Kathleen Ayers: Sinfully Wanton

 Book 5 The five deadly sins read in 2025

Aurora Sinclair is the youngest if the siblings she is now in her second season and no one compares to her older brother's business partner Charles Worthington... problem is due to a failed past relationship where he was engaged but called off the engagement he is unwilling to let go of the past and refuses to let anyone into his heart.

From here is it a super complex story... no, but it is a cute quick read that completes the series.   

Aurora is interested in exploring her sexuality and she would like to take some liberties with a few gentlemen but knows that this could potentially cause a scandal and put her family on the outs of society again not wanting this to happen she makes a proposal to Worth where she would like his guidance/teaching in the art of intimate relations he declines her at first giving her a book which he feels should be the solution to letting her in on some of these questions... this only causes more questions which Aurora decides to ask for private lessons (spicy lessons based on the diary of a courtesan).

Aurora has 2 potential suitors but she doesn't really feel the spark with either of them she does feel that spark with Worth but knows that he is opposed to marriage so if she does get closer to him she will only be breaking her own heart since he will never want to be with her the way she wants to be with him.  Worth over the course of the book starts to examine the reasons he doesn't want to wed and maybe it's time to let the past go so he can move forward with his life.  

There is a scandal, a jealous former lover and of course the evil lady Longwood (the Sinclair's eldest brother's aunt who talked the brother into banishing his step siblings to a falling apart estate in the north).

ends in a happily ever after, I enjoyed this series! 

older brothers best friend/businesss partner   *lessons in intimacy  *friends to lovers *spicy * historical romance  

*age gap

Erin Fletcher: all laced up

 read in 2023:  Breakaway book 1 

Everyone loves local high school hockey star Pierce Miller... especially Pierce Miller.  Lia Bailey knows him from school but they also have skated at the same ice rink for years but Pierce can't even remember her name in fact he thought she was one of his female fans and signed her water bottle one time when he was leaving the ice and she was coming on... who does this kid think he is?  

Now Lia is stuck teaching ice skating lessons with Pierce for a lengthy period of time (being in his presence any amount of time is too long as far as she's concerned) but she will do anything to help save her local rink.  What she doesn't know is that Pierce feels the same way the rink owner really helped his family a lot in the past and he wants to help pay it forward anyway he can even if that means flaunting being a local hockey star to get more kids to come to the lessons.  

Lia is a figure skater but she really knows hockey in fact maybe the way to get Pierce to realize he isn't as great as he thinks he is, is to point out his flaws on the ice.  One night when she's fired up about having to share the ice and teach the kids with Pierce (who isn't doing his fair share of the training as far as she's concerned) she logs in online makes an account to the Hockey teams website and starts making suggestions... what could go wrong with this plan.

Pierce feeling down about the loss of the game makes the mistake of checking social media a lot of what he sees is the usual "better luck next time" or people trolling him but someone new catches his eye with their actually helpful tips for improving his game.  After private messaging this person and Lia responding this leads to a series of online exchanges reminding me of the rom com You've got mail. 

The more Lia gets to know Pierce the more she realizes that they have more in common than she thought and he's not the pompous jerk she thought he was he's sweet and caring and the more she gets to know him the more she's falling for him a bit more but while she is getting to know the real him especially when she sees him with his younger brother who has special needs she is still living a dual life. 

Lia and Pierce are getting closer at the rink as well but he doesn't know who he is talking to online... he would like to know who it is though cause she's pretty awesome, but will he be upset when he finds out that she has been hiding herself from him the whole time behind an online identity.   The couple are both also dealing with pressures from the skating world and school --> Pierce with his team and Lia on whether she will go forward to take the qualifying test for the next level for ice skating.  

This was a cute & sweet teen romance, quick read and had a happy ending 

*Teen Romance  *enemies --> dating  *hockey romance  *ice skater/hockey pair  

*no spice/kissing only  

*age appropriate for teenagers *trigger warnings loss of parent

Kathleen Ayers: Sinfully Yours

 Five Deadly Sins book 4: read in 2025

Malcolm Sinclair (the other twin) is a former soldier but has been working abroad as a mercenary he finds himself in a bind and needing to return to England as fast as possible but his money has been stolen and the authorities are after him for the murder of his landlord (he didn't do this but who is going to believe him).  

Malcolm not at a point where he has received all of the letters from his family since he's moved around a lot and is not aware of the change in fortune for his family believes that they are still poor and shunned in society after his eldest half brother lived in excess and ruined their finances... back to the current story unaware of this and in need of getting back to England asap he runs into a lord he doesn't trust/like but has worked with in the past and he's willing to pay him half now and half after the job is done the job includes passage to England that very day this is wonderful news he was robbed and needs a ride.

The job itself is fairly simple (ish) he needs to kidnap a wealthy heiress and bring her to a secluded spot where this fancy lord can be with her long enough to force her father to allow their match... in reality he isn't in love with this girl he is quickly running through his funds by spending poorly and is in need of a wife with a lovely dowry.  Unfortunately for this gentleman (if you could call him that he's obnoxious and terrible) she has a wise stubborn cousin who is onto his game and isn't going to let this man get his hooks into her cousin... so when Malcolm kidnaps her instead of her cousin she doesn't let on he has the wrong woman during their trip because she is going to give Buckmore (the irritating lord) a piece of her mind (at the very least).

From here the story ends up being a one room/one bed situation since Buckmore being the terrible guy he is has not only not paid Malcolm he's also made sure to leave them stranded for at least the rest of the day (helped by a big storm coming in) in his cozy little cottage he had set up nice for his intended heiress.

It's an insta lust/love situation for the most part and most of the story is set in this one day/evening together.  Has the regular show of Historical Romance drama being misunderstandings, being stubborn on both sides and miscommunication but has a happily ever after this one might be my favorite in the series.  

enemies --> more  * insta lust/love  * one room/one bed  

*trigger warning: abduction/kidnapping 

Kathleen Ayers: Sinfully Mine

The Deadly Sins book 3: read in 2025 

This is the 3rd book in this series and while it can be read as a stand alone I did read these books in order some information about Andrew (younger brother to the Earl of Emerson and is a twin) is learned in the previous books like he helped his family by playing cards when they had been banished and were barely making it due to their eldest half brother leaving them with nothing for support in an estate falling apart.

The story starts when Andrew finds that he has been left an estate in the country (Blackbird Heath) he had won it in a game of cards but being honorable he did not want to take the man's home this man remembering this and wanting to do "the right thing" leaves his home to him in the will there is a condition though that his widow must be able to stay there as long as she wants to stay there.

Andrew working with a business partner wants to sell this newly inherited property as soon as possible...he hates the country and he can use the proceeds for future investments.  The wrench in this comes in the form of the man's widow he's expecting an elderly woman but what he finds is a sassy, fiery tempered beautiful red head Hester and until she leaves the property he can't sell anything.

Hester has had to put up with a lot in life including losing her mother at a young age, being poor and fighting for survival with her father who was neglectful and thinking that things might be moderately better after getting married she ends up marrying an older gentleman who has a home but a bad gambling problem, how could he not leave her their home in his will she has been running the farm for years and even making a bit of a profit.  Hester is going to fight for what's hers... this is her home and she's not leaving.

Hester does some kind of childish pranks when Andrew first shows up including slipping a garden snake in his bed, and making sure that the rooster droppings might get right where he is walking with his fancy shoes.  

This book wasn't my favorite in the series and took me a bit to get into.  There is a bit of a mystery in that someone has started trying to attack Andrew and even though he has gotten closer to Hester and doesn't believe that it would be her... maybe it is... she has been very verbal about her willingness to do "anything" to keep her home... does that include getting rid of Andrew by killing him?  

there is a happy ending after some drama unfolds and I did finish reading the series

*enemies --> lovers  *some spice  

*possible triggers gambling, child hood neglect, alcoholism, abduction

Lindsey Devin & Skye Wilson: The rejected mate games

Game of Wolves Book 1 read in 2025

This is only the second shifter book I've ever read so I'm sure there are tropes special to these story lines but without having much to compare this book to (the other shifter book I read was a dragon shifter) I have to say there is a lot going on in this book.  There is a lengthy trigger warning section in the front  of the book so I would recommend reading this part and deciding if you want to continue.

Our leading lady Kira is a wolf shifter (but doesn't shift-- latent shifter) due to staying in her human form she has spent years training and harnessing her inner wolf power.  She is on a special ops paranormal team and one of the best agents they have she is undercover on her latest mission trying to catch a criminal shifter (lion) and almost has him when things go badly and he slips something in her drink.  

The leading male Wyatt is Kira's co-worker and her brothers best friend, he is a lone wolf which is looked down on by other shifters for not being in a pack.  It is unknown to the reader why he left his original pack but since this is a series I'm sure at some point it will be revealed what happened there.  

From Kira's failed mission things only get worse for her at what is supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life (the wolf version of a wedding) her fated mate (who is a jerk) rejects her in front of everyone and she finds out she has been fired from her job.  Other members of her pack are now wanting for her to be banished and are very restless for something to be done about her recent rejection this joining was supposed to bring strength to her pack by joining with a member of a larger pack but this incident has caused shame.  

Kira's father is the leader of the pack and she has always felt a lot of stress put on her to try to make him and the rest of her pack proud how is she going to do that now that her relationship has failed and her pack wants her out... In comes the reject project a tv game show for shifters it's basically The bachelor/bachelorette meets hunger games/death games where the contestants compete for survival on a dangerous Island (with a number of beasts and feral shifters) the rejects mansion is home base and if you don't make it back to the magical protection shields you are a goner.

It's a long shot but if Kira could get on this show she could bring honor back to her pack the ultimate goal is to be blessed with a new fated mate by the goddess... but the other option is to reject that plan and have a wish granted.  Kira knows that war is coming soon and wants to keep her pack safe... even if they do want her out. 

Kira makes it on the show and is able to bring along her best friend as her stylist and they are true friendship goals.  Wyatt after finding out about her being selected uses an old connection to get himself on the show he has to keep her safe... even though she is hot and cold with him there are sparks between them and if she would let her guard down and see what's right in front of her he has always been there for her protecting her when she needs him (even if she wants to be self sufficient and feels needing help is weak).  There are brief glimpses of the past throughout the book that mention a traumatic event where Wyatt found Kira but the full history isn't told in this first book. 

Once on the island things are worse than they thought they would be with dangerous creatures every where, struggling to survive challenges, arguments between the other Alpha males looking to be Kira's new fated mate and a vampire host who thrives on drama and carnage the more dangerous the more entertaining for him and the fans as far as he's concerned... then they find that some contestants really don't make it off the island while some are left on the island from previous seasons to go feral... some lose their lives during the dangerous challenges.  

Kira just wanted to make it to the end reject the winner and get take the reward of the wish granted... now she has to worry about keeping Wyatt safe from harm and make sure both of them make it out alive... this truly is a nightmare.  

Plenty of drama and plot twists and ends on a cliff hanger... I have to know what happens next!

Have you read this series?  have you read any other shifter series?  which one is your favorite?

*spice  *brothers best friend * Enemies to lovers  *cliffhanger *co-workers

*shifter * Trigger warnings: mentions of SA, death, deadly games 

Courtney Walsh: Can't help Falling

 Sweater weather book 3 read in 2024  

This is the 3rd in a series but can be read as a stand alone the books in this series are by different authors I did read the first two but of the 3 that I've read this one is my favorite so far. 

Emmy has a secret she runs a podcast about romance everyone loves the show and it's really popular... problem with this is she doesn't have much romance going on in her own life that is until her home catches on fire and she is rescued by a hot fire fighter... it's like one of her favorite romance books come to life.  Shortly after this rescue (which of course was photographed for the local paper) she realizes that the fireman is Owen (her best friend's brother and guy she had a huge crush on in the past... but no more he won't get her heart again). 

Emmy is really thrown, Owen is back in town?  She hasn't seen him in years and the last time she did she kind of made a mess of... well a mess of everything.  Love is great... unrequited love not so much... to be fair on Owen's side of things she was trying to tell him her true feelings for him on his wedding day (to another woman) not the ideal time to talk.  But Owen is now single and Emmy is single too could this be the perfect time to see if they could be together?     

I really enjoyed this small town romance book it felt like a hallmark movie in the making including the small town the quirky cast of characters and charming leads struggling with personal issues at times but also growing closer together in the process.  

If you enjoy big romantic gestures from rom coms there are many mentions of them in this book as Emmy is a huge fan of all the tropes and who doesn't love a big romantic gesture!  

Have you read any of the books in this series?  which one is your favorite? 

*Best friend's Brother  *MMC fire fighter *Dual POV  *no spice/clean romance  *slow burn 

*friend's to more *small town hallmark vibes  *representation for disability (dyslexia) *rom com

*trigger warnings --> Fire, bullying over learning disability 

Nadine Millard: A forgotten Fall

 A lord for all seasons book 3 read in 2025

This book is about Francesca (3rd sister) her story starts as a teenager at a dance we as the reader find that she has a crush on Adam Fairchild he is the younger son of a Marquess and as the younger son his duty is not bound to becoming the next Marquess (that's for his elder brother) except his older brother is stubborn and when Adam signs up for the military so does his older brother no one is going to tell him what to do. 

After the initial prologue there is a time jump where we now find Francesca is a lady she has had some seasons and although so many years have gone by she has never forgotten Adam, no man has ever compared to him and she has remained single.  It's been many years and Adam never returned home his brother and father are both gone and no one knows what happened to Adam when he went to war he could possibly be gone too.  There is word from one of the local gossips that the new Marquess is moving into the home and Francesca jumps at this news to run over could it be that Adam is still alive... or did some distant relative get the title?

When Francesca gets to the home of the Marquess she finds that Adam has returned but doesn't really remember her at first.  Adam has suffered from many things including PTSD (not called that at the time) and suffers from memory loss after a war related injury.  It's taken him many years to return to Halton but decides to return to see if he can find some peace his father always loved this place and it is not as busy as the city, what he finds instead of peace is a beautiful young woman who is sassy and clever and won't take no for an answer... and her name definitely isn't Hope he made that mistake once.

Adam wants to be by himself and fight his internal demons on his own but Francesca is a powerhouse and because of her determination he actually finds some joy in his life again and he finds the strength to face his past and if he can take care of some other personal issues maybe he can be the man who deserves a fierce protector like Francesca.

After an accident Francesca and her younger sister end up staying with Adam (not likely to happen in this era with just 2 single ladies... but still entertaining).  Of course during their stay at Adam's home he has to fight to stay away from Francesca even though there is now an obvious pull between the two of them they just can't stay away.  Could Adam actually be able to live in the sunshine again away from the darkness?  

Several laugh out loud moments, good banter, there was some repetitive type paragraphs throughout the book but over all a quick read I have really been enjoying this series.

*historical romance  *some spice  *PTSD from war, some discussions of battle scenes and death in battle  *Soldier/Military * friends --> lovers