Laramie Briscoe: Dakota

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246721367-dakota

book 2 in the Laurel Springs Fish & Wildlife Series #2 

While I've been looking for the love of my life, she's been standing in front of me...
Dakota

I've known Molly Harrison for most of my life. She's always been the annoying, yet hot, older sister of my best friend.

Until one night, the two of us act on an attraction we've ignored for years.

Not sure how far we want to take it, we decide to hide our friends with benefits arrangement from everyone.

But when things start to get serious, neither one of us is prepared for the situation that outs the secret we've been keeping.

Dakota is a small town, hot cop, friends with benefits, to friends to lovers romance. It's got plenty of gossip, laughs, and spice.

*ARC read 2026  *Small town romance  *Friends to more  *Best friends older Sister 

*Spice  *officer x nurse (FMC)  *secret/hidden relationship *State Challenge Alabama 

*Dyslexia representation  *Quick cozy read  *Girl next door *Green flag MMC  

Thoughts:

This was a sweet small town romance it was the second in the series but I didn't feel lost by not reading the first book.  The book starts after our couple Molly & Dakota have been in a secret situationship for several months which actually worked well since it was a shorter story, I feel that if the book is shorter and it's a strangers to more situation it generally feels more rushed with our couple it feels like they already have been building something for awhile since they have known each other since they were kids and that comfort between the two of them is there and feels real.

Dakota is a Fish & wildlife officer and works with her brother Levi, even though they haven't put a label on what they are doing they haven't been seeing anyone else but they still want to keep what they have to themselves before letting everyone else know... in a small town where everyone is in your business it's nice to have a few things just for you.

Molly never wanted to get involved with anyone in law enforcement because she is related to too many officers and knows how dangerous it can be.  She is a nurse at the hospital and loves her job but it can be stressful what starts out as a friends with benefits situation with her brother's best friend has been building to more without her even realizing it would it be so bad if they became something so much more?

I loved how sweet Dakota was with Molly even when Molly wasn't sure about her feelings towards him he was always there for her without her even needing to ask, book boyfriend material.

I enjoyed the family interactions but I did feel that the "secret" relationship lasted too long I mean they are all adults and it's going to come out just tell everyone already especially when they think it might cause some hard feelings for her brother and her father.  

This might just be a me thing and I know it's fiction but I've been a nurse for a long time and I had some questions about where she was working and how they let her leave whenever she wanted without saying anything... definately fiction.  

Overall this was a cute quick read, I thank the author for this arc copy and I have put the first book on my TBR list to check out at some point. 

Have you read this book?  Have you read anything by this author?  what did you think? 

Skye Daniels: Where you're meant to be

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/251608068-where-you-re-meant-to-be

After a brutal assault derails her freshman year, Luna returns to campus determined to finish what she started, but she’s no longer the person she used to be. Once vibrant and fearless, she now moves through life guarded and distant, flinching from touch and haunted by memories she can’t escape. Every step forward feels like a battle against fear, shame, and the quiet voice inside her that insists she’ll never be whole again.

The last person she expects to find solace in is Liam, the boy she once adored, now grown into a star quarterback carrying burdens of his own. Beneath his confidence lies a man struggling to define himself outside of his father’s towering legacy and to make amends for the selfish choices that fractured his relationship with Luna.

But neither of them has to face the aftermath alone.

Surrounded by their tight-knit, lifelong friends and family—Theo, Lily, Ella, Amy, and Noah—the two are surrounded by a fiercely loyal found family that refuses to let them fall apart. Together, they form a circle of late-night confessions, hard truths, laughter, and unwavering support. In this imperfect but unbreakable group, Luna begins to rediscover pieces of herself she thought were gone forever, while Liam is challenged to grow into the man he wants to be.

What begins as a tentative reconnection between Luna and Liam soon deepens into something more… something fragile, complicated, and achingly real. With him, Luna feels a flicker of safety. With her, Liam sees the possibility of redemption. But healing isn’t linear, and love isn’t always enough to outrun the past.

As Luna fights to reclaim her sense of self and Liam confronts the weight of expectation and regret, they must decide if they’re strong enough to face the truth about what happened, about who they are, and about what they could be together.

Because some wounds cut too deep to ignore…
and some connections are too powerful to let go.

*Indie Author  *ARC read 2026  *State Challenge (Texas-repeat) *Childhood crush 

*Found family  *Friends to more  *College romance  *Sports Romance (Football) 

*trigger warnings   *PTSD *Trauma & Healing  *Best Friend's younger Sister  *slow burn

Thoughts:

After reading the first two books in this series I have been waiting (impatiently) for the third book for this series, I loved revisiting this group of friends that sometimes argue but always have each others backs, if you have a friend group like this consider yourself lucky. 

After the second book in this series I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the MMC Liam he was a super big jerk in the last book (and even in parts of the first one as well)... but I quickly saw that he was going through a lot of his own issues mainly stemming from his dad and the pressures of being the school's starting star quarterback, throughout the book you get to know Liam better and I truly felt for this guy he was trying to get out from under his father's thumb but finding it more difficult with him constantly being there on the side lines... just give Liam a break already.

Liam had a lot of emotional growth and did well with proving that he was sorry and working to be a better person all around as a friend I even was grumbling about everyone giving him a hard time at one point because he truly was doing so much to prove that he was sorry and everyone constantly reminding him of the past wasn't helping we all make mistakes. 

Liam really stepped up in a big way the night that changed Luna's life forever she came home from a party where she was attacked he was there for her that night and every day after.  

Luna (FMC) struggles throughout with trying to get through day to day activities and get back to a new normal but everyone around her is treating her like she's delecate she doesn't want pity she wants peoples support she's not broken she's a fighter and she'll get through this too.  Liam doesn't treat her different and she feels like she can be herself around him and his touch helping her heal.

Luna and Liam are both guarded with their hearts Luna has loved Liam most of her life and last year he crushed her without even realizing it, Liam's long term on again off again relationship ended and worst of all he has to watch his ex-girlfriend be the happiest he's ever seen her all with his best friend... he's learning to accept this but it's going to take awhile.  

This story deals with a lot of difficult topics in a thoughtful way as Luna learns how to find herself again after a traumatic event, it's not an overnight fix but with a good support system and therapy you see her slowly coming back out of her shell.

I loved watching Liam finally realize that he might just return Luna's feelings and learn to stand up for himself against his awful dad.   

Luna and Liam's story is heartfelt and beautiful!  Coming to this book and this friend group really felt like re-visiting old friends.  While this could be read as a stand alone I really encourage you start from the beginning of this series.  

I thank the author for the opportunity to be an ARC reader, I loved it and I can't wait for others to find this book!