Karla Sorensen: Floored

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55989190-floored

Book Blurb:

If you've ever had a steamy one-night stand with a British football player and then find yourself pregnant with his baby, you know how Lia Ward feels.

To be fair, Lia didn't know who Jude McAllister was when they met.

Across the ocean for a semester studying for her master's program, all she knows is that she's a little lonely and he's very charming, even as they have an epically sexy argument about which type of football is superior.

In Jude's mind, shagging the feisty American girl is exactly what he needs. He’s been fighting the clock of his long-standing football career and the younger players primed to take his position. Proving that he can feel like his old self again—something he's been trying to do with everyone in his life—should be easier after blowing off steam with Lia.

But oh baby, when a plus sign pops up on Lia's pregnancy test, that 'one night' becomes a whole lot more.

Now Lia and Jude have to navigate their impossible-to-ignore chemistry, and prepare for the parenting game, something neither of them know how to play.

Tropes:

*Sports Romance (Soccer/Futbol) *one night stand (to more) *Strangers to more

*Hot rich guys *American FMC x British MMC *Surprise Pregnancy *Studying abroad

*Close family (FMC side) *family drama (MMC Side) *age gap *emotional baggage 

*spice *miscommunication  *takes place in England and Washington State (repeat)

Thoughts:

I enjoyed the original series and I have read this book a few times as part of the Ward sisters series (Book 3) I love the close, caring and supportive family that the FMC has if you have a family like that you truly have won at life! 

I decided to get the audiobook because I do enjoy this series while the male narrator was awesome, I found myself having to take breaks from the female narrator (this may have just been a me thing) I found her voice to sound kind of robotic and it took me out of the story.

To start with we have Lia (FMC) who is feeling kind of lost as her twin sister is recently in a new relationship and moving on with her life while she feels kind of at a stand still, she's still young and in college but wants new experiences she picks up a study abroad course and travels to England but she doesn't just want to be studying while there she wants to explore one of those nights while out on the town she ends up at a local pub for the area and runs into a handsome stranger... she has a night she'll never forget and for more than one reason because several weeks later she got a surprise gift from that night she is now pregnant... and very far away from her family on the other side of the world.

Lia naturally is in a bit of a panic and she also struggles with her own feelings of self doubt throughout the book since her own mother abandoned her and her sisters with their older half brother after their father passed away (this is known from previous books).  Lia decides that it's only right to tell Jude that he is going to be a father, she's keeping the baby no matter what his decision is... but she wants to give him the opportunity to be in their life if that's what he decides to do.

Jude is a handsome famous football player, but has his own insecurities especially know that he's considered "older" in the sports world even though he's still in his early 30s but there is always someone younger, faster, and stronger eager to step up and prove themselves fighting to keep himself on top for his team he gets thrown a bit of a curve ball when the beautiful woman he never thought he would see again shows up saying she's pregnant... and he's the father!  what???

Once the surprise wears off Jude actually steps up and is there for Lia in every way she needs, he is sweet and caring he doesn't have a good relationship with his parents but he wants to be there for his own child and I loved that he was all in when it came to supporting our girl and their baby.

Naturally not everything is smooth sailing there is a lot of turbulance throughout since they both are harboring issues from their own childhoods and there is the issue that Lia lives in The US and Jude lives in the UK.  Is there any way they could be together?  Or are these issues as large as the distance between them? 

Overall I enjoyed this book (even though I'm usually not a big fan of the oops now we have a baby coming trope).  I did get frustrated (mainly with Lia) throughout the book she is younger and acts more on the immature side throughout the book.  

some negatives for this book: 

*I didn't fully see the chemistry between the couple... Lia left her number but Jude didn't reach out to her for a few weeks because he was "busy"

*Lia once she knew he was in for helping support her and the baby while she was pregnant didn't make much of an effort to hear his side of things before running back home... give the guy some time.

*Lia was upset that Jude didn't warn her about how his parents were... you two just met he's not going to tell you everything right away especially when that's a tough subject for him.  I felt like a lot of the time Jude was spending supporting Lia but Jude could have used more support from Lia as well he was having a tough time too.

*Uneven pacing at points throughout the book, some bigger issues felt rushed through in certain parts throughout the book while other parts that maybe didn't need as much time were longer.  

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:

Emma Slate: Huckleberry Hill

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/235731168-huckleberry-hill

Book Blurb:

When my fiancé leaves me because I can’t have children, I do the only thing I can think of . . .

I run away to my family’s ranch in Idaho to hide from my feelings and nurse my wounded heart.

I expect the comforts of home, the solitude of the mountains, and long horseback rides through the forest.

What I don’t expect is my father’s new ranch hand.

Declan Brewer.

Tall. Dark. Rugged.

And he looks just as delicious on a horse as he does a Harley.

He’s got a wicked smile full of promises . . .

Our chemistry is undeniable, and in one forbidden moment, we combust. But instead of burning out, our energy rages into a passionate inferno.

Between bouts of pleasure in Declan’s arms and the laughter we share in his bed, he chips away at the armor I’ve erected around my heart.

Declan is everything I’ve ever wanted, but I’m scared he won’t stay when he finds out the truth . . .

I’m broken, and I don’t know if love will be enough.

*Cowboy romance  *Small town  *strangers --> more  *banter  *Rom-com *forced proximity

*Infertility *insta lust/love  *surprise pregnancy  *state challenge Idaho *close family

*Dark Star Romance ALC 2026 *forbidden romance *boss's daughter *whirlwind relationship 

*Cinnamon Roll MMC  *Cozy read *green flag book boyfriend *Sassy Grandma

*small town gossip *Age Gap 

Thoughts:

Hadley (FMC) returns home to her family ranch after her engagment breaks off suddenly first night at home she runs into the new ranch hand Declan who is super hot and shirtless... well now this return visit just got interesting.

Not wanting to jump into anything after just getting out of a long term relationship Hadley struggles with her growing attraction towards Declan and also knows that her dad wouldn't like her snuggling up with his new employee... in fact it's something her father would fire him over, but her dad just might be keeping his own secrets.

Hadley has a strong group of friends including her twin sister and other two room mates that were all living together in New York City (until recently when she returned home to have some time for self reflection).  She is dealing with another big blow not just the loss of her relationship but also the news that she recently learned of her infertility.

Declan is handsome, charming and caring he's hardworking and pretty much the best book boyfriend ever it's easy to see how Hadley was drawn to him to the point of not being able to resist any longer.  After some discussions with her friend group who are all for her getting over her last guy by getting under a new one she decides to throw caution to the wind... all caution and goes for it where our couple ends up sneaking around (but not as well as they thought since it's a small town and word travels fast... lets just hope for Hadley's sake no one tells her dad before she can.

Hadley has some decisions to make too is she returning to the big city or staying home?  What will happen when she tells her dad about the relationship with Declan, is it a situationship?  or more because she certainly wasn't planning on starting anything new while coming home to get over her ex.

This was a cute cozy read, I loved Hadley's relationship with her family and her girlfriends and that coming home was a real eye opener to finding out who she was as a person now without her friend group and her ex fiance in the mix she's always been a people pleaser and maybe it's time for her to do something she wants to do... as soon as she figures out what that is!  Declan was a strong steady support system for Hadley and was there when she needed him... even saving her from a bear.  

I loved Hadley's grandma she was sweet and sassy!  I'm also hoping that the rest of the series is about Hadley's friend group also finding their own sweet cowboy... even her twin who is reluctant to ever leave the big city and return home.  

I did think that this was more of an insta love and everything moved pretty fast without them really knowing much about each other… but I guess sometimes love happens fast.  

This was a multicast audio book and everyone did a great job bringing these sweet characters to life thank you to the author and Dark Star Romance for this ALC

Katy Archer: The Game Changer

 

Nolan U: Book 3 read in 2025

This book is about Casey who we have seen in the first few books as a one night stand play boy, he gets around with the girls on campus... and frequently and doesn't intend to see or call them again.  Even though our leading female Carolyn knows this she still has a huge crush on him and decides to shoot her shot at a party one night.  Casey being the kind of guy he is immediately is drawn to her then finds an empty room for some "fun" even though she is warned by her best friend and room mate not to expect much out of this encounter she does anyways after having the best bedroom experience of her life.  She gives Casey her number he is also blown away by the experience and makes the mistake of saying he will call her... he doesn't.

Over a month later we find that Carolyn is in a frenzy because her period is late, they used protection she is now pregnant... how could this happen?  While the story line from here is just ok for me, there are some trigger warnings if you want to read this book including the options available for our couple in keeping, putting the baby up for adoption or terminating the pregnancy.  

Casey is a walking red flag but we kind of knew that from the previous books. I did like how he went from a child himself to working on changing his ways throughout the book as he gets to know Carolyn better and realizes he can be "boyfriend" material.  red flag #1: he never calls Carolyn back  #2: he forgets her name just remembers the sexual experience and at times refers to her or her body parts in just an "ick" kind of way "Fun bags" mentions her as a puck bunny (no woman carrying your child wants to be called that).  #3 he has loads of tattoos and you find out early on that he has a tattoo to commemorate the most "memorable" ladies he has been with.  On Carolyn's side of the story writer  continues to refer to the Vagina as a "V-jay" same as she did in the first few books.  

I don't feel it's fair to bring up Casey being immature when Carolyn is shown to be just as immature and irresponsible throughout the book.  She's portrayed as wanting to be sexually active and explore this side of things while at college (which is fine) but she doesn't seem to understand that she should possibly be on a form of birth control to prevent this very issue she's now in since condoms are not a 100% sure way to prevent pregnancy.  I also didn't like that she has this huge decision to make about the baby and what she wants to do but a good majority of the book focuses on her pushing off making any decisions about this huge thing hanging over her head while she doesn't tell any of her family and continues to get closer to Casey.  

Carolyn also felt terrible with the way she was ignored by Casey yet she is doing the exact same thing to a guy who wanted to get to know her better (Ben) to the point of hiding when she sees him out in public so she doesn't have to talk to him.  

A lot of spice in this book as our couple takes "advantage" of the surprise pregnancy to have lots of unprotected sex, also discusses frequently how overly sensitive her body is due to pregnancy hormones. 

There is a scene in the book where Carolyn asks what a horrible smell is and Casey tells her that it is his recent smelly dump and she will have to get used to it because he is proud of his smelly poop and that's just who he is as a person.  

***possible spoiler

Leilani (the sensible room mate) discusses that Carolyn really needs to tell Casey at some point that he might not even be the father because she had relations with another guy the same week.  I felt this is where I started to like Carolyn less when she found out she was pregnant she went to tell the guy that she liked more and had a big crush on that he was the father... without even knowing for sure and ignored the other possible father completely.  The fact that she was hiding this from both potential fathers felt manipulative on her side and felt as if she was using the baby as leverage to get playboy Casey to stay with her.  I did have a harder time getting through the book after I found this out about Carolyn hiding this fact and just the fact that she is making poor decisions in general... maybe it's because I'm older now but this book was just so-so for me. 

surprise pregnancy// College Hockey// Dual POV// trigger warnings: discussion of abortion, adoption, keeping the baby, miscarriage.