. He’s the High Chieftain of the Eastern Orcs, stranded in the human world while searching for the mate fate promised him. The moment he scents Thena, the bond snaps tight.

Then a portal drags her into Korule—a fractured kingdom where women are rare, power is carved in blood, and claiming a mate can start a war.

Thena refuses to become anyone’s prize. An ancient magic awakens inside her, and suddenly she’s not just the king’s fated mate.

She’s dangerous.

Viggo may be steady. He may be patient. But when enemies circle, he does not hesitate to bare his teeth.

He found his mate.

Now he has to earn her.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Orc MMC x Human FMC *Portal fantasy *Fated Mates *Danger 

*Magic *Spice *Age Gap *touch her and 💀 *Protective MMC *Possessive MMC *Romantasy

*Monster Romance *Forced Proximity *Powers awakening *mental health rep

Thoughts:

Thena (FMC) is used to people taking advantage of her, even though she's strong and fierce when she needs to be she feels like she's never quite fit in and maybe has become a "yes" woman in the process agreeing to help others when it puts her in a position she doesn't want to be in just because she doesn't want to let someone down.  

During one of these times she has agreed to take a job from an aquaintance to help out with photography at Fantasycon at least here she won't be the only one being looked at she is over 6 feet tall and used to people staring at her she's not used to feeling small (ever) until she runs into Viggo a cosplayer who has made a name for himself as a handsome Orc... his costume is really realistic and his special effects make up is seriously amazing... it seems so real.

Thena finally able to leave feels like she's being followed (and she is) Viggo has followed her and one touch from him changes the entire course of her world next thing you know he is saying weird things like that they are fated mates, 2 others emerge and it turns out his brothers are there too... Viggo as it turns out is not a cosplayer at all but a real orc... a King and he has come to earth to find his mate and now he has decided to take her to his homeworld which they go to via portal.

Now Thena is in a strange land, being told that she is in danger and will be unless she finalizes her mate bond with Viggo... yea not happening she just met this guy, and there are so few unbonded women in this society that if other men know she's there she could cause a world war for one of these men to claim her... just awesome! 

Her main goal now is getting back home but is that even possible?  Also the longer she's in this new world the more she realizes that maybe there isn't anything back home that really matters since she had a lack luster life there and she spent a lot of time alone. 

Thena continues to fight against her bond with Viggo even though she feels it too, she's entirely too stubborn for her own good and throughout the whole situation Viggo is patient and caring waiting for her to come to the conclusion that he already knows they were made for each other and will find each other in each life time.

Some Likes:

I like the fated mates aspect, Thena is strong willed and Viggo loves her just as she is flaws and all, She struggles with anxiety/panic attacks and Viggo helps her thru them.

The portal fantasy world with magical elements, Thena once in this new land it awakens a power inside of her she didn't know she had making her even more rare (and causing more danger for her and her travel companions).

I liked that the spice didn't over power the plot

I liked how patient Viggo was with Thena... she continued to fight him (about everything) and he continued to put her needs and wants first throughout their time together. 

Thena was hard for me to like throughout the book but does have some personal growth at the end at least and finally figures out that she has been putting up a fight against things she actually wants to happen and making things harder on herself... and everything else. 

Some Dislikes:

I feel this might have been a bit longer than it needed to be and long winded padded out with pop culture references, metaphors and comparisons... orcs arn't going to understand any of these... but oddly enough never ask about it.

I truly struggled with Thena she was supposed to be a "strong" "powerful" woman but the fact that she's in this new world she knows nothing about, she doesn't know how to stay safe, she doesn't know what the protocols are and she doesn't know the true dangers that are out there and she is so stubborn that she is constantly fighting against anyone who is trying to help her stay safe while she's there... she's told to stay somewhere she decides to leave and go for a walk leading to a battle and several injuries/deaths... that could have been avoided if you just stayed in the room that they told you to stay in girl!  She came across as naive, immature and selfish putting others at risk just because she wanted to do x, y or z.

To be honest some of the time with how much Thena pushed Viggo away... I was like maybe he would be better off with a different partner.  

Did you read this one?  What did you think about it?

Ruby Ellis: Nighthowl

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239998437-nighthowl

Book Blurb:

I escaped from Hell and landed on my soulmate’s doorstep.

After experiencing the unimaginable at the hands of monsters, I wake up in another world.

With the help of the woman who nursed me back to health, I avoided the witch hunters sweeping through the land and journeyed to the main village. Bolstered by the rumors of a human living there, I storm into the Alpha’s lodge just in time to find my sister, Rowan, bleeding out on the floor.

The desperate need to save her triggered something in me.

Magic.

Rare magic that The Moon blessed me with.

Incredible magic that can heal.

But that isn’t all that I discovered.

My soulmate is here too.

He is Alpha of the Nighthowl pack, and my sister’s new brother-in-law.

Forced to live under the same roof, Griffin sees my fractured parts, and offers to help me carry the load.

Can I trust him with all of my demons?

Together, can we mend what has been broken?

Tropes:

*Indie Author *Wolf Shifter MMC x Human FMC *from another world *Magic

*Strangers --> More *Fated mates *Spice *found family *Protective MMC *touch her and 💀

*trigger warnings  *healing journey *paranormal *age gap 😅 *insta lust/love

Thoughts:

After the ending to the first book I really wanted to know what happened next Ramsey made it to camp just in time and finds out that she has a fated mate (Griffin) and he's a wolf shifter... this is a lot to process especially after all she's been through.

Ramsey has been in this new world for the same amount of time as her sister and is adapting well, she is so strong and has had to rely on herself for everything from a young age taking care of her 2 younger sisters and putting herself through nursing school these skills can help in this new world too especially with her new found magical abilities.

Griffin (MMC) is so patient and respectful of Ramsey he knows that she has been through a traumatic series of events and he is willing to wait as long as he needs to and gives her the feeling of safety to the point where she feels open to sharing her experience with him when she's ready.

This was a fast paced shifter romance, it is very insta lust/love but it works for the story since we are talking about fated mates, the world building is simple and easy to follow and that also goes along well with the story line.  This is book 2 in this series and I would recommend that you read them in order to get the full story as book one meshes with book 2. 

This story blends humor, romance, action, drama and a beautiful healing journey.  Ramsey is so used to taking care of others it's nice to see someone put her first and Griffin is so attentive and sweet (I love him!).

While the romance itself is very sweet, check your trigger warnings before reading Ramsey's revealed history is of a sensitive nature but handled with care and I love how her healing journey never felt rushed as she began to feel safe in her surroundings and learn to trust her fated mate. 

I love the siblings together they all care for each other so much.

Ramsey is fierce and a baddie she's determined to not let the past get in the way of her future and even works towards learning to defend herself.

I'm just going to come out and say it, I love this series! so good and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Have you read this one?  what did you think?

Olivia Preya: The Pretend Playbook

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/251992547-the-pretend-playbook

Book Blurb:

The comeback role was supposed to change Elara Johnson’s life. The fake boyfriend was never part of the script.

Fresh off a broken engagement, the former child star arrives in Scotland with one final chance to reclaim her career. All she needs is enough publicity to make the world pay attention.

Brody “Big” Gammon needs a comeback of his own. After a suspension and a final warning from his team, the notoriously reckless rugby star must prove he can stay out of trouble. Dating a beautiful actress could be the perfect play.

They agree to pose for the cameras, sell the romance, and keep their feelings out of it.

But every staged touch leaves Elara wanting something real. Behind closed doors, Brody awakens desires she spent years suppressing, while she slips past defenses he never intended to lower.

Soon, the only performance left is pretending neither of them is falling.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Sports Romance (Rugby) *Actress FMC *Scottish MMC x Canadian FMC

*family drama *Playboy MMC *Fake Dating *Spice *Triggers  

Thoughts:

Elara's life is falling apart she recently found out her fiance was cheating on her with a co-star, she was a child actress but the work has dried up since she was black listed for something out of her control and she was told by her agency that if she doesn't accept this role being offered for a job in Scotland... they will be dropping her, so she ends her relationship with her toxic guy and heads to Scotland.

While in Scotland at least she is close to her grandmother and able to stay in her grandmother's home, there is always comfort when seeing her favorite person, and she even makes friends with a few locals.

Brody "Big" (MMC) is a handsome playboy... but recently his antics have been a bit too much over the top and he is in trouble if he can't turn around his image his team will give him the boot no matter how good he is on the field.  In comes the plan to clean his image up... he will get into a just for show relationship with a woman of their choosing to help put a shine on his image... and he needs to not receive any negative publicity for the next few months, oh and he needs to mentor/coach a young girls rugby team.

While Brody isn't fully for the idea... he's more skeptical when the woman that is going to be his girlfriend is Elara... the woman he met and made a bad first impression on recently when he thought she was a fan girl at a local pub... she was not she just wanted a menu he was sitting in front of, this will go over well.

Elara needs more good press for her upcoming movie and Brody is a big enough sports star to cause extra interest from the fans, this is truly a win/win relationship.

Elara since her relationship ended realizes that she has missed out on some of lifes joys including sexual exploration and having some fun... while being in a "relationship" with Brody could put a stopper on those plans... do they really have to?  people think they are in a relationship anyways she can do casual right?  no one gets hurt when this relationship comes to a natural agreed upon end in a few months.

As time goes on Brody shows up he is sweet, caring, protective and loyal to his "fake" girlfriend Elara... one might say this doesn't even seem fake anymore.

Elara's past comes back to haunt her in big ways since her toxic ex can't seem to get the hint that she has moved on with her life, and her mother who dropped her for a wealthy husband when she wasn't able to get acting jobs returns to shake things up... gah both of them made me so mad!

Ashley J. Hobbs and Thomas Bestwick were the narrators and I felt they did a good job with the book, it's just too bad it couldn't have been a duet.  

I enjoy a good fake dating --> more story and this delivered on that, Brody while I wasn't sure at first if I was going to like him because he did have a bit of an ego on him turned out to be such a sweetheart... especially when it came to his girlfriend.  Elara I was so ready for her to be able to shine again after she had been living under a dark cloud with her toxic ex.

I wasn't totally into Brody being such a player to the point where he got a vasectomy because he knew he would be getting with too many people and wanted to have less of a chance of pregnancy... like what you are in your 20's this was over the top ridiculous.

Would have liked more information on some of the plots but over all this was an enjoyable read/listen and would like to check out more of the series

Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

Lola Glass: Where the Werewolves Run

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60228772-where-the-werewolves-run

Book Blurb:

I'm supposed to be a monster.

I grew up believing my mom and I were the only werewolves alive.

But then I learned about a town where men and women aren't wolves, but lycans: hairy monsters that are forced to change with the moon. And I would be like them, if not for my dad.

He discovered a cure, used it on me and my mom… and then ran away with us.

Questionable decision, right?

So I stole the research and headed into the town, determined to get the cure into the hands of the lycans.

But the town hates outsiders almost as much as they hate my family.

The only person who will even have a conversation with me is the hot guy who runs the town's diner, and he only talks to me when no one else is around to hear.

If the lycans find out who I am, they'll kill me. But if they don't, I'll never be able to cure them.

Regardless of my fate, I'm not leaving this town until everyone in it has a chance to take the cure… even if that means embracing the connection I have with the diner guy.

Because I think we might be fated mates.

Tropes:

*book challenge group -> werewolves *Fantasy *shifter romance  *State challenge Alaska

*Fated Mates *Cozy romance *touch her and 💀 *Cliffhanger  *protective MMC

Thoughts:

Kass (FMC) is awkward and shy around guys, she is a wolf shifter and honestly has been lonely, her mother never wants to tell her about her past or talk about her father who passed away before she was born but when she finds her father's old journals detailing the small town in Alaska he went to help with a cure for their condition where they turn into werewolves.

Going alone without telling her mom (who would be against the idea) she shows up to the small town expecting to be accepted by others like her (wolf shifters) and present them with the journals, learn more about herself and go from there... but as soon as she gets to town she finds the townspeople unwilling to accept new comers, she didn't get the warm welcome she was hoping for... but she's stubborn and not willing to give up that easily.

Keaton (MMC) is handsome... he doesn't want Kass in town either but he seems to be nicer to her than anyone else has been including letting her take a shower at his place... and occasionally feeding her at his diner... Keaton is drawn to her in ways he doesn't understand yet.

Can Kass trust anyone in this town?  Her father's picture is on a dart board after all and no one is giving answers freely... but she does feel safe with Keaton. 

Once Kass confides in Keaton who happens to have gone to school for chemistry (naturally... as this will help with working on the formula her father had created)... but will anyone in town be open to being a test subject, it's unconfirmed if this formula worked or not.  Will the townspeople ever welcome Kass?

Ok so before you read a Lola Glass book you have to understand that these books all share similar characteristics (or at least the ones I've read have) --> nothing is that in depth the world building in these stories are usually basic but easy to follow, the character building is not that deep... I knew this going in so I wasn't expecting an epic shifter romance with great world building and amazing back stories.  

That being said these books are good for if you are looking for a light, cozy, and fluffy read and I enjoyed it for what it was, I do plan to continue the series to find out what happens next.  There were a few plot points that I didn't feel made too much sense with how things were going but I just went with it.

Kass is way too forgiving as far as I'm concerned she's trying to help the townspeople (who turn into Lycans and can't control their wolf form) as they actively destroy her items and attack her multiple times throughout the book... at some point I think I would have tossed the ingredients list at our man Keaton and left for a safer place to stay.

Once Keaton finally started to let Kass in he was really sweet and protective, Kass was still trying to figure out what they even were to each other so I'm sure this relationship will continue throughout the rest of the series.

Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

Genevieve K. Thomas: The Spellbound Cottage

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256132801-the-spellbound-cottage

Book Blurb:

Cottage Checklist:
✔️ Fix the leaking turret
✔️ Find a new home for the pixies
✔️DO NOT fall for the hot handyman

Freshly single and heartbroken, Beatrix Bilberry moves to a tumbledown cottage in the magical village of Little Sparrow.

But her new home comes with unexpected company: gnome infestations, troublesome pixies, a melodramatic ghost haunting the attic, and Barnaby, an adorably sleepy hearth dragon.

Her annoyingly handsome neighbour Angus takes delight in teasing her about the impossible renovation work. Tall, tattooed, and effortlessly charming, Angus has a way with people and animals that makes him far too easy to fall for… to everyone, it seems, except Beatrix, as his careless comments grate on her nerves.

Besides, Beatrix has no time for romance. Winter is approaching fast, and she’s racing to restore the cottage before the first snowfall. She’s promised her family a magical festive season – and she’s determined not to let them down.

Beatrix works around the clock, but with a complete lack of plastering skills and magical creatures constantly undoing her hard work, she soon realizes there’s only one way to fix Spellbound Cottage. She’ll have to swallow her irritation and accept Angus’s help…

But when the meddling cottage keeps locking them in rooms together, Beatrix realizes she’s facing something far more dangerous than rebuilding a home: opening her heart to love again.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Fantasy *Romance *Magic *Cozy Read *Low Stakes *Fixing up the cottage

*Found family *Magical beings/paranormal *Artist FMC *Farrier MMC *Mystery 

*enemies --> more *Small town romance *closed door

Thoughts:

Beatrix (FMC) is dealing with a lot right now her grandmother passed away recently, her relationship from college ended and her father is trying to talk her into taking a job she really isn't interested in working at a tourist shop, but she is determined to pave her own path... what keeps jumping out at her is a cottage for sale in the same place she grew up in, she does have some money now from her inheritance and it would be nice to have a place to call her own.

Once she gets to The Spellbound Cottage she is determined to make it her own she knows it's a fixer upper but she can do this... on her own if possible... only things keep getting in the way of her efforts including a ghost in the attic, pixies in the roof, and other characters like the aquatic creature living in the well.  The home came with a hearth dragon but she doesn't know anything about taking care of dragons... and all of these projects are becoming overwhelming quickly.

Another issue she has is she keeps running into Angus the handsome Farrier who works for friend/neighbor nearby, he is honestly helpful and kind (picking on her occasionally like a flirty flirt) but she is stubborn and determined to do everything on her own she isn't a fan of him and considers him a bit of a "Frienemy"... until she finally drops that idea and realizes she could use some help.

Then there is the mystery of what happened to the former owner of the cottage... he just disappeared one day and no one knows what happened... and his girlfriend disappeared the year before?  Was it foul play?  Or something else involved like Fae?  

This was a cute, low stakes, cozy read.  The romance elements of the story are more on the back burner and the focus was more on fixing up the cottage and dealing with the situations preventing the fix up from happening.  

This had a enemies --> more vibe but I didn't think it was necessary as it was a one sided feeling from Beatrix.  I enjoyed the found family (townspeople) vibes and loved the dragons element they were cute like having a cat.  

While I don't mind cozy vibes... it was almost too cozy like to the point where there isn't much happening, it was a bit repetitive with Beatrix revamping her to-do list every few chapters, and felt like I was just listening to a home improvement show with magical elements at times.  

The narrator did a great job with the characters and I liked the whimsical vibes of the story.  

have you read this one?  What did you think? 

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