Myranda Rae: Mark of the Damned

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/231327250-mark-of-the-damned

Book Blurb:

Niamh is on the run. Leaving behind her family, her past, and everything she's ever known in search of something more.

When she charters a ride on a ship bound for Portugal, she expects rough waters, maybe even danger. What she doesn't expect is this crew… or the secrets they keep beneath the surface.

Adventure and love on the high seas are perilous enough, but with this ship, things turn unreasonably deadly.

Because some monsters don’t wait in the water, some walk the deck.

Tropes: 

* Indie Author  *Shifter Romance *Protective MMC *Found Family *origin Story *Ireland

*Spice  *under 200 pages *Close proximity *fierce FMC *Secrets revealed *fantasy

Thoughts:

Niamh is a young lady and her father has decided that she will marry a local nobleman to essentially help with her younger sister's future marital prospects... Problem is the guy is a lot older and he is just awful she can't do it and she won't do it.  

Her only option is to run away to the coast and hopefully sell the horse she stole from her father, once she gets there the horse doesn't fetch as much coin as she thought it would but she has no choice as her father is likely to be after her soon.

She gets taken in as a passenger by the first crew she can they are on their way to Portugal and at this point she is willing to go anywhere as long as it gets her far away from her current fate as unwilling bride.

Now she is alone on board with a rough and tumble crew... who all share a secret and it's one that could cost her... she just has to continue to keep her head down and make herself useful as a cook and cleaning and mending thier clothes... but there is a lot to learn when it comes to sea living and it isn't a luxury cruise.

The Captain and a few of the crew members are not a fan of her being on board, but she catches the eye of The Captain's son Silver (aka Cooper).  Cooper is nothing like his gruff father he is sweet, protective and handsome as sin... she is beginning to feel things for him that she probably shouldn't but can't help but feel anyways.

Cooper feels the same towards her but he wants to protect her from himself and the rest of the crew, in order to do this he has to do the hardest thing ever and push her away it's for her own good.  

Niamh our brave FMC ends up tagging along with this crew on their mission in Portugal and she knows what she wants in her life... but can she make her own future with so many elements out of her control?  

This was a fun adventure on the high seas with danger, secrets revealed, and a true love worthy of becoming legendary! 

Have you read this one?  What did you think?  

Kelsie Hoss: Married to Lies

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/250191557-married-to-lies

Book Blurb:

He needs a wife to save his business. She needs a husband to escape her past.

Someone I loved betrayed me. She committed fraud, nearly destroyed my company, and tried to pin the blame on me. Since then, trust has come hard. Connection has come harder. Which is why I’ve kept my distance from the gorgeous woman who cleans my office every day.

She’s everything I’m not: warm where I’m guarded, quick to laugh where I’m calculating, able to make strangers feel like family with a single smile. Being around her feels dangerously close to peace… and I don’t do peace. Not anymore.

But a major investor is forcing my hand. To protect the company from being handed to someone who would burn it to the ground, I need a wife, fast. And my cleaner’s the only woman I can imagine standing beside me.

There’s just one problem: as soon as we say “I do,” I realize she’s hiding something. I don’t know what it is—only that whatever she’s keeping from me could destroy us both.
***
Please note: This is book two in the Married Series, featuring Quentin and Rei! For the best reading experience, start with the first book, Married to Secrets!

Tropes:

*Darkstar ALC *Marriage of Convenience *workplace  Romance *Boss FMC *Hidden identities

*Spice *Slow Burn *Guarded MMC *Secrets *family drama  *Green Flag MMC

*State Challenge Texas (repeat) *Sweet MMC *Betrayal *Strangers to More 

*Fake relationship *He falls first *Billionaire MMC *Sunshine FMC *Curvy FMC 

*found family *multiple POV

Thoughts:

I grabbed this one from Darkstar it is the second book in the series and I do believe that if you read them in order you'll have a better understanding of what's going on in book 2 since it mentions things from the first book in this one.

Quentin (MMC) knows that in order to save the business that he helps run with his friends he needs a wife... and fast as part of a stipulation in Simon, the chief investor's will, if he doesn't fufil this requirement prior to his passing the voting shares will go to Simon's greedy kids... who don't have the best interest of the business at heart.

Simon faces challenges of his own once this is out in the open the main one being that his children are now actively out to off him to prevent the other share holders from getting married before their father passes away... seriously these kids are awful.

But Who is Quentin going to marry everyone decided he would be the next to find a bride after one of the other friends/owners found his bride in book one.  There is only one person Quentin can think of for the position he has been watching her from a far for awhile, she's not only beautiful but she is hard working seeing as she cleans the office building.  

Rei (FMC) is strong, sassy and curvy... she is also hiding the fact that she's actually a boss, she doesn't really just work for the company that cleans the building... she owns it but due to a a tragic past history she has someone she thought she could trust acting as the owner and setting up contracts... but she cares about her employees and doesn't want to let anyone down again.

Quentin is shy and guarded ever since his last relationship went south... and quickly but he knows he needs to get back in the game somehow and begins leaving sweet post it messages to Rei on the wall where any employee can leave a message.  It's really cute seeing them work up the courage to actually meet in person.

Rei at first focused mainly on keeping her company from going under receives worse news when the man she assigned to pretend to be in charge... starts making demands of his own or else he will spill her secret past that she has worked so hard to leave in the past.

While Rei wants to tell Quentin and her best friend what's happening she also has difficulties opening up to people since even her own adoptive family didn't have her back when she needed them the most.  

Rei hearing that Quentin needs a marriage of convenience feels this would be the perfect chance to make some terms of her own... but the more she gets to know him the more she feels she needs to tell Quentin the truth... but will he still want to be with her when she lays all her cards on the table? Quentin also has a past history that may be returning to the surface as well.  

The narrators did a great job bringing this story to life the author really put Jakobi Diem & Cindy Kay to work with all the different accents. 

Thank you to Kelsie Hoss and Dark Star Romance for this ALC! 

I plan to go back and read the first book at some point to see what fully happened there, but I didn't feel lost jumping in at book 2.  

There were a few shady characters throughout that kept me on my toes! 

There was a build up throughout the book while I was waiting for Quentin to find out Rei's secret before she could tell him herself... or I was just shouting Girl just tell him already!! 

The story dragged a bit for me in places but picked back up and kept me wanting to know more even in the slower parts.  I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and it did end in a bit of a cliffhanger.  

Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

Karla Sorensen: This Wild Heart

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208662594-this-wild-heart

Book Blurb:

Who forgets marrying a football player? Me, apparently. Turns out countless shots and a bad breakup lead to questionable decision making. But waking up in Vegas with a ring on my finger beside a hot, naked man is hard to ignore. I married Parker Wilder. Thanks to our quickie nuptials, I’ll get my inheritance, and he’ll get his family and their well-intentioned meddling off his back.

Forgetting the wedding was the easy part. Being married to him is a whole different story. Parker is too … everything. Chiseled by the gods good-looking. A heartbreaking kind of broody. The kind of man you know will wreck you for all others. Good thing this is all pretend. And oh, how we pretend. We pretend ourselves right into me ripping the clothes off his body.

It’s all fun and fake marriage until the day he gets a knock on the door with the surprise of a lifetime. Until the bomb goes off and we’re left to pick up the pieces. Until the pretending stops and we’re left with only one question: was any of it real?

Tropes:

*Sports Romance (Football) *Marriage of Convenience *Strangers --> More 

*Close family (both sides) *Spice *State Challenge Oregon (Repeat)

 *a surprise twist (that some people won't like just a heads up)  *long term grief

*Fake relationship *wedding in Vegas *Broody MMC *forced proximity

Thoughts:

This is the 5th book in the Wilder series it is a spin off of the original few series by this author but could potentially be read as a stand alone, you might enjoy it more though with the back ground on all of the other characters that make appearances throughout this book and throughout the series.

Parker (MMC) has been dealing with grief from the loss of his father instead of talking with his family about his feelings he had been a bit of a play boy and going through the ladies but those days are behind him he knows that's not the way to go about things and he's determined to do things differently now.  While at his sister's wedding (she is marrying his best friend) he meets the beautiful Anya who happens to be engaged at that time but he was trying to get out of being set up with a random woman by well meaning family members.

Even though that night they just share conversation, he's never forgotten about her so when he is in Vegas with some friends and sees her at the bar without a wedding ring he thinks maybe this is his chance... and it apparently was since the next day Parker and Anya wake up in the same bed after getting married the night before... the press is going to be all over this.

Anya and Parker begin their life together and are pretty much immediately put in the spotlight with Parker being a famous football star.  Naturally like the previous books their large, loving and meddling family make appearances throughout the book and it was like visiting with old friends.

It also doesn't help that Anya's ex-fiance is also a football star and was caught cheating on her with multiple different women... he is now running his mouth about his thoughts on her "new" marriage... mind your own business! 

Shortly after moving in together and trying to navigate their new partnership life throws them a curveball which Anya takes on way better than Parker. 

This was a sweet romance where two slightly broken souls finally figure out what everyone else has seen for awhile... just took them longer to get there, since neither one wants to fully put their hearts out there to potentially get crushed again.

Did feel that a lot happened in this one and the pacing was off in places not giving enough time to build up for more major events.  

While I did enjoy the time seeing the cameo's from characters from the other books I felt like maybe too much of the story featured these characters giving less time for our couples relationship to grow.

Have you read this one?  What did you think?

Amy Daws: Nine Month Contract

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219655872-nine-month-contract

Book Blurb:

Help Wanted: Grumpy mountain man seeks baby momma. Job is an incubator position only. Surrogate must be impervious to grunting as the form of communication and nosy brotherly neighbors. Rustic mountain range housing available upon request.

I wanted to pummel my irritating brothers when they posted their own version of a wanted ad to help me with my life.

But I can’t fault the results once the right woman lands in my lap.

Becoming a single father is not a decision I made lightly. In fact, it’s the biggest decision of my entire life.

Which is why when I interview Trista, I know she’s perfect.

She’s wild, she’s opinionated, she wears cowboy boots. Even my pet goat loves her…

She’s the exact type of person I was holding out for.

And to my great horror, I realize on our first night of attempting this baby-making dance—when the lights are low, the cheap wine is flowing and the home-insemination supplies are laid out on the kitchen counter—I want to do a lot more than just make her my surrogate.

I want to make her mine.

Tropes:

*Strangers to More *Mountain Man *7 brides for 7 brothers vibes *Spice *surrogate 

*Rom-Com *State Challenge Colorado *Grumpy x Sunshine *Small Town Romance 

*Age Gap *Curvy FMC *Forced Proximity *Mountain Man MMC *Contracts *Banter

*cute animals *Acts of service *Wealthy MMC

Thoughts:

Wyatt (MMC) our hot grumpy mountain man has been living a solitary (ish)... well as solitary as it can be for living on a mountain in Colorado with a few of his brothers... but he has everything he needs he just feels like his life could use something more he would rather not have a relationship but he would like a baby, with his single status how can he get a baby you ask?  A surrogate.

Only he has gone to an agency and rejected all of the women that they arranged for him as possibilities not having any further options they decide to release him as a client. 

Wyatt's sweet and well meaning neice decides to help him with this process by putting up an ad, at first Wyatt isn't on board with going about things that way until his neice brings him the perfect canidate Trista she is beautiful, outspoken, fierce and best of all she doesn't want any commitment or long term relationship she's perfectly ok with the arrangement of just being there for a short time and then leaving at the end.  

Trista has a boat load of baggage including financial difficulties and a lengthy history of family drama and abandonment issues.  She is used to being self sufficient and it takes her awhile to get used to Wyatt and his gestures he is constantly bringing her food/drinks making sure she is eating, buying her things to make her more comfortable... but she is going to be carrying his child so she can see how he would want the baby to have all the best items for proper growth.

Wyatt... such a grump but so sweet when it comes to her, yes please! 

The story covers a lengthy period of time pre and post pregnancy where Trista moves to the Mountain and stays in the apartment above the barn living in closer proximity to Wyatt and his brothers.  An on going theme is Trista works closely with rescuing animals and wants to have her own sanctuary and often brings home animals without talking to Wyatt first... he does have a large barn after all.  

Naturally the longer Trista is around this hot grumpy man the less able she is to resist him... and she had been doing so well but once it's on... it's on!  And it's about time the tension was thick.

This book is full of humor, spice, and emotional moments that make you fall for Trista, Wyatt and his sweet but at times too involved family... But will they be able to realize that this has been more than a contract for awhile? 

I listened to the audio book and Erin Mallon and Teddy Hamilton were awesome!  

Looking forward to reading more of this series!

Some negatives for this book: 

*The FMC refers to herself as a "cow" throughout the book --> this was just not for me

*Trista is meant to be quirky... but I felt that it was like over the top quirky at times.

*I know Trista bringing more animals to the place was supposed to be fun, but I was kind of irritated with her for that, she didn't ask and she at that time was a temporary guest... he even specifically asked her not to bring home chickens at one point and next thing you know she has several chickens.

*The time line skips around unevenly you'll have several chapters close together in time line then it will skip multiple weeks

*I personally wasn't a big fan of how they went about getting the FMC pregnant it could be a me thing though

Jada McCrary: Of Fae and Wicked Kings

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/225807449-of-fae-and-wicked-kings

Book Blurb:

A human, a fae warrior, and the wicked Unseelie king walk into a bar. Just kidding. There is no bar. But there is a quest to find a missing queen. And tension. Lots of tension.

When she and her love, Rowan, went to the Unseelie Court, Gwyndolin only intended to ask the Unseelie king to stop his fae from attacking the humans and Seelie fae. She did not intend for him to insert himself into their quest to find the high queen. But who can say no to the wicked High King Aspen? He takes what he wants, and he doesn’t care who he hurts in the process.
His magic may be useful, but his arrogant, flirtatious attitude may cause a rift between her and Rowan. She hates Aspen, and he seems to only want to antagonize her. So, why does it seem like there’s something else he’s hiding? And will it threaten everything when she finds out?
This novella, set in the realm of the Fae-blessed series but sometime before that series, is full of love, betrayal, and villains. Who doesn’t love villains? Of Fae and Wicked Kings is a dark fantasy romance

Tropes:

*Romantasy *Enemies --> More *Villain gets the girl *He falls first *touch her and 💀

*morally gray MMC *Dual POV *Plot twists *Betrayal *Novella

Thoughts:

I picked this one up after I got an ALC from Netgalley for Of thrones and savage things it was recommended this be read first prior to reading the next in the series.

Gwyndolin (Human FMC) teams up with Rowan (Fae and the one she has been falling in love with while they have been together).  They are on a quest to find and save the queen but make a stop to see the King of another court... he is known to be untrustworthy and more on the evil side but they make their request for him to stop the attacks on their own people and then the plan is to be on their way but the shady king decides to join them on their journey.  

On their trip the king begins flirting with Gwyndolin and she's not sure how to take this as she is in love with Rowan.  On their journey some surprises happen and Gwyndolin is left thinking about what her future will be now that everything has changed including her view points.

So this has the beginnings of setting up several different plots but unfortunately for me nothing was fully formed or fully explained.  Everything that was there happened so quickly that it didn't give me enough time to care about what was happening, there wasn't really back story on anything, the world building is slim and we don't have enough of any part of the story to fully grasp anything.  

The king is head over heels with the FMC after only a few days (?) and willing to burn everything down for her... I didn't think it was that serious myself.  

It did set up a cliffhanger of sorts so will see how things pan out in a the next story which is full length.  

I listened to this and thought the narrators did a good job, it's really what kept me with the story. 

did you read this one?  what did you think?

Marlissa Cunningham: Catalyst

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/235671217-catalyst

Book Blurb:

"Elissa, you are the worst princess I have ever met, and by far, my favorite."

In a land divided by centuries of war and distrust, an elven princess and a human prince are the last hope for peace — or the spark that ignites another war.

Princess Elissa of Treiaul has never fit the mold of royal perfection. She prefers the forest to the throne room, her bow to the delicate trappings of court life. But when Prince Hayward of Aasleagh arrives to negotiate a fragile peace treaty, she’s ordered to play the gracious host to the human she’s been raised to despise.

Hayward is no stranger to being underestimated — the youngest of his brothers and a seasoned soldier, he’s spent his life carving out a place for himself. He enters elven territory with low expectations and party of men mostly chosen by his father who he doesn’t trust, prepared to endure the cold shoulder of a princess who sees him as the enemy.

But what neither of them anticipates is the undeniable pull between them. Their sharp words turn into lingering glances, and every clash of wills ignites something far more dangerous than hatred. As their chemistry simmers, Hayward becomes the unexpected catalyst for Elissa to embrace her wild heart and for her people to see the looming human threat for what it truly is.

With tensions rising and kingdoms on the brink of war, their forbidden connection might either shatter the fragile hope of peace — or forge a love powerful enough to change the fate of their realms forever.

This romantasy debut is a tale of passion, prejudice, and the power of choosing love in a world that demands war.

Tropes:

*Indie Author  *Romantasy *Insta Lust  *Insta Love *Spice *Curvy FMC *Feisty FMC

*Royalty *Politics *betrayal *forced proximity *Fantasy *Fae FMC x Human MMC 

*first in series --> read in order *magic *Banter *animal side kick (FMC)

Thoughts:

Prince Hayward (human MMC) arrives to the Fae lands on a diplomatic mission to meet with the Fae King and discuss peace talks, he is escorted by men from his own kingdom but his father picked out most of his group and he doesn't trust them.  Upon entering Fae lands he is greeted by the beautiful Princess Elissa (Fae FMC) and escorted back to her home to meet with her father the king.

Another reason for coming to the Fae kingdom is to see if a marriage between himself and the eldest daughter could be potentially a good match for their kingdoms, as the youngest son (not the heir or the spare) he has mostly been looked down upon in his own home and isn't fully against the idea... he's just not quite sure he needs to settle down right yet.

Hayward is I guess supposed to be charming... but to me he felt more on the arrogant side as gods gift to everyone (especially the ladies).  He did grow on me by the end of the book but I wasn't fully sold on him.  Also wasn't a fan of the way he is described looking at the princess and her assets... and it's all the time... come on man get it together I thought you were there to discuss politics with the king too! 

This was easy to read and listen to.  This does have more modern dialogue so kind of took me out of the fantasy world for me at times.

Because we didn't have much back story on anything in the human or fae kingdom I didn't feel fully invested in what turned out to be more something happening in the back ground of this story.

While there is some chemistry between Hayward and Elissa I don't feel that anything they did during their week together would lead them to know much more than surface layer stuff... I mean they have room to grow as a couple for sure and will check out book 2 to see what happens next.

For me personally this book had so much spice it began to over power any plot happening.

There are a few secrets revealed during the book that I would like to find out more about... like Hayward and his super fast healing abilities. 

I'm going to try to find this book the right kind of audience

If you are looking for epic world building with a lengthy back story on characters that isn't present in this book.  

The book briefly covers that there is potential for war between the humans and Fae but doesn't really explain why... they mention that the Fae lands have more resources (like water and gems) so maybe this is part of it?  but it isn't really discussed at length at any point in the story.

While Hayward is there basically as a political diplomat this is more in the back ground of this story it pops up occasionally to remind us that he was sent there for that reason too. 

If you are looking for a slow burn romance --> this is very insta lust and love, I'm not even sure if they knew each other a full day before they are learning the curves of each others bodies if you know you know.

This did have some witty banter throughout so you witty banter lovers will appreciate that

The Princess is strong and is probably one of the Fae's best fighters she knows how to use a bow & arrow and helps the prince with a few really dangerous situations, I do love a baddie!

This was a more low stakes, cozy romantasy with lots of spicy fireworks 

If you get the Audiobook like I did the narrators did a great job bringing the book to life it was Duet narration with RL Hemm and Luke Persiani. 

have you read this one?  What did you think?

Cindy Steel: The One With The Kiss Cam

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198638176-the-one-with-the-kiss-cam

Book Blurb:

It was just one date.

My friend told me I needed more fun in my life, so I reluctantly said yes. Fun wasn’t exactly in my wheelhouse. After watching my own mother’s love life implode time and time again it’s only natural that I have a few rules to protect myself.

Actually, it’s just one rule…
Avoid relationships with men so I don’t get attached.

I wasn’t worried. Getting attached has never been a big problem for me. This guy was just a warm body in a chair. I was here for the basketball game. I was absolutely NOT here for my date.

Or the kiss cam.
Or the kiss.
Or the impromptu evening with the one man who seems bent on throwing my tidy world off of its axis.

But when my life takes a nose dive, he’s also the man who seems bent on proving to me that good men do exist, dreams can come true, and sometimes throwing out the rule book is when the magic really starts to happen.

Tropes:

*Rom-Com *Closed Door *Strangers --> more *Friends --> more *Kiss Cam 

*a night to remember *2nd chance for romance *Golden Retriever MMC *He falls first

*family drama *State Challenge Utah *Hallmark vibes 

Thoughts:

Nora against her better judgement decides to take her friends advice and go out on a date... she says yes to going to a basketball game which is fine... but the date turns into a total disaster pretty quickly the guy is a self centered toolbag.

Thankfully there is a handsome guy sitting on the other side they spend their evening flirting and when her "date" goes to get another snack and the kiss cam centers on her and her handsome stranger... then keeps coming back to them they decide "why not" and go in for a kiss... shortly after after her date makes a move that makes her uncomfortable and her Knight in the next seat says he will take her home.

They go on to have a night to remember but after go their separate ways while they share social media with each other Nora figures it would be better to forget that night where she felt all of her dreams could come true, he has a girlfriend now and her life is the opposite of dream like with her mounting debt and her child like mother constantly coming to her to bail her out of her financial problems.... doesn't her mom realize she isn't in a financially sound place either?  

Nora is selfless, a hard worker and a people pleaser she started working at a young age to help her mom and support her younger sisters so they wouldn't have their dreams crushed too.  She had to drop out of school but she still has dreams of returning something is bound to turn around for her soon... surprisingly it comes in the form of getting a job at her aunts cleaning company.

When she arrives at work she ends up in the elevator with her handsome stranger Duke and his friends that she met at the basketball game a few years earlier at this point... maybe he won't remember her.

Naturally he does he never forgot her either and he and his friends run a company... that she happens to be cleaning for... great just when she thought things couldn't get any lower now she's going to have to clean way later so she doesn't run into him after hours... but of course she does.

Duke (MMC) happens to mention that his company is doing an internship program for a period of time that pays they are selecting three interns to work for them and prepare a project... if they win at the end they will be hired and it comes with a college scholarship... Even though she knows it would probably be a bad idea it's something she can't refuse she needs this.

Even though Duke is now her essentially her boss, he's drawn to Nora and can't help but seek her out to spend time with her, they grow closer together and when Nora finds out that he's suddenly single could she throw caution to the wind and go for what she truly wants for once?  

To add additional drama one of the other interns selected is a mean girl and upset that Duke has noticed Nora and not herself she begins to taunt Nora it would be a shame if HR Found out about any inappropriate relationships.

This book was so cute, a little corny throughout but over all a light fun and cozy read, I enjoyed this one and happy I found it for my 50 states challenge for Utah.  

Some negatives for this book:

-Nora talked about setting better boundaries with her mom but if she called would give in and pay for her past due bills

-The MMC is so sweet but later in the book makes a comment about his 3 year relationship being "the rebound" it just seems out of character

-the FMC talks about doing a lot for her mom & sisters... but the mom is the only one she interacts with in the book, what are the sisters doing?  Do they know what she gave up for them?

-MMC what he does in the epilogue... just no 👎

-FMC is so stubborn it becomes pretty repetitive --> she's stressed out about her student loan, lack of money and having a wayward mom who makes poor choices with men who use her and leave --> she doesn't want to accept help... from anyone.

Skye Daniels: Beneath Our Stars

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256289641-beneath-our-stars

Book Blurb:

Some people are written into your life long before you meet them.

Annabelle Prescott has spent years carrying a grief no one seems willing to talk about.

Behind the privilege, perfect grades, and carefully planned future is a girl searching for something she can't quite name. She never expected to find it when three scholarship students walked into her elite private school.

Jax is steady, patient, and impossible not to love.

Caleb is guarded, complicated, and hiding more than he'll ever admit.

Kassie becomes the best friend she never knew she needed.

Together, they build a friendship that feels more like home than any place they've ever known.

Spanning a decade, Beneath Our Stars follows four lives forever changed by friendship, first love, devastating loss, and the promises that continue to shape them long after graduation. As they chase dreams, face unimaginable heartbreak, and discover that healing is never a straight path, they'll learn that some people become part of your soul—and loving them changes you forever.

Heartfelt, unforgettable, and deeply emotional, Beneath Our Stars is a coming-of-age romance about grief, healing, found family, enduring love, and the hope that even in life's darkest moments, the stars can still guide you home.

Tropes:

*Indie Author *Friends to More *Small town romance *covers a large period of time

*Emotional *Found family *Spice *Family drama *grief  *Second chances *Slow burn 

Thoughts:

From the beginning you know this book is going to put you through a roller coaster of emotions... I wish I had grabbed tissues to be honest because this book had be full blown ugly crying during several chapters... because of this I decided to read this alone in my room later at night.

I loved how we start with this group of friends from the beginning when they meet in high school our FMC Bells is from a wealthy family she has a twin sister but her sister has always been more of a social butterfly and spends her time with the popular kids while she doesn't mind hanging out with her sisters friends from time to time she's thrilled to have some new faces at the school when Jax, Caleb and Kassie arrived to the school all receiving a scholarship to the school it's harder for them to fit in since they are foster kids just trying to live day to day and do what they can to improve their lives.  Bells befriends the new kids right away no questions asked.

The group of four become pretty inseperable even though the other kids are initially not fully trusting of her intentions towards them Bells wins them over easily with her kind and non-judgemental nature.  

Even though Bells and her new friends backgrounds were different all of these kids have had to grow up fast dealing with their own life events that changed how they viewed everything around them in this way it's clear to see that their friendship was inevitable even with guards and walls up around their hearts.

This story continues to cover many years of this friend group through their life changes, the sweet feelings of first love, making big moves,  how even if you are close friends life happens and sometimes you grow apart but this makes things even better when you find each other again.  Most importantly throughout this is that this group of friends are there for each other when they are most needed.

Part two showed so much bravery and love in the face of the unknown, because the author did such a great job making us fall in love with our group of kids in the first part this second part felt that much more emotional... seriously I was sobbing through most of it and I don't usually like reading tear jerkers but I knew I would be missing out on something special if I didn't read this book.

Part three: was like a rainbow after the storm, while your heart is breaking in the second part this next part focuses on grief, emotional healing, and feelings of how to move on when you feel like your whole world has stopped.  

Where there is a great loss you know there was great love, I appreciated that this story showed the reality of grief it doesn't go away automatically and everyone grieves on their own time line it's nothing anyone can rush.  

Loving someone new doesn't make your past love mean less it just means that your heart is so big that you have the capacity to love many people in different ways.  

I don't want to give too much more away but this was a beautifully written book and I thank the author for the opportunity to read this early copy 💓.

Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

C.M. Stunich: Devil's Day Party

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51813790-devils-day-party

Book Blurb:

I crashed my shitty yellow VW Beetle into Calix’s Aston Martin.
To be fair, he deserved it.
But Calix and his friends, Barron and Raz, they don’t see it that way.

Not that it matters.
They’ve bullied me for years, and I’ve never known why.
At least today, they have something real to be pissed about.
All of which would be fine, if today was a normal day.
But it’s not. It’s far from normal.
My mantra has always been: this too, shall pass.

But not today.
Not the worst day of my life.
Hot bullies, busted cars, and pain.

Somebody kill me now.

Tropes:

*High school Bully Romance *enemies --> more *Why Choose *Spice 

*Kissing between F/F & M/M  *death *Dark Romance *Fantasy *Ground Hog Day vibes

*Time loop story *State Challenge Arkansas

Thoughts:

This is my first book by this author, I love the movie Groundhog Day and needed a book for my 50 states challenge set in Arkansas so figured I would give this one a go and I'm glad I did.

Karma (FMC) is stuck in a time loop situation for an unknown period of time to start with it's Devil's day which is taken very seriously in their town with a huge party thrown every year.  Our FMC goes to a wealthy private school but is not from a wealthy family and has been bullied by many of the other students including our MMC's Calix, Raz and Barron.

Karma's initial day begins with her waking up in her car after she has very clearly been involved in a car accident with one of her bullies Calix... he naturally is upset and he and his friends threaten Karma telling her not to bother showing up to the party tonight... they take her car and trash it as a prank and basically rub this in her face later at the party... basically her whole day just keeps getting worse she gets in an argument with her family, steals her mom's car and crashes... expecting her life to be over she's surprised when she wakes up in her car at the time of the accident from the day before only everyone else is acting like these events haven't happened before... what is going on?

It takes Karma a little time on repeat to get things together, depending on how she interacts with her friends, her bullies and her family depends on how her day will go sometimes she ends up locked in a room, finding out her friends secret, but no matter what happens usually there is an embarassing illicit video that gets leaked of her and Calix from the year before when they got together... even though there are supposed to be no phones at the party.  The other thing that happens is she can't seem to make it so that someone doesn't die at the end of her day before the reset occurs.

The MMC's are bullies so things are dark and they often treat Karma and others poorly, they are wealthy and run the school because they can.

While in this loops Karma figures the best way to know her enemy is to get closer to them... she begins to get closer to each guy in turn and over time finds out that maybe their strong emotions towards her isn't hate at all... but love another strong emotion. 

There are a few mysteries in this story surrounding Karma, who is releasing the illicit video?  she quickly figures out it isn't one of her three guys... but who else could it be and why would they do it?  She is at the bottom of the barrel already in the scheme of things as far as high school heirarchy goes.  The other mystery is how can she create a perfect day that doesn't end with anyones death?  It seems every time something is going right... something still goes very wrong. 

This book is of course repetitive throughout being as she is reliving the same day and just trying to recreate things that worked in prior days vs. trying new things to see what happens to change the day and try to figure out what she could potentially do differently to get out of this loop.  

Karma struggles as she gets to know the guys individually because now that she's been involved with each guy how could she possibly pick one over the other?  Would there ever be a day she could have all three?  She struggled as each day was starting from scratch with all of the guys.

I did struggle with some of Karma's decisions during some of her days... but I get that she's a teenager too so was acting her age by making some of these choices.  Being a high school bully romance there were times that I didn't like the lead characters much or their behaviors... but they did seem to have some growth towards the end. 

Check your trigger warnings if you read this one it a dark romance and there are a lot of darker elements in the story.

Have you read this one what did you think? 

Shayne McClendon: Breaking the Ice

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19039939-breaking-the-ice

Book Blurb:

This book is no longer available as a stand-alone.

Diesel LeBlanc notices MacKenzie Rhodes ice-skating on a pond in their hometown and decides he has to have her. He makes no secret of his desire – or the casual nature of it. He finally gets what he wants…on her terms…and heads off to live the fabulous life of a professional hockey player.

Years later, a chance meeting brings them together again and Diesel realizes she’s the one woman he was never able to forget. He’s ready to prove that he can be a man worthy of her heart.

Is she ready to trust him with the life she’s built?

Tropes:

*Novella *Hockey Romance *2nd chance for romance *Spice *hidden secrets

*State Challenge North Dakota  

Thoughts:

I grabbed this one for my kindle as I've been doing the 50 states reading challenge and needed a book set in North Dakota.

To start with we have Mackenzie (FMC) who has had a tough time in life growing up with two neglectful parents and helping to raise her younger brother's and sisters she's put all of her own dreams on hold to make sure she's there for them.  

Back in town while on break from College handsome Diesel (MMC) notices Kenzie ice skating at first not realizing it's the girl he went to school with for years... she is gorgeous and has grown into her curves.  Being the ladies man he is he pursues Kenzie and goes to the local bar she works at night after night trying to wear her down.

Kenzie at first continues to push Diesel away but one night frustrated and feeling alone she ends up stranded on the side of the road and they have a night to remember and go their seperate ways... MacKenzie ends up with a big memory from that night while Diesel goes on to get drafted after college into the NHL.

Kenzie now living in Boston with her younger brother and working a zillion hours a week on top of going to night school and dealing with other things doesn't have time for romance... but it's been several years and now Diesel has been traded to the team in Boston he finds her at the bar she works at and it's just like he never left her he's always thought about her while they were apart and now is a second chance.  

Will stubborn Kenzie allow herself to fall for Diesel completely?  he could have any woman he wanted what would he want with her?  Will Diesel be able to convince her that they are meant to be? 

This was a quick read at a bit over 100 pages, I feel like I might have missed part of their relationship development at times due to unknown time jumps at the beginning like she didn't want anything to do with him then he's telling him to take her home with him?? 

Due to the shorter length it also feels like some of the dialog was weird like it feels like too much personal information is just dumped in sections where it didn't make sense because our FMC is more guarded but next thing you know she's sharing her childhood trauma with him.  This also goes for the secret being revealed it seemed that everything was just fine right away.

The plot that was there was ok and I don't mind spice, but I felt the spice almost over powered the plot.  

This was a short hockey romance there really wasn't any hockey involved in this so if you enjoy sports romance with sports this won't be for you --> basically it's just used to say what a great job Diesel has as an NHL star later in the book.

Have you read this one?  What did you think?