Honey Phillips: Perfect Pucking Orc

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/247557793-perfect-pucking-orc

Book Blurb:

He controls everything—except her.

As captain of the Emerald Enforcers, Tarmek Stonefist is disciplined, controlled, and ruthlessly organized—on the ice and off it. Chaos has no place in his world.

Then free-spirited artist Edie Anderson crashes into his carefully ordered life and turns it upside down. She’s impulsive, emotional, and completely uninterested in schedules.

She challenges him. Tempts him. And the more he tries to regain control, the faster he feels it slipping away.

Perfect order. Perfect chaos.
Perfectly pucking dangerous.

The Orc Hockey League is a cozy-spicy monster romance series where fierce orc athletes rule the ice, rivalries run hot, and love hits harder than a body check. Each book can be read as a standalone and ends with a happily ever after.

Tropes:

*Orc MMC x Human FMC *Sports Romance (hockey) *opposites attract *tidy MMC

*Messy FMC *spice *Pierced 👇 MMC *cozy monster romance *state challenge NY (repeat)

*Grumpy MMC but soft for her *he falls first *forced proximity *snow storm *grumpy/sunshine

Thoughts:

Book 1 Emerald Enforcers

Tarmek Stonefist (MMC) likes everything to be in the right place, he has many routines and he follows them perfectly, even his laces to his skates need to be aligned properly, he is single he lives alone and he has his career as the captain of the local hockey team what more could he want?

Edie (FMC) is everything Tarmek worries about... she is chaos in the form of a human female she is messy, disorganized and has the audacity to come into his space and touch his things... how dare she!  He is also going to have to deal with her for an unknown length of time since she's been hired to paint murals in the arena.

Edie goes with the flow she is an artist and free spirit she lives in a camper and travels when she wants never staying in one place too long, she doesn't want to grow attached to anyone/anything and wear out her welcome... so when she starts to feel closer to the people in this town it scares her... growing attached to people who could potentially leave her is something she can't deal with.

Tarmek is worried about Edie she has been staying in her RV in the parking lot of the arena but it looks like it needs a lot of work... is the heat even working?  One evening he's at the arena late and knows there is a snow storm brewing and all his team mates have left early he checks on Edie only to find her frozen in her RV... the heat isn't working this won't do at all.

Next thing you know he is doing what he never imagined he would do he brings Edie home with him she is now in his home disorganizing his organized life and... the weirdest part about it is he doesn't mind... could this be his fated mate?  He's heard about them growing up but never expected to have one to call his very own.

While this was a cute cozy read, it was really repetitive and the plot wasn't that deep basically every chapter discussed Tarmek's organized life style and how Edie came in like a tornado and rearranged his life it briefly throughout mentions bits of their childhood like Edie grew up in foster care but there were inconsistencies over (what age) when her mother dropped her off.  Tarmek's family life was chaotic as well but it doesn't go into great detail only that his dad was a bit of a hot head and his mom just dealt with it. 

Where I loved Tarmek he was a green flag, teddy bear MMC.  I grew frustrated with Edie she knew that he like order and had his systems and she went out of her way (especially at the very beginning) to mess with his things... like you just met this man and she was stealing food off of his plate at a restaurant and rearranging his things, even after he invited her to stay with him during the storm she was being a chaos goblin and moving his things around, not cool he's letting you stay with him and he is feeding you and keeping you warm how about at least trying to work with his system.

I liked the premise of an Orc hockey team and it seems that other books in this series are from different authors so I would like to check out the rest of the series eventually, there isn't really much hockey going on in this book occasionally they have practice and there are brief mentions of a few games but other than that it's just Tarmek allowing tornado Edie to rearrange his organized life.  

Edie constantly had one foot out of the door so that kind of bothered me as well, Tarmek even after he told her how he felt she ran... again, and by that point I was frustrated for him he was trying to give her space "to think" gave her space in his home for her art and now he has to fight too hard to keep her and she wanted him to fight for her... how bout meeting him half way! 

Anyways I'm team Tarmek!  

This was a fun take on the hockey romance I just didn't fully feel the chemistry between these two, I do plan to check out the next in the series and see how that goes.

As a side note --> I was surprised he had a pierced ding dong that seemed kind of out of character for orderly organized Tarmek and didn't really add anything to the story.  

Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

Marissa Eller: Left On Read

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232794089-left-on-read

Book Blurb:

In this rivals-to-lovers romcom from Marissa Eller, overachiever Murphy wants one thing: to be the top student in her school. So when a student who could beat her turns up, she tries to keep her eyes on her own paper… and off this infuriatingly perfect boy.

School is everything to Murphy—literally everything, since she’s missed out on all of the Traditional High School Things in pursuit of academic success. Her senior year is going to be perfect, and so is she... because she's pushing herself to her physical and mental limit. All she needs to do is ignore her mounting anxiety! Which is probably clinical! La la la!

But Hayes—her ultrasmart, ultra-annoying rival for valedictorian—is making her year far less perfect than she imagined.

He's after that top spot, and he doesn’t care who he has to shove outside. But when Murphy and Hayes are paired up for a group project on student mental health, Murphy discovers that he might be the only one who understands what she’s going through. The burnout. The self-doubt. The unrelenting grind. Together, they can stand up to the pressures of academia, family, and the way most traveled... if they partner up in more ways than one.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Enemies --> More *High school romance *high stress *class rivals

*Mental health representation *State Challenge North Carolina *long term grudge 

*Single POV *good friend group *age appropriate YA 

Thoughts:

Have you ever been looking forward to something for... forever and once you have it it's not as great as you thought it would be?  

That is what Nova (FMC) is dealing with her senior year of high school, she is in a special school for academics where the high schoolers also work on taking college classes she's known for a long time she wants to be a professor of literature and she has put this certain professor on a pedestal only the professor is unenthusiastic about the course spends long hours on her phone while playing movies, answers 0 questions and isn't preparing anyone in this course for anything... to top things off her nemesis in all academic related things Hayes is in this class with her.

Hayes has pressure put on him by his parents who want him to be a doctor like them, but he is more of a numbers guy... would they even allow him to pursue a degree in what he actually wants to do?  

Hayes (MMC) is not as bad as Nova initially thought he was while he has been her rival in the past he is charming and can win over a crowd way easier, and it doesn't help that he has a handsome face what's up with that?  can't he have horrible acne or something?  But he has been surprising her in unexpected ways he notices when she needs space and tells everyone in class how brilliant she is with this subject and she might be just what they all need to succeed.

Next thing you know Nova is teaming up with Hayes and it's getting harder to resist that she's feeling more drawn to him.  But she has been hurt in the past and doesn't want to repeat that... Hayes has hurt her in the past too he could just as easily do it again and they are both up for class president again and he won last time! 

While the leads get closer together they are not really shown doing much more than studying together and going to a county fair that gets cut short by Nova's migraine, so we don't really see much of them "together" as a real couple.

Nova at times is shown as immature and a bit over the top dramatic and then she will be incredibly mature and able to lead a group of college students in a study session. 

I felt everything that did wrap up wrapped up quickly and at least one of the bigger plot points was just kind of left open ended.  I would have liked just a little more depth to the characters I didn't fully feel invested at times with the characters or their relationship due to just knowing surface level basics about them.  

This was a cute YA read both leads are struggling with high stress placed on them by themselves and in the MMC's case his parents as well.  The rivals in school aspect reminded me of the show "Never Have I Ever."

I appreciated the leads working together to try to help get appropriate mental health services set up for future students setting their sights on higher academic goals.

I understand that I am not the target audience for this book and believe that middle school/high school kids looking for an age appropriate romance might enjoy this one.  

The narrator did a great job bringing this story to life! 

have you read this one?  What did you think?  

Anastasija White: Hade

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242092790-hade

Hale Brothers Book 2

Book Blurb:

She's my best friend's little sister and the only person who can save me from my darkness.

RILEY EVANS has been in love with her sister’s best friend HAYDEN HALE for as long as she can remember. He’s never noticed her, and even when he finally does, he keeps his distance.

Years later, Hayden is a world-famous musician, shattered by his friend’s death and drowning in guilt inside his penthouse walls. Riley walked away from the stage and chose to teach kids ballet instead of chasing unattainable perfection.

When her sister asks her to check on Hayden, Riley doesn’t expect to connect with him in such a close way. She definitely doesn’t expect one night to change everything.

Now she’s pregnant with his child.

With the press circling and his grief pinning him in place, Hayden is terrified of destroying the only person who makes him feel alive—Riley. And yet he can’t help but fall for her. Will he finally admit that she’s never been invisible to him, or will he lose her forever because she’s done waiting for him to choose her?

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Best friends younger sister *rockstar MMC *Ballerina FMC 

*childhood crush (FMC Side)/Long term pining *Grief/loss/guilt *surprise pregnancy 

*one night only --> more *Friends to more *forced proximity  *pierced 👇 MMC

*Spice *miscommunication/no communication  *age gap

*State Challenge New York/California (repeats)

Trigger warnings check them prior to reading (suicide in past)

Thoughts:

Riley (FMC) has been in love with her older sister's best friend Hayden since forever... unfortunately for her he has never noticed her as anything more than a younger sister.  She has tried to get over her crush but it doesn't help that he has a larger than life personality as a member in a very popular band.

Hayden (MMC) has been going through a lot the last year and while he knows his family and band mates care about him he can't help but continue to think about the last moments spent with his friend and fellow band member, could he have done anything differently and if so would that have changed the outcome?  He is struggling with severe grief and guilt.  

Riley's sister (Hade's best friend) asks her to check on him since he has gone off radar and hasn't been contacting anyone back, being worried about him she has been checking on him when she can she know's he's going through a hard time. 

Riley's apartment takes some smoke/fire damage when the apartment above hers catches on fire and while it needs to be cleaned up Hayden comes to the rescue and offers her a place to stay, it doesn't hurt that he's not as sad when she's around and just having her there is a comfort she has been a welcome reprieve from the darkness enveloping his life he hasn't even enjoyed playing music lately and he hasn't been able to write anything new. 

Riley's feelings towards Hayden have always been there but when she's in closer quarters to him she can't help but have them intensify... this isn't going to work.  Hayden lately has been having feelings that are "more" than friendly towards his new room mate... but is this a response to grief or is something truly there?

Riley is well aware of feelings of depression and anxiety related to her own past history dealing with the pressure of being a perfect ballerina and does her best to support Hayden through his own difficult times. 

After a one night only situation that turns into another one (and maybe more) they end up with a surprise pregnancy... but Riley can't wait around forever for Hayden to decide if he wants to be with her and choose her she needs to protect her heart.  Will Hayden be able to decide what he wants before it's too late? 

There was minimal "rockstar" stuff involved other than discussions of occasionally being in the studio and doing a few shows due to them being on a break to grieve the loss of their bandmate and friend.  

I felt the pacing was a bit uneven at times like it moved fast then it would be slow again as far as their relationship was going, and the spicy times happened a bit awkwardly (if that makes sense) like I just didn't feel like any of their actions or what they were talking about was leading them to more a few of those times but next thing you know it's on (did I miss something?) 

Hayden frequently went to help the widow of his friend with her 3 year old son and I liked the found family aspect of this, Riley also had a good friend that was always there for her.  Their own family was on the other coast in California but still checked in often.

It took so long for Hayden to really decide what he wanted and there was nothing really concrete in their relationship due to a lack of communication about what their situation currently was that I didn't always feel fully invested in them as a couple, I think because of this the more heartfelt moments didn't fully land for me it almost seemed at times he was building a closer relationship with his friend's widow than with Riley.  

I did appreciate that Hayden was fully on board with supporting Riley throughout her pregnancy and wanted her safe away from the media, even moving her back in with him so she would be in a more secure location and getting her care at his own doctor's office.

Some issues on both sides --> MMC seemed to be maybe using the FMC for emotional support at least at the beginning especially since he knew she had feelings for him after overhearing a conversation.  FMC seemed to be expecting more than MMC was able to give when she knew he was still going through the greiving process.

I received the ALC from Netgalley and think that both Narrators did a good job with bringing this story to life and I feel they helped me stick with the story.  

This was a cute forced proximity, best friends sister/friends to more, surprise pregnancy story if you enjoy these tropes you might enjoy this book.  

Have you read this one?  What did you think?  

If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression and SI help is available:

Lena Knight: Averted

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240714165-averted

Book Blurb:

She was determined to avert her heart,
He was determined to claim it.

What happens when a badass model in the midst of her master plan for revenge gets distracted by a pair of brown eyes?
Her desperate need to escape her feelings only seemed to pull him closer. She was set on averting. Too bad she came across one stubborn motorcycle riding distraction.


I was a puppet, the strings pulled by my parents. A Barbie doll brought up to sit still and look pretty, preferably with my mouth shut. Feelings were a foreign concept. That was until I locked eyes with a bad boy with a killer smirk. He was a distraction I couldn’t afford. I had dirty secrets to expose, my plan already set in motion. I was determined, focused, all in… Until Mateo.

She was a vision, looking so innocent while screaming trouble. Butterflies were flying around, a magnetic pull so strong, but she managed to turn the poles, fighting me every step of the way, not allowing me to get closer. The more she pulled back, the more I wanted to figure her out. She had her walls firm in place, but I was going to break them, brick by brick. No matter how hard Sabrina wanted to keep up the aversion, I was going to be the one she’d let in.

Tropes:

*Indie Author ALC *Strangers to More *Heiress FMC *Model FMC *College romance

*Revenge plan *FMC doesn't know love *found family *pop culture mentions 

*State Challenge Mass (repeat) 

Thoughts:

Sabrina (FMC) is young, beautiful and set on revenge she's recently learned a lot about her life that she never fully realized and even though she was born into a world of privilege, there is more to life than money and power and she is on a mission to make things right.

Mateo (MMC) although he is also young (in his early 20's) he is smart, kind, compassionate and loyal to those he holds close he was raised in a foster home but there was so much love and support.  While out on his bike he see's a beauty they have a moment where they never exchange names, numbers, addresses basically they know nothing about each other other than what they learned in their brief interaction but it's kind of like that movie Serendipity (which is mentioned in the moment) if it's meant to be it will happen again.

Going their seperate ways Mateo and Sabrina continue to think about the other even though it's doubtful they will ever see each other again (you never know)... but Sabrina did like the fact that Mateo didn't know who she was since she is in a number of magazines and billboards, it's nice to be noticed for just you not your status.

Naturally they do end up running into each other again, there is a bit of a push and pull since Sabrina is getting involved in some dangerous activities and is trying to put distance between anyone she cares about she doesn't want them caught in the cross fire.  Our FMC is a brave baddie and I was rooting for her the whole time to succeed with her plans.  

Sabrina doesn't want to think about or like Mateo as much as she does, she is trying to focus on this one goal... and she doesn't want to have a weak point and the more time she spends with Mateo and his family the more she realizes that she could hurt not only him but also his family... is what she's working towards really worth wrecking what she's building with Mateo?  

I would say that I felt like I might of missed something a few times in the story because I wasn't quite sure how much time had passed throughout most of the book and I thought they had only been together maybe once or twice at this particular time but Mateo was upset that Sabrina hadn't told him the truth leading me to believe that he felt their relationship had progressed further than I thought it had.

There are many pop culture references to books, movies and music and I wasn't always able to follow along quite as well with those segments because I hadn't heard the song, read the book or seen the movie but if you are up on your pop culture references you are going to love these parts of the book.  

I'm so glad that I was finally able to get to this book it's been on my TBR for awhile but if you've been reading by blog you know that I have a habit of probably picking up way too many arcs/alcs (oops) This story was fast paced with a dash of heart, humor and emotional moments spread throughout.  There is a large cast of characters I may have had an easier time with this as I have read a few of the other books in a different series by this author that involved this loving band of brothers and their beautiful Mama Eva.    

I loved Mateo's family they are true family goals!  Sabrina while her own family were ruthless she did have some close friends to help her get through.  

I received this ALC from the author and I loved the Narrators Andi Eloise and Caden Hart were awesome!  

Have you read this one?  what did you think? 

Rebecca Zanetti: One Shattered Crown

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244187785-one-shattered-crown

Book Blurb:

Set in a steamy, neon-lit, high-tech world of magic, money, and explosive desire, this sultry, dark fairytale retelling offers a dystopian romantasy twist on Cinderella.

ELLA
It’s the wedding of the year—a lavish union of two powerhouses. But I’m only here for vengeance against the woman who stole my position as sole heir to my late father’s company, TimeGem Moments, and shipped me off to boarding school. I’ve only made more enemies since. Tonight is my chance to reclaim control. Tonight, TimeGem’s diamond-powered servers are this girl’s best friend. Unless he ruins everything. Justice Beathach, the groom’s unbearably hot brother, with hands built for war and a mouth that spells destruction. He’s lethal, unyielding, and now has me in his crosshairs . . .

JUSTICE
Ella Rendale almost killed my brother once. Now, at his own wedding, she’s almost done it again. I don’t care if he’s forgiven her or if she’s been wronged. I care about one thing: the locked flash drive she leaves behind, spelling my destruction. She can run, she can hide, but when I find her, she’ll give me what I want. But someone else wants her even more than I do—they want her dead. When our enemies close in, I’m forced to protect her, turning the fire between us into an uncontrollable weapon. Now, she’s not just my quarry—she’s my obsession. And I’ll kill anyone who even thinks of taking her from me . . .

Tropes:

*Netgalley/Hambright PR ARC *Fairy Tale Retelling (Cinderella) *mafia romance 

*action *spice *trigger warnings *Possessive MMC *Protective MMC *Magic system 

*dystopian *Dark romantasy 

Thoughts:

I’m going to do this review a bit differently because I wanted to like this book more, but I think it just didn’t fully land for me but I’m sure plenty of people will like it so I’m going to try to find this book the right audience.

Things I liked about this book:

I appreciated that Ella (FMC) was a total baddie she was smart and capable and was an expert at code.  She was frequently getting herself out of sticky situations.

Justice (MMC) I liked how protective he was towards Ella, her dog and even her godmother’s, he was a bad guy but just slightly softer for her.

The 3 godmothers- Super fun group of ladies and I’m so glad that Ella had them in her corner they taught her about code and watched her back.

I appreciated some of the fairy tale elements of Cinderella were kept like the evil step mother/step sisters. 

Our Ella might not of had mice but she did have a protective Dog

 Negatives:

*Ella would get captured by Justice only to escape him and he would chase her… while this was ok the first few times, it began to feel repetitive. 

*Ella played a cat and mouse game with Justice pretty much the whole book then towards the very end she’s just all of a sudden ok and on fully on board… like what?  Why did you run from him so much then girl he was trying to protect you!

*The spice for me was over the top/too much and happened at some odd times once it started… he gave her too many spanking (not shaming it if people are into that kind of thing) but acted like it was more of a punishment for her continuing to run away from him… you are still enemies right now of course she’s going to run she doesn’t feel truly safe!  And her step mom is trying to unalive her too.

*MMC runs with FMC through a crowded room with fingers in places they shouldn’t be in public like just wait till you get to a room!

If you are looking for a super elaborate world building where the “magic” system is explained this isn’t that type of book à

Basically this is a dystopian society where there are 4 main “social media companies” that are super rich/powerful and over the top aggressive as most of them are headed by mafia families. 

Ella’s father owned one of the top 4 and she was supposed to get the company in the will but her step-mom stole the company. 

 The Social media companies are powered by different gems (diamonds, cintrine, rhinestones etc…) à none of the lead characters know how this whole process works just that some people have the ability to power up different stones. 

The Gems can get infected with computer viruses and through the gem humans can receive the infection when they go to try to power up the gem stone.

The MMC has an infection from a gem and is in need of help clearing up this issue… we find that his brother had this happen in the previous book and Ella was responsible leading to the enemies à more trope.   

This is probably better enjoyed if you read the previous two books first as the characters from previous books come into play in this 3^rd book. 

I could figure things out well enough from reading this as a stand alone, and might at some point go to check out the first two books in the series. 

If you enjoy more of a mafia romance vibe with some scattered dystopian/fairy tale retelling vibes and magical crystals you might enjoy this one.

Have you read this series yet?  What did you think?  

Mika Rayne: Sabella

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205490776-that-s-one-big-drill

Book Blurb:

Sabella
What happens when you drink a bottle of wine after your husband divorces you, and you see your childhood home for sale online? Well, you buy it, of course. When I hired a carpentry crew to fix it up, I didn’t realize the boss was my high school sweetheart from thirty years ago…

Darius
She left me with no explanation when we were eighteen. I didn't realize who my new client was when she showed up at my job site all these years later. Old feelings and anger come up, and she tells me about the trauma she endured. Now we have to hash out our past so we can move on, but some things never change.

Tropes:

*Dark Star Romance ALC *High school sweet hearts *Second chance for romance *found family

*State Challenge Louisiana (Repeat) *spice *forced proximity *dealing with long term grief

*Green flag MMC *Protective MMC *Fierce FMC *Couple in their 40's 

Trigger warnings:  discussions of past history of DV (some on page), discussions of SA (in past and present), miscarriage, cheating (not leads)

Thoughts:

Sabella (FMC) is at the end of her long term relationship married for a long time she's surprised when it implodes... turns out her husband is leaving her for a younger woman and wants a divorce afterwards she maybe drinks a bit too much and ends up buying her childhood home in Louisiana.

Making the move Sabella is excited for a fresh start she makes her move and has already hired a company to help repair her new home... only there is a lot more work than she originally thought would happen and a bit of a wrench is thrown into her plans when the owner of the company she hired happens to be her high school boyfriend Darius they were together for 4 years and had once thought they would be together forever.

Darius (MMC) begins work at his new job and finds someone he never thought he would see again his high school girlfriend and the one he never got over, she's still just as beautiful as she was when he was with her all those years ago, but he can't help but have his feelings of heartbreak return by seeing her... he bought a ring, wanted to be with her forever and she just left no reasons given.

Sabella had her reasons for ending the relationship but I couldn't help but feel bad for Darius since she kept some things from him that she should have told him years ago but she took the choice from him by making the decision for both of them.  I do know that at the ages they were back when they were together that they were both just young and not always making the best decisions.

Sabella and Darius shortly after reuniting find that those feelings maybe never ended because they are back to feeling like high schoolers again.  Their relationship doesn't progress right away which I appreciated as the ink wasn't even dry on her divorce paperwork when she moved back home and in that way I think that the pacing of the story worked well covering a larger period of time.

I enjoyed how Darius had a found family with his crew of workers and they right away accepted Sabella as one of their own.

This story goes back and forth between current time and the past showing how Sabella and Darius both struggled with DV in their homes growing up and my heart went out to both of our leads even with this difficult past they were able to find their own way in life and be successful, even though it's been many years between their last time meeting the love between them can be seen by everyone around them... they just need to get on board with getting back together. 

Darius is such a sweetheart you could see in the past and current times how much he just wanted to take care of Sabella and give her what she needed to feel safe, happy and sastisfied, he also was caring and protective towards his found family as well.

The longer Sabella is around Darius the more she realizes how well he had always treated her … and what was truly lacking in her marriage.

The banter between these two was fun, I liked the duet narration the narrators Troy Duran, Miel Webb and Jack Hill did a great job bringing this story to life.  

There were several very emotional sections in this book and covers many sensitive topics so please check out your trigger warnings prior to reading or listening.  

I wasn't sure if this would be the book for me when it first started and there were some parts of this story that were difficult to hear, but over all this is a heartfelt story between two people who lost each other once but have found each other again and this time they are going to hold on tight.  

Have you read this one?  What did you think?

Lauren Flynn: In My Heart

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240454700-in-my-heart

Book Blurb:

She didn’t sign up for snow-covered trees, twinkling lights, or falling for a Christmas tree farmer.

Sloan Sterling avoids Christmas every year like it’s her full-time job. So when a photography gig lands her in a small town that runs on nothing but holiday spirit, she’s already counting down the days until she can leave.

What’s worse? She’s staying at a charming Christmas tree farm, where the owner, Jonah Holly, is the living embodiment of seasonal cheer. He’s tall, ridiculously attractive, and always wearing the most obnoxious Christmas sweaters. Funny, warm-hearted, and infuriatingly hopeful, he’s everything she doesn’t believe in anymore.

Their mission is work together to bring in more customers to the farm before the season ends. But working alongside him has Sloan catching feelings she didn’t plan on... and Jonah falling hard for the grumpy girl behind the lens.

The only problem? Sloan isn’t staying. She’s only there until Christmas, and then she’s gone.

So, is this just a holiday fling wrapped in fairy lights, or something worth believing in?

Tropes:

*High Gravity Audio Books ALC *Holiday Romance *reverse grumpy x sunshine 

*Small town romance *saving the tree farm!  *Hallmark vibes  *strangers to more

*insta lust/love *Nickname *sweet MMC but spicy in the bedroom *novella

Thoughts:

Thank you to the author and High Gravity Productions for sending me this ALC!

To start with we have Sloan (FMC) she is a photographer and often works on projects that take her all over the world, but she usually takes a break for her least favorite time of the year... the christmas holiday season, she has her reasons but still just leave her alone and let her stew during this time.  

Unfortunately her friend had a job lined up but had an injury leaving her unable to go so "Sloan, can you please please do this for me?" ... Sloan agrees to do it but didn't fully understand what she was signing herself up for... now she has landed in the center of a hallmark movie (not really) but seriously the christmas all year long, small town holiday vibes are going to be a real problem for this grinch.

Jonah (MMC) is the owner of the christmas tree farm which he needs help bringing customers back to pick out their trees... lately business has been down due to people buying those fake trees.  Even with that hanging over his head he is delightfully cheerful at all times and his dog is too  (except when he is giving puppy dog eyes as needed), constantly wearing those awful holiday sweaters, and looking hot while cutting down trees... seriously why is that so hot?

As Sloan begins her time in this holiday haven she is at first reluctant to the charm... but the more she spends time among the residents and Jonah, she can't help but wonder if maybe Christmas time isn't so bad after all... maybe she could trust a man and settle in this cozy, holiday town?  

The reverse grumpy x sunshine vibes caused great tension throughout the book as Mr. Holiday charm himself helped Sloan work through some deep seated resentment fueled by her past and opening up to others at her own pace helped soothe her Holiday disliking heart.  

The story is told from Sloan's POV with the Epilogue in Jonah's POV and Autumn Mercer and John Maddaloni did a great job bringing this holiday story to life!  

This was a novella so it did have that insta love vibes, but I didn't fully mind it in this story it was a cute small town romance with lots of holiday charm.  If you enjoy those holiday hallmark romances and don't mind spice add this one to your tbr it's a fun quick read that will have you ready to visit a tree farm and open some presents. 

have you read this one?  what did you think?

Lynnea Lee: A Prize for Ckzarr

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209743661-a-prize-for-ckzarr

Book Blurb:

What’s worse than falling in love with my sexy, musclebound alien boss? Falling in love with my alien boss when I know I’m not his mate. That’s why I keep my emotional distance, even though we work side by side every day.

Ckzarr has the body of a god and is a beast in the bedroom. How do I know? Because we’ve already failed compatibility testing. Multiple times. I’m not his mate. End of story.

Too bad my body remembers his every touch, and when he tells me “Good job,” all I hear is “Good girl.”

But when we’re captured by pirates and forced to spend every moment together as we escape and stay one step ahead of those who seek his bounty, Ckzarr’s protectiveness and possessiveness are dialed up to the max. How will I ever make it out alive without losing my heart?

Tropes:

*Darkstar audio ALC *Alien Romance *work place romance *Boss MMC 

*Alien MMC x Human FMC *Sci fi *space travel *forced proximity *she rescues him

 *he rescues her *Protective MMC *situationship --> more 

 *fated mates will they/won't they vibes

Thoughts:

I received this from Dark Star Romance as an ALC and I was so happy having received the previous books ALC and wanting to continue the series.  This has a single narrator Troy Duran but he does an amazing job with all of the characters! 

This is book 9 in the series but is a true stand alone you don't need to read any of the previous books to pick up what's happening and right away know that Ckzarr and Roxy have a history together.  

Ckzarr is protective of Roxy and had wanted to spend more time with her to see if this would allow for the fated mates bond to begin he has known for awhile now that it should be her and he just doesn't understand why the bond hasn't triggered yet.  

Roxy began to have some feelings towards Ckzarr which she worries could've led straight to the L word... but she took a step back from what they had going on together so she wouldn't fall any further for her hot boss... it could only cause potential heartbreak down the line if/when he formed a mate bond with someone else.  Lately she's been thinking that she needs to find a different job the close proximity of working so close with him while in space just isn't an option for her much longer and she would like to find love like some of her friends have found.

Before Roxy can get too far into her hunt for another job she goes on a off ship mission with the team (including Ckzarr) and due to a series of unfortunate events they find themselves close together in an escape pod having landed on an unknown to them planet with not only space pirates after the bounty they can get for turning over Ckzarr but truly dangerous creatures that prowl the area day and night... now there are bigger issues than the possibility of heartbreak.

Maybe this situation might be just the trick to get that fated mate bond to start... nothing brings you closer together than running from the enemy and surviving several scary creatures with big teeth.  

This was fast paced, action packed, and had the perfect amount of plot to spice ratio even though this was a shorter book nothing felt too fast or forced because it was already established that they had a complicated history.  

I really enjoyed this and I can't wait to read (or listen) to more of this series!  

Have you read this one?  what did you think?

Sophie Andrews: Elite Player

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246210831-elite-player

Book Blurb:

Hockey’s biggest playboy knocked me out with a puck. One minute, I’m taking pictures of the team, and the next, I’m in a hospital room. With a fiancé.

Due to his off-ice shenanigans, Nico Tremblay needs to prove to the front office that he has changed his ways or else. So, after he gives me a concussion and sprained writst, he concocts a wild idea to pretend we’re engaged. It would allow him to keep his spot on the team and get my family off my back.

There is only one small problem—no one would actually believe the gorgeous and charming left-winger could ever actually want to marry me, backward and inexperienced Josephine Atkins.

Except when he calls me his fiancée while staring at my lips, I almost believe it. Maybe it’s the concussion or a moment of wild rebellion against everyone I’ve ever known underestimating me…but I agree.

And then there’s no way out of this lie that binds us closer and closer together.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Fake Fiance *Fake Relationship *Sports Romance (hockey) *Bad boy MMC

*Virgin FMC *black cat FMC *family drama  *Playboy MMC *toxic family

*Golden retriever MMC *shy wallflower FMC  *3rd act break up *found family *spice

*reverse grumpy x sunshine *State Challenge Pennsylvania/West Virginia (Repeat)

Trigger warnings:  *SA (in past) *discussions of SI *bullying 

Thoughts:

Nico (MMC) is a playboy in the very beginning of the book he has to have a meeting about his off ice shenanigans with the ladies and basically is told if he can't change his ways and show that he can be a proper fit for the team he won't be on the team much longer, seeing that he is not on the first or even second line he knows this is real and he needs to get himself together... he needs to get himself together and fast.  So when the next thing that happens is hitting the photographer's assistant in the head with a hockey puck and knocking her out cold he knows he isn't off to a good start.

Josephine (FMC) has been living in Pennsylvania trying to make her own way in life away from her toxic family, she hasn't seen them in awhile but they for some reason decide to make a trip to visit her while in the hospital... hoping their visit will be short especially since her mother has brought up when she is going to meet her non-existant fiance and she doesn't want to get into that issue with her here... only Nico the hot hockey player and reason for her being in the hospital to begin with has been showering her with a wild amount of gifts and shows up at the wrong moment... now her mother and rest of her family believe him to be the "fiance."

Nico thinking this could actually work in his favor as a way to prove to team management that he has changed goes all in as Jo's fiance and he makes an arrangement with her to be her fiance help her with a few family events and she returns the favor for him then at the end of the season in a few months they can go their seperate ways.  Jo struggles with this thoroughout because Nico is one of the hottest guys in hockey and has women lining up to get with him... where she has little to no experience with men and grew up being belittled about her looks by not only her classmates but her own family as well how could anyone actually believe someone like him would want to be with a girl like her?  

As Nico and Jo grow closer together lines blur and it's hard to say when the fake part of their relationship even fell off.

This book discusses sensitive topics including childhood trauma related to SA, SI, and bullying so make sure to check your triggers prior to reading.  My heart truly went out to both leads and their past struggles.  

Jo helps Nico too in the ways that everyone thinks he is is just a party boy womanizer but he is so much more he is so sweet, supportive & protective he helps Jo shine she has been put down so much in her life that she doesn't even realize how truly beautiful she is and he has no problem putting anyone who says anything against Jo in their place, I seriously was so upset with her family most of them were awful and I'm glad that Jo by the end had the courage to stand up to them and let them know how their behavior over the years tore her down when she could have used the support.  

I also loved that our Hot hockey guy read romance and loved the fated mates trope... as he may have just found himself in his own romance novel the way Jo fell into his life and fit so perfectly... but how can he convince her that he no longer wants their arrangement to end he wants to keep her forever. 

This was a sweet fake fiance --> more romance and I enjoyed this one.  I listened to it and loved the narrators.  If you are in your hockey era add this one to your list! 

Have you read this one yet?  what did you think?

Holly Michelle: You'll Be The Death of Me

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243817596-you-ll-be-the-death-of-me

book blurb:

Cole is spending the rest of his eternity as an overworked Afterlife Clerk, reaping souls for the Afterlife Administration. But when he accidentally reaps the wrong Verdella Rodgers, Cole and Verdella must race to fix his cosmic blunder—and try not to catch feelings along the way. A swoony and whimsical romp, You'll Be the Death of Me is a romance to die for.

Verdella “Dell” Rodgers is at the top of her game. As the chef de cuisine at San Francisco’s hottest new restaurant and on the cusp of marrying the mayor’s son in the social event of the season, her life is perfect. That is until the week before her wedding when she wakes up and find herself very much dead.

Enter Cole, a charming but bumbling entry-level clerk in the Afterlife Administration who accidentally confuses Dell for a 95-year-old woman in Kansas with the same name, reaping the wrong soul. When Cole tries to fix his mistake, their worlds collide in life- and death-changing ways.

Now walking the city as a ghost only visible to Cole, Dell is frantic to get back to her perfect life but soon learns that it wasn’t what it appeared to be, particularly when it came to the man she was about to marry and his high-profile family.

Meanwhile, Cole has no memory of who he was before working for the Afterlife Administration. As they try to uncover Cole’s past and remedy Dell’s future, they realize the mistake that brought them together might just be a twist of fate. With time running out to bring Dell back to the land of the living, she’ll have to decide if the life she left behind is truly what she wants, or if Cole’s untimely appearance could lead to an unexpected change that she didn’t know she needed.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Fantasy *strangers --> More *mystery *Life/death *after life 

*Feisty/driven FMC *timid/shy MMC *supernatural elements *Some spice (light)

*State Challenge California (repeat) *forced proximity  *magical elements

Thoughts:

Dell (FMC) is living the dream, well from the outside looking in... she is owner and head chef at a new prominent restaurant in the Bay area, she is from a wealthy family, and she is soon to be married to the Mayor's son in a very lavish ceremony what else could she want?  Only a week before the wedding the worst thing happens. 

Cole (MMC) is working as a clerk in the afterlife administration as a rule follower who doesn't take risks this job suits him... so when he makes a mistake which leads to the Death of young Dell in California and not 90+ year old Dell in a totally different state he is beside himself with worry there has to be a way to reverse this mistake... thankfully his boss is giving him some time to reverse this error all he has to do is find where Dell took a wrong turn in life and then she will get her life back with no harm done... or not much harm anyways.

Cole lands in the real world shortly after Dell wakes up and finds her new situation at first understandably angry with Cole that fizzles out fairly quickly as she needs him to find her way back to his body... she just needs to figure out where her wrong turn was that should be easy enough right?  She's getting married in a week. 

The pacing was slower at times with discussions on what happens at the after life administration office and all the rules and regulations that Cole wants to continue to follow while Dell steam rolls right over those plans she is determined to get her life back.

There is a bit of a mystery going on as they work together to find the "wrong turn" and she learns things that she never expected from the people closest to her as she is able to listen in unnoticed some good and some not so good but along the way she learns that maybe once she gets back to her life she could make some changes, perhaps she has been so focused on her own goals and being successful that she hasn't been paying as much attention to whats happening around her. 

Naturally having forced proximity thrust upon them working towards the same goal they begin to know each other better, Cole having been in his current limbo state for as long as he has been has forgotten a lot of his prior life and Dell is able to help him as well with the support of some friends.  

Dell shows Cole that he can let loose and doesn't always have to follow rules by the book and it's fun to watch him get a bit bolder throughout the book.

I would have liked to have Cole's POV as well, I listened to this one and thank the author and Netgalley for this early listen copy it was single narration and she did a good job with the characters.  

This was a cute romance and I enjoyed how the story played out, it kind of reminded me of that movie from the 90s heart and souls in the way that the "spirits" have to have the help of a human to complete some of their tasks.  

Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

Meghan Quinn: Rules for the Summer

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243359903-rules-for-the-summer

Book Blurb:

He clicked "yes" on a dare. She bought a failing candy shop. Now they're neighbors for the summer―and neither is ready for what comes next.

Renley Gossage has one shot to prove she's more than Cape Meril's favorite cautionary tale: restore her favorite candy shop before the town writes her off like they did her father. No help, no shortcuts, and definitely no rich men wielding engagement rings and making things messy.

Theo Williams never planned on ending up in Cape Meril. A drunken game of truth or dare turned into a botched online engagement, and now he's across the ocean, escaping his father's control with nothing but designer shoes, misplaced confidence, and a rental next door to Renley.

She's practical, stubborn, and covered in paint. He's posh, persistent, and willing to use a sander if it means earning her trust.

Between collapsing drywall, gossiping neighbors, and the chaotic schemes of Renley's aunt, their forced proximity turns into something dangerously close to real.

But Renley's future depends on standing on her own two feet, and Theo's past isn't done with him yet. By the time the candy shop doors open, they'll have to decide if this is just a summer fling―or the happily ever after neither of them saw coming.

Tropes:

*Rom-Com *British MMC x American FMC *Strangers --> More *Shenanigans 

*Quirky side characters *Small town romance *Big Dreams *Oppressive Family 

*Wealthy noble MMC *he falls first *neighbors (for the summer) *reverse grumpy x sunshine

*Opposites attract *State Challenge Mass (Repeat) *slow burn *Spice *Supportive MMC

Thoughts:

Renley (FMC) wants to prove to everyone (including herself) that she can be a successful business woman.  The small town she lives in occasionally will auction the rights to open a store to a local as opposed to giving it to a big chain to keep the small town charm and Renley feels that maybe her luck is finally changing for the better when she wins the former candy shop, she plans to renovate and refresh the shop and re-open it to allow children to build some memories like she had of the place when she was a girl... there is only one problem and it's a big one.

Renley was told by her Aunt Kitty that she could help with this endeavor and had the funds to do so... only she doesn't actually have the money.  Aunt Kitty is a dreamer and while her head is in the clouds chasing her dreams of becoming a hobby horse social media star... Renley's feet are firmly placed in reality where she needs at least 20 grand to revamp the store and open in the time frame, simple enough Aunt Kitty after a night of drinking places her request on a Financier website this will solve the problem there has to be someone out there willing to make this investment.

Theo has been living the life of privilege while he doesn't want the title he has been trained from an early age and is next in line for the title, his father is over bearing and bossy and fully intends for Theo to do what he says when he says it.  Theo while he doesn't want the title doesn't want to cause waves either so after a night drinking with his best mate Rupert and a game of truth or dare lands him on a match making site for a fiance he goes with it he has matched with several women... but only 1 looks remotely tolerable and he is set to prove his father wrong his father thinks he's wasting his life and never follows through with anything... well he will prove his father wrong... next thing he knows he is spending the summer in Cape Meril right next door to his future bride.

After arrival Theo finds that Renley was in fact not looking for a fiance but a financier... why are those words so close?  Determined to continue with his plan since his dad has said if he doesn't get married by the end of the summer he will choose his bride for him... and that is 100% not happening he begins to court Renley... Renley is not having it and demands rules be drawn up so that their interactions remain as infrequent as possible she has a lot of work to do to get her shop up and running in the time allowed by the town and she doesn't need this extra issue in the form of the most handsome man she's ever seen in person with a sexy accent.

While it took them awhile to get there and maybe a few of their rules got changed a long the way... How can Renley believe that this is anything more than a summer fling he has to return home for lord duties doesn't he?  Theo is falling for this girl and hard but how can he prove that he won't be another disappointment in her life when he knows that he is going to mess up at some point? 

To be honest with this one it took me a bit to get on board with it while it was fun and quirky I did find myself struggling with the plot of Renley not realizing sooner about the financier/fiance situation and Renley spent so much time keeping Theo at arms length that besides their internal monolog of both finding each other attractive I didn't see much chemistry on page, the slow burn was slow burning I don't think they kissed until after a few hundred pages.  

That being said after the kiss I began to get more on board with this couple, Theo was so sweet and showed time and time again that he could and would show up for Renley which meant a lot since she had been let down by so many who were close to her in the past.  In fact throughout the book Theo was there for her when she didn't even have the support she thought she would have from her closest relative this caused a lot of additional issues for Renley since she struggled to open up and share her feelings.  

Once the spice started it was fairly frequent throughout the rest of the book and in that way I don't know if the book needed to be over 500 pages or if some stuff could have been trimmed... The rules got repeated and edited several times along the way.

Rupert and the mouse was hilarious, and Aunt Kitty while she was fun I did find myself growing irritated with her at times throughout the book... she said she would help Renley with the store but instead she was spending her days working on her hobby which was not making any money to help herself or Renley while Renley was doing repair jobs around town for income during the day and then going to work later days after hours to prepare the candy shop.

I kind of at some point wished that Renley would decide to open up a store in a different town... if most of the town wanted her to fail why should she stay there with that kind of negative energy?  I get she grew up there but maybe a fresh start elsewhere with nicer people could work too(?) 

I did enjoy this book over all.  If you are looking for a rom-com with a lot of over the top shenanigans this might be the one for you... also do yourself a favor if you are an audio book lover and get the audio for it Shane East, Stella Hunter, Gary Furlong & Cassandra Medcalf did an amazing job with the story.