Elle Kennedy: The Chase

Briar U book 1 read in 2025 (stand alone book could be read out of order)... I started reading this series first but there is another hockey series she has that is before this one that I haven't read yet, I will eventually I just don't always "Love" super hyped up books from Tiktok/face book etc... I think I might be expecting too much from them?

Summer DiLaurentis is Dean's younger sister (Dean is from the previous Hockey series).  Summer has had to leave her previous school and transfer to Briar U after being expelled for setting an accidental fire at her sorority house... due to this when she makes it to her new campus sorority house hoping everything will be a fresh start she is sad to learn that her fire starting days have followed her and the sorority sisters don't want her in their home... she is banished from there and now has nowhere to live.

Dean at that point provides an alternative he is able to get her a room at his old teammates (hockey) home and with very little time to find anything else she accepts.  Problem being that one of her new room mates (Colin "Fitz" Fitzgerald) is someone she has been crushing on who she over heard talking trash about her... only she can't help but still be drawn to him he's tall, handsome, smart, has lots of tattoo's and he is a gaming genius.

Hunter is another room mate who she shared some kisses with on the same night she overheard Fitz talking badly about her and she is now torn between fighting her attraction to Fitz and knowing she really should give Hunter a chance he's also a very handsome hockey player and he actually knows how to tell her he's into her.

Summer is a feisty/sassy, beautiful rich girl who really says whatever she's thinking, very shortly after arriving to her new city she meets Brenna another beautiful feisty college student who happens to be the Hockey coaches daughter so when Summer blurts out her issues with her new room mates Brenna already knows all of these guys.

Summer had an inner critic who she called Selena (Gomez).  Summer struggled throughout the book with feeling down about her learning disability, Fitz helped build up her confidence in that department and helped her with an upcoming paper while he sketched.

While I didn't necessarily dislike the lead characters, I felt they spent too much of the book not together, they were either going on a date (or trying to) with someone else, not talking to each other at all or upset with each other for things that they weren't discussing... they are clearly into each other just talk about it already!  Also Hunter is a nice guy and Summer shouldn't have strung him along so long when she was into Fitz more (even when he wouldn't admit that he wanted her back) this caused a weird atmosphere at home for the room mates and at the rink with the team mates.  

Fitz is constantly getting turned on whenever Summer comes in the room... it's all the time.  

Summer has a nemesis in her fashion class (Nora) who also likes Fitz and went on a date with him, there is a creepy college professor who gives off cringe vibes in waves but Nora thinks that Summer is getting special treatment, which she's not. Also, Summer doesn't know what Fitz sees in Nora... she's clearly a mean girl.

Summer's chapters spends a lot of time discussing all the expensive clothes, shoes and bags she owns, she is a fashion major and it is a big part of her personality. 

Some extra drama occurs when Summer and Fitz are seen as "Sneaking" around because they didn't announce to everyone that they were together, and when Fitz goes to interview for a possible internship with a large game company but the billionaire owner is anti-jock and anti-beauty queens (Summer) even though he frequently dates models.   

Ending was ok... just like the rest of the book, I got it for audible and I plan to continue the series but I don't think I need to read this one again.  

*hockey romance *sports romance *college *young adult *Frenemies to more *some spice 

*Broody MMC/Sunny FMC *miscommunication/no communication *drama *cat fight *bar fight

 *love triangle *opposites attract  *happy ending  *representation of learning disability

*Jacob Morgan is one of the narrators, will need to check what else he's done* 

Trigger warnings: mention of drug use, mentions of attempted SA, some body shaming, self doubt, mentions of Chanel being a Nazi sympathizer 

What is your favorite Elle Kennedy book?  Would you recommend the original series?

**Potential spoiler ahead**

Nora is "the other woman" essentially early on in the book we know that she likes Fitz and goes on a date with him, she has been kind of the mean girl towards Summer off and on throughout the book then at the end she has their creepy professor's attention and ends up almost sexually assaulted in the bathroom by him... Summer finds them in this position and gets Nora away from the teacher.  Summer than basically demands that Nora make the report and instead of going to the police they go to the deans personal home after hours to do this.  I felt at this point I know that Nora was shaken up but it was "the Summer show" Nora didn't say much after they arrived to the Dean's home and it was very Summer is telling everything she got her dad on the phone as her "lawyer" and Nora as the victim was not really in control of this situation either, I get that Summer was trying to help but I think Nora should have been the bigger focus here in the telling of her story and it focused more on how Summer saved the day.

Aurrora St. James: The Earl's Timely Wallflower

 Taken By destiny Book 1 read in 2024, this is a trilogy and I would recommend reading them in order. 

Lily Bennett is a modern day woman who finds it hard to find a true place to call home she lives in Kentucky in a run down apartment, she is single, and has a lackluster job, her parents have passed away and she had been taking care of her younger sister but now she's grown up and living her own life.  Her brother is in the military and often has been away on lengthy missions, either way she has found herself in broken relationships with both of her siblings but she wants to mend this and move forward she misses them both and decides that she is going to make steps towards bringing the trio back together when she finds an unusual ornate clock at work (at a book shop) she attempts to fix the device when it transports her back to Regency England (1813).

Completely unprepared for the trip she's wearing modern clothing and ends up almost getting run over by a carriage she falls and hits her head, thankfully the lady (Violet) in the carriage feels horrible and takes her to the home she lives in with her older brother Gabriel Hawthorne Earl of Rothden.  The earl is of course very handsome and Lily notices this immediately. 

Gabriel has decided to host one last house party before returning to London, he isn't looking forward to going back and dealing with the season's activities which involve a lot of women (and their mom's) after him to choose them as a wife... most of them don't care about him as a person just his title and his money, but he does want his sister to have a suitable match.  Now he has another guest Lily she is beautiful although maybe she hit her head too hard because she starts talking about being from the future!  what? Well he is a gentleman and he will take care of her while she is under his roof.

Some extra drama occurs when Gabriel's Ex mistress arrives to the house party unannounced and attempts to get back in his good graces and cause issues between Gabriel and Lily.  

Gabriel is a true gentleman and is really supportive towards Lily but what if she finds a way to return to the future?  Where does that leave him?   Lily is now struggling and torn between wanting to return to the future (if she even can) and reunite with her brother and sister or stay in the past where she is falling for the Earl and loves his sister as well.  

While I did enjoy the book I did find it odd how easily those around Lily  accepted her story of being from the future and time travel, I figured there would have been a bit more drama there.  The story kept me wanting to read more and I read the other two books in the series after.  

Have you read anything by this writer?  what would you recommend?  What is your favorite time travel romance?

*time travel romance  *historical romance  *found family  *supportive side characters 

*feels kind of insta love  *Some spice  *Slow burn  *Earl  *happy ending  *dual POV

*a bit of some magical elements happening with one of the Earls friends

Trigger warnings: Self doubt and insecurity from female lead (low self esteem)

**possible spoiler:  *some people found the ending lacking since Lily spent the majority of the book wanting to go home and see her brother and sister again but at the end decided that they would be ok without her* 

Valerie Bowman: Duke looks like a groomsman

 

Book 2 in the Lords in disguise series read in 2025, I read the first in this series awhile ago and almost forgot what happened but there is over lap in this book to jog my memory.  I would suggest reading these in order.

Rhys Sheffield, the Duke of Worthington is a handsome playboy, during one of his get togethers with friends while there a friend declares he is looking for a wife but wants to be able to find one who will love him for himself and not for his money or title (this is the lead man from book 1) his friends offer up suggestions to help with his effort and during that discussion a bet is formed that 3 of the 4 gentleman can disguise themselves as servants at their 4th friends upcoming house party if they can do manual labor without quitting or being discovered by more than one or two other party guests they will win the bet (I believe it was around 1000 pounds).

No one believes that Rhys is capable of lasting the full party as a servant... he likes to drink, eat, sleep until the after noon and gamble away loads of money he isn't the type to be able to do manual labor, he's a pampered Duke with servants he couldn't possibly do the work of one.  Rhys is offended that even his friends think that he isn't up to the challenge... game on!  He will be the best groom that anyone has ever seen and win the bet.  

Lady Julianna Montgomery is a guest at the house party while she is already engaged she is looking out for her younger sister and trying to help her find a suitable husband, maybe they will be able to find one at this very party.  

Julianna loves horses and shortly after arriving to the party goes to see the stable where she runs into Rhys... what's he doing working with the horses and sleeping in the stables of all places, she is surprised to see him and learning about this bet he has with his friends she sets out to make his life difficult... he deserves it he did break her heart after all she thought they were on their way to forever love but just when she thought he would propose he left abruptly then never returned only sending a letter telling her she would be better off without him what is that even about she at least deserved to hear it from him in person!

**Possible Spoiler**  

I thought for sure that the letter was going to be from someone else because there is talk during the book that Julianna's dad doesn't like Rhys, it turns out that there is a twist to the story and it was sent from him but there is some additional things going on there. 

End of spoiler**

Handsome Rhys gets right to work enjoying Julianna's tasks and maybe even tempting her in the process taking off his shirt (so he doesn't get too sweaty of course).

Julianna begins with trying to make Rhys lose his bet even though she keeps his secret from the other guests... in the process she might be realizing that she still likes (maybe even loves Rhys) but she's betrothed to another man what is she going to do?  Oh and she finds out that her husband to be is coming to the house party this adds a bit of extra drama.

Running into Rhys has had old feelings coming to the surface and she realizes that maybe she wants more for herself than to be the perfect daughter and a obedient wife to a bland man with no personality.  Rhys believes Julianna only wanted to be with him for his title and with him out of the picture just went for the next best title.  

Julianna also irritated me in places that she was willing to go through with marriage to a man she didn't want to be with to spite Rhys because he wasn't stepping up to declare himself in a grand gesture to her and ask her to stop the engagement... even if our lead male never stepped up to get his lady she should have ended the engagement with the guy she didn't want to be with she still had other options as a beautiful Duke's daughter with a decent sized dowry.  

I plan to continue reading this series, I thought the story was ok as far as historical romance novels go but it was pretty repetitive and a lot of the plot was based on Miscommunication and no communication. 

*dukes *historical romance *banter *enemies to more  *second chance romance  *some spice (lighter)

*miscommunication/misunderstanding/lack of communication  *house party  *hidden identity  

*happy ending with a cliffhanger for cross over story line 

*female lead engaged to another man when some kisses and other things were going on with male lead

Elle Kennedy: The Dare

 Book 4 (Briar U series): read out of order in 2025 which was fine it's a stand alone

Taylor is in a sorority she lives off campus and has to occasionally get together at the house with the other sisters for group meetings and elsewhere for events (like fund raiser dances and parties).  Taylor is a beautiful girl but is very body conscious and throughout the book battles with her own inner thoughts, even though everyone else basically just says she has super big boobs and is a bit curvier, she's not an unhealthy weight but discusses covering up her body with baggy clothes to hide better.  

Connor Edwards is a hockey player who transferred from the west coast and is of course super hot and has ladies fighting to get near him, he has been around the campus with many of them and is known to not have any serious relationship lasting longer than a month max.  

During a party Taylor is dared by her sorority sister to get Connor to go upstairs with her for spicy times... how is she supposed to do that he's the hottest guy she's ever seen in real life she is going to have to be bold and just ask him knowing that these "sisters" gave her this dare in order to humiliate her knowing that Connor is going to turn her down flat... only he doesn't.

Connor has been bored with the different women just wanting to get with him thinking of him as a piece of meat... he's got feelings too and none of these girls want to know about him as a person they just want to say that they slept with a campus celebrity.  When Taylor approaches looking like a deer in headlights he is intrigued... next thing you know he's upstairs and they are talking for hours and end up falling asleep after putting on a production for their waiting audience in the hallway... he doesn't want to make things look bad for either of them after all.

Connor and Taylor decide to keep up with the fake relationship situationship and grow to be friends with benefits.  Connor is ashamed of his past where a shady childhood friend is holding something over his head, he's ashamed and thought that this guy was in the past where he left it but he comes back in after finding him in a bar while they are out of town, not wanting to get Taylor involved he temporarily brushes her off and doesn't tell her what's wrong.  Taylor is upset about the lack of communication and has some things to say after Connor comes clean about what's going on.  

Connor grew up poor and has a lot of insecurities with only being more well off now because his mom married a wealthy guy (who is paying for his college tuition and everything else and he doesn't want to lose that support).  

After this first situation is cleared up between our couple... Taylor ends up in a situation where she doesn't communicate with Connor or allow him to decide what he wants to do for himself which is surprising since she was recently upset that Connor wasn't talking to her and now she's doing the same thing to him.

This too ends up getting worked out it was just a bit frustrating that there was so much miscommunication for awhile and back to back with 2 break ups.  For the most part I liked the book and the couple, it was fairly repetitive with some of the plot points but I do plan to go back and read the rest of the series.  

I did like that Taylor started to stand up for herself more with the mean girls at her sorority, she has a feisty friend there who always had her back but towards the end of the book she started to really hold her own against Queen B Abigail... and Abigail herself even has some changes.

**Possible Spoiler**  Taylor kind of irritated me from the book it sounded like she was an average sized woman not a size 2 but like probably a 12 or something with some curves and large breasts but from how she felt about herself at times I thought she was going to be larger... she's fine just the way she is really and she was wanting to praise Connor for not fat shaming her too (like she was doing to herself).  Connor did his part to try to make her feel better about herself but several times in the book did it in a way where he was body shaming a different woman's body type (he likes curvier women... not sticks) 

What is your favorite Elle Kennedy book?  Have you read this series? 

*hockey romance *sports romance *college *young adult  *virgin MFC  *slow burn  *some spice 

*fake dating --> more  *mean girls  *miscommunication/ no communication *some humor *banter

*college parties 

trigger warnings: Body shaming/negativity,  mentions of home invasion, theft, and shady dealings with drug dealers, hazing, cyber crime (revenge porn) 

Pippa Grant: Until it was Love

 Copper Valley Pounders book 1 read in 2025

Goldie is a life coach, author and influencer she has a great job which she loves and when we meet her she is going to be moving to England in a few short weeks for a great job opportunity that she doesn't want to pass up... she did that once for a man but not again.

Fletcher Huxley is a international rugby star who has recently been sent from a top tier team in England over to the Copper Valley Pounders in the US, Rugby in the states isn't as popular of a sport as it is in the rest of the world... but Fletcher wants to change that he's not a too old, washed up player that needs to quit he still has at least a few years in him and he's going to prove it to his ex coach and ex team mates when this new team is at the top of their game and selling out the venues where they play.

Fletcher is handsome (muscular/athletic) he looks like Tom Selleck and Burt Reynolds had a baby... or at least that's what I pictured him looking like throughout the book since they kept bringing up the man's mustache, this was a bit much a few jokes about it fine... but it was throughout the whole book gah!  Anyways back to our couple...

Fletcher is on the same team as Goldie's younger brother and they end up going to help Goldie's friends with a blood drive where he passes out on her (meet cute sort of...) they have met before (or at least been in the same place at the same time) briefly where Goldie over heard Fletcher bad mouthing her years prior when she was still playing soccer, she has since had to end her dreams of playing professionally due to an injury so she knows a thing or two about having to give up on a dream and looking for a way to work towards new goals.  

Lately Goldie's brother has been sabotaging every relationship she has tried to have and she's sick of it she's an adult, so when she finds out that her brother hates Fletcher what would be better than fake dating the enemy, it works for both of them Fletcher is a twice divorced playboy and not looking for anything really serious and why shouldn't Goldie have a bit of fun prior to her big move.  

Fletcher has an adorable dog, Goldie has lost her girl friends when her last serious relationship ended badly but has made friends with 3 adorable elderly ladies who have taken her into their group with loving arms and she has a super cute niece who also befriends Fletcher and Silas (Goldie's brother) isn't happy about it.  

Spending more time together while faking their relationship naturally leads to their situationship and faking starting to feel more real especially when they talk about child hood issues and past relationships and what went wrong.  But Goldie is leaving soon and Fletcher doesn't really want anything serious he has been there done that and he doesn't want to get burned again.  

I have read other stories by this author and they tend to be pretty kooky/quirky at times as far as plot and dialogue goes so prepare for that if you decide to read this book or any of her other books.  I enjoyed this more than the last Pippa Grant book I read, but there were definitely some cringe dialogue/moments and I didn't really see them "falling" for each other in such a short period of time, I would consider it insta lust/love at that point since they spent such a short amount of time together. 

 I did finish the book and got the second book in this series which I plan to read soon.   

what is your favorite Pippa Grant book?  

*sports romance  *rugby romance  *female lead was a soccer player  *enemies --> more   

*Brooding MMC  *Grumpy/sunshine  *friends --> more  *fake dating/fake relationship 

*younger brother's team mate   *spice  *Slow burn  *happy ending  *banter *humor *drama

--> author mentions different characters race and sometimes sexual orientation  throughout the book after reading some other reviews there was a pattern where some readers found it hard to over look with how often it was mentioned even with characters only brought up once where it wasn't something the reader needed to know.  

Savanna Golden: stealing Squatch

 Silver Ridge Shifters book 2  

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227752466-stealing-squatch

This is the second book in this series but I read this out of order and I wish I hadn't after finishing the book because many of the things from the first book are brought up in this one, it is advertised as a stand alone but I would suggest reading them in order.  I will go back and read the first one but might wait a bit between.

Our leading lady Kai is a shifter (wolf) and has been found to have a fated mate he's a really sweet guy Alder he is also a shifter (sasquatch).  Kai while she doesn't dislike Alder... she dislikes the whole "fated mates" situation since her parents were always at each other and fighting due to this she never wanted that for herself and turns away from Alder trying her best to avoid him.  

Kai is part of a pack that her best friend (Finley) is now the leader of, she is second in command and in charge of security for the group.  Their pack has recently become inclusive to other species including Alder and his best friend Xan who is a warlock (and Finley's fated mate).

Alder even though Kai continues to avoid him is determined to win over his mate he wants a love match and knows that they could have true happiness if she would just give him the time of day... his latest plan is to make their own space away from the rest of the group while out getting supplies for their home and breakfast (a man/squatch) has to eat!  Anyways while out he runs into an evil witch from out of town and falls under her spell next thing you know Alder and this new woman are going to be "mates"... not on Kai's watch Alder is her squatch, get back witch!  

This book had drama, action, love, friendship and heart!  If I were a shifter I would want to be part of this pack they really care about each other. 

This was a cute quick read that happened over a short period of time and swapped POV's regularly.  While I kind of wished there was more focus on our lead characters relationship and less jumping around between everyone I did enjoy the story and liked seeing our couple finally find each other and their happy ending.  

have you read anything by this author?  have you read this book?  

*multiple POV  *some spice (lighter)  *fated mates  *cinnamon roll MMC  *shifter romance  

*found family *happy ending  *Indie author 

Lynn Rush + Kelly Anne Blount: In the Penalty Box

 Read in 2023

Willow is a figure skater she suffers an injury and is worried that her skating dreams are gone but she's a hard worker and knows that she can get back to where she was with rehab and a competitive spirit.  

Brodie is the captain of the hockey team, he's just as driven to succeed as Willow is and when a championship win is on the line with college scouts at the event he needs to do what he needs to do to help his team succeed... even if that means convincing a figure skater to try out for goalie when the other options are looking grim at the moment.

Willow faces challenges as a female goalie on a male team but she's fierce... no sweat she's got this!  Also would it be weird for the rest of the team to know that their captain and goalie are into each other?  

Brodie and Willow both have some bigger issues they are dealing with at home making you as the reader want a happy ending for our couple.  

I really loved the Cutting Edge when I was a kid and I love the Hockey boy + figure skater pairing, it was great seeing their relationship grow and how they were able to teach each other new things and help push each other towards their goals.  Brodie worries that Willow will get called back to her figure skating world and want to stay there... what about their team?  What about him?  

Willow becomes torn between these two different parts of her life throughout the book you see how much she misses figure skating and how she would love to be back on top again going for her golden goals... but she also loves her Hockey team and being able to handle her own on a boys team has been rewarding... and she really likes Brodie, she doesn't want to let down him or her team.  

have you read this before?  Have you read anything else by these authors?  

what would you recommend?

*Young Adult *Hockey/Sports romance *Ice Skater *High school *Dual POV  *clean (no spice)

 *age appropriate read  *slow burn  *Friends --> more 

*small town *secret relationship (hiding it from the team) *happy ending  

Trigger warnings:  Death of parent discussed, alcoholism