Sweet, naïve Elora was used to living on a boat her whole life, so when she gets to Ridder U she doesn't know what she's in for. And I'm not just talking about with possessive and sweet hockey player, Wyatt. Wyatt had his heart broken, can he ever trust anyone again?
I really love that it's told in dual point of views, which shows Wyatt's apprehension to trust again and Elora's eagerness to experience new things. It was refreshing that it was a slow burn and they took their time to get to know each other..
I really enjoyed the first half, but the second half was meh for me. Some of the characters choices had me saying, really? But, overall, I did like it and will read the rest of the series when they come out.
*Thanks to the author and Booksprout for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving a honest review*
Sweet, naïve Elora was used to living on a boat her whole life, so when she gets to Ridder U she doesn't know what she's in for. And I'm not just talking about with possessive and sweet hockey player, Wyatt. Wyatt had his heart broken, can he ever trust anyone again?
I really love that it's told in dual point of views, which shows Wyatt's apprehension to trust again and Elora's eagerness to experience new things. It was refreshing that it was a slow burn and they took their time to get to know each other..
I really enjoyed the first half, but the second half was meh for me. Some of the characters choices had me saying, really? But, overall, I did like it and will read the rest of the series when they come out.
*Thanks to the author and Booksprout for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving a honest review*
4.25 ⭐ Zoe & Mitch meet at a bar one night. They agree to have one night only with "no emotions, no attachments" and to never see each other again.4.25 ⭐ Zoe & Mitch meet at a bar one night. They agree to have one night only with "no emotions, no attachments" and to never see each other again. Flash forward to the next day and guess who now works together. Also, guess who can't stop thinking about each other.
Zoe has recently returned to Wichita after leaving home 4 years prior. As the only daughter and youngest child of Christian Albright, Zoe has never been able to live her life the way she wants. She's always been under her controlling fathers thumb ~ which infuriates me. Her father and 4 brothers really bugged me until the very end ~ they were quite maddening.
Mitch has recently moved to Wichita for a new job as a lawyer at the Albright law firm. He doesn't plan on sticking around for too long, or letting anyone in his life. He has a little bit of a sad secret that takes us a long time to find out what it is. Chapter 19 actually gave me some chills.
I really liked Zoe and Mitch ~ they were both well written characters and really had a fun time together.
Although I didn't care for the 4 brothers for most of the book, I wouldn't mind if this was turned into a series following their love lives. And I'll, also, need Z & M to make cameos to see how they're doing. Hint, hint ~ Lynn Stevens
Side note ~ How come Zoe just answers the phone without looking at the caller id? She did it multiple times. That’s just crazy talk.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Merged review:
4.25 ⭐ Zoe & Mitch meet at a bar one night. They agree to have one night only with "no emotions, no attachments" and to never see each other again. Flash forward to the next day and guess who now works together. Also, guess who can't stop thinking about each other.
Zoe has recently returned to Wichita after leaving home 4 years prior. As the only daughter and youngest child of Christian Albright, Zoe has never been able to live her life the way she wants. She's always been under her controlling fathers thumb ~ which infuriates me. Her father and 4 brothers really bugged me until the very end ~ they were quite maddening.
Mitch has recently moved to Wichita for a new job as a lawyer at the Albright law firm. He doesn't plan on sticking around for too long, or letting anyone in his life. He has a little bit of a sad secret that takes us a long time to find out what it is. Chapter 19 actually gave me some chills.
I really liked Zoe and Mitch ~ they were both well written characters and really had a fun time together.
Although I didn't care for the 4 brothers for most of the book, I wouldn't mind if this was turned into a series following their love lives. And I'll, also, need Z & M to make cameos to see how they're doing. Hint, hint ~ Lynn Stevens
Side note ~ How come Zoe just answers the phone without looking at the caller id? She did it multiple times. That’s just crazy talk.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review....more
I loved the sweetness of these best friends finally realizing they were meant to be together. If quick, steamy, dual pov, friends to lovers stories arI loved the sweetness of these best friends finally realizing they were meant to be together. If quick, steamy, dual pov, friends to lovers stories are your jam then you'll be sure to fall in love with Mateo and Eden.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Merged review:
I loved the sweetness of these best friends finally realizing they were meant to be together. If quick, steamy, dual pov, friends to lovers stories are your jam then you'll be sure to fall in love with Mateo and Eden.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review....more
The little community of neighbors on Jackson Crescent were having a jolly good time singing Christmas carols together until a sink hole uncovers a skeleton.
Our 2 narrators are: Lucy ~ adult daughter of Sebastian and Jennifer. Lucy spends her days caring for her mother who has Parkinson's and is non-verbal and immobile. Neil ~ detective on the case with partner, Sherry. I really enjoyed their working relationship and I wouldn't mind reading another one that features their stellar detective skills. Unbeknownst to Lucy and Neil, their history goes back 20 years prior when 13 year old Lucy babysat 4 year old Neil one night.
There was a lot of emphasis on Lucy's weight for some reason, not really sure why other than to show how horrible her mother was to her about it. This girl can dog some chocolate like no other though.
Regarding the animal abuse ~ I never feel like this is okay. There were 2 instances at the end that could have been left out and the story would have been just fine, so I had to dock some points.
Overall, a fine thriller. I did have a bit of it figured out, but it was still enjoyable.
*Thanks to A.A. Abbott and Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for providing me with an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
The little community of neighbors on Jackson Crescent were having a jolly good time singing Christmas carols together until a sink hole uncovers a skeleton.
Our 2 narrators are: Lucy ~ adult daughter of Sebastian and Jennifer. Lucy spends her days caring for her mother who has Parkinson's and is non-verbal and immobile. Neil ~ detective on the case with partner, Sherry. I really enjoyed their working relationship and I wouldn't mind reading another one that features their stellar detective skills. Unbeknownst to Lucy and Neil, their history goes back 20 years prior when 13 year old Lucy babysat 4 year old Neil one night.
There was a lot of emphasis on Lucy's weight for some reason, not really sure why other than to show how horrible her mother was to her about it. This girl can dog some chocolate like no other though.
Regarding the animal abuse ~ I never feel like this is okay. There were 2 instances at the end that could have been left out and the story would have been just fine, so I had to dock some points.
Overall, a fine thriller. I did have a bit of it figured out, but it was still enjoyable.
*Thanks to A.A. Abbott and Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for providing me with an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, single mom, dementia, references to child abuse
Shelly and her 10 year old daughter, Lauren, have moved into the t4⭐
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, single mom, dementia, references to child abuse
Shelly and her 10 year old daughter, Lauren, have moved into the tight-nit neighborhood of Beech Close after Shelly's mom has passed away. Shelly's house is the only rental out of 6 houses making her already feel like an outlier. But when she figures out the previous tenant, Danielle, moved out abruptly and is now deemed missing she can't help but suspect her neighbors know more than they are letting on.
It was a bit slow moving since there is a lot more monologue than dialogue making for some long paragraphs. It took me a few chapters to keep everyone's name and house number straight. There were some delightful and some not so delightful characters and everyone seemed like they could be a suspect one time or another. I really enjoyed Shelly and Josh's relationship ~ they were definitely bff goals. Josh's mom, Joyce, was great too. I loved Teddy the dog ~ he was referenced so often that I thought something bad might happen to him, but thankfully he was unharmed throughout.
My heart was really pounding at the end there ~ one of my biggest fears is what happened after she was out of the van. I was really pleased with how everything turned out. I'll definitely be reading more of Gemma's work in the future.
*Thanks to Gemma Rogers, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Featuring ~ multiple 3rd person POV, softball, college, FF, age gap (19 & 27), homophobia, derogatory remarks, coming of age, steamage, under 100 pageFeaturing ~ multiple 3rd person POV, softball, college, FF, age gap (19 & 27), homophobia, derogatory remarks, coming of age, steamage, under 100 pages
Daphne (Dee) & Sara Dee is in college and still living with her parents. They are very 'my house my rules' type of parents even though she is technically an adult. They made her quit playing softball in high school, so she goes behind their back and joins a team where she meets Sara.
Her parents are awful and Dee finally has had enough when they invade her privacy in the worst way. She flees in the night and stays with Sara. It was fun to watch her realize she was gay and how she navigates the beginning of her first relationship.
Overall, a quick read that I found to be well written, except for not having any transition with the POV's. I could definitely tell that the author has experience writing this genre. The ending was somewhat abrupt, though and I could have went for a little more ~ maybe they'll be a sequel?
*Thanks to Sam Kestrel for asking me to read your book. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Featuring ~ single 3rd person POV, music, MM, BDSM, age gap (25 & 45), 1975 timeline, 100~ish pages, steamage
Damian & Lukas Damian is a rock star and sFeaturing ~ single 3rd person POV, music, MM, BDSM, age gap (25 & 45), 1975 timeline, 100~ish pages, steamage
Damian & Lukas Damian is a rock star and struggling with his sexuality. Lukas has years of experience being a paid dominant. Damian hires Lukas to help him explore his submissive side.
They had great chemistry and I enjoyed watching Damian figure out what was missing from his life. There are a few BDSM scenes and even though this is a short read I don't feel like that overpowered the story.
I found it to be well written and if you're looking to dabble in MM and/or BDSM this would be a good book to begin with.
*Thanks to Avery Arden for asking me to read your book. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, 3 part story, heart defect, single mom
Jeremy is just 12 years old as he narrates this story. He acts well beyon3.5⭐
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, 3 part story, heart defect, single mom
Jeremy is just 12 years old as he narrates this story. He acts well beyond his years as he tried his best to help his widowed mother pay her debts. What he does in order to get money is truly heartwarming.
He and his best dog friend, Leon, have an adorable bond as they trek around town together. I haven't been to Paris, but I felt the author did a nice job of depicting what it's like. I am not sure when he ever had time to do his schoolwork though as he seemed to always be on the go.
There was a bit of extra information and repetitiveness that made this slow moving at times, but the tone of the story comes across as if he really was 12 years old. Overall, a heartwarming tale that also has some heartbreak.
*Thanks to Indrajit Garai for sharing your book with me. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
This is book 2 in The Conditions series that follows Maggie and Jane's amateur sleuthing. I did not read Turn Key Condition, so I have no clue if 3.5⭐
This is book 2 in The Conditions series that follows Maggie and Jane's amateur sleuthing. I did not read Turn Key Condition, so I have no clue if this is really a standalone. I know that's when Maggie met her boyfriend, Tuna, who is the local cop, but that's about it.
Featuring ~ multiple 3rd person POV, cozy mystery, murder, under 100 pages
We mainly follow characters: Jane, Maggie, Tuna, Lilith & Dominga.
Maggie's estranged sister in law, Viv, dies at the hair salon while Jane is under the industrial hood dryer. As the story unfolds and the narrators alternate, the author sneakily builds up the mystery surrounding Viv's death. I did have my inklings along the way and although I figured out the who I did not guess the why.
Most of the characters were well developed. We have a few hate~able ones as expected. I liked Jane's side gig of working on the Jane Doe website where they match missing persons with dead bodies ~ is that really a thing?
Overall, a quick read that, while isn't perfect, gets the job done as a cozy mystery.
*Thank you M.L. Ortega for asking me to read your book. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Our narrators are Emily in the present and Mari in the past.
BFF's and author's Emily and Chess head to Italy to reconnect and write. They stay at a Villa where a murder took place decades ago that involves Mari, who is an author too. Emily is fascinated by this and wants to figure out what happened. It's a book within a book since we have multiple authors putting their two cents in. Wasn't super in love with any of the characters really.
Regarding the infidelity ~ I called who it was with and I didn't like it and I didn't like how Emily dealt with it.
Had a bit of an eye roll at this part "So, maybe it wasn't completely crazy to think Mari came back here to hide one last thing. Maybe I just misinterpreted the riddle. That's when I spot it." seemed like she was in the right place at the right time to have this thought.
Overall, it was fine, not mind-blowing, with an eye catching cover.
I was fortunate enough to receive a kindle copy and the audiobook to review. Both ways were fine, but I did more listening than reading. The narrators are Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell and Shiromi Arserio for 7 hours and 57 minutes and 44 seconds. I was very pleased with all of them and so happy there were three.
*Thanks to the author, St Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my audio and ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Secrets run deep with childhood friends Naomi, Cassidy and Olivia and they're still haunted 22 years later. There were some nice twists I didn't see coming ~ whoop whoop! This was a solid suspenseful thriller with a shocking conclusion and this author is on my radar now. From what I gather this is her debut in adult fiction as she normally writes YA, so job well done.
BTW ~ I liked that Naomi never wanted to cover up her facial scars.
I was fortunate enough to receive a kindle copy and the audiobook to review. Either way was great. Narration notes: Karissa is a well seasoned narrator and did a fantastic job as always.
*Thanks to Kate Alice Marshall, Macmillan audio, Flatiron Books and Netgally for my audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Featuring ~ single 1st person & 3rd person POV, dual timeline ~ now and 10 years ago, death, pedophilia references
We've got some amateur sleuthin3.5⭐
Featuring ~ single 1st person & 3rd person POV, dual timeline ~ now and 10 years ago, death, pedophilia references
We've got some amateur sleuthing going on by Kate when she comes back to town to care for her mother and her old BFF, Emma, dies. Initially deemed a suicide, Kate isn't so sure. And then she learns other men have turned up dead throughout the years in the same manner as Brad 10 years ago. BTW ~ Brad's death is the reason she hightailed it outta town, which was weird.
The now timeline is in the 1st person and 10 years ago is in the 3rd, which was really the only way I knew which timeline we were in. I could have went for it to be titled or something. Maybe it's easier to decipher in a print version? With that said I did enjoy this one for the most part. The dual timeline helped build the suspense of how Brad really died. There were some secrets and twistaroos I hadn't guessed.
I gotta round my 3.5 down because after Kate reads Emma's note it felt like I heard her wonder who she could trust like 87 times. I didn't really care for any other characters either, except for Kate's mom and Jimmy.
Narrated by Kate Handford for 10 hours and 57 minutes. She sounded robotic at times, but overall did a fine job.
*Thanks to the author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for my audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, dual timeline ~ now & then, missing child, infidelity
Baby, Mason, was taken from his crib while Isabelle and Ben4⭐
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, dual timeline ~ now & then, missing child, infidelity
Baby, Mason, was taken from his crib while Isabelle and Ben slept down the hall. I was pretty pleased with most of the realisticness of it all ~ I probably wouldn't ever be able to sleep again either and I wouldn't rest until I knew what happened, however I wouldn't speak at the true crime conferences because I hate public speaking. I gotta say that I am getting pretty tired of husband's that are like Ben.
We have the 'then' timeline of Isabelle's childhood that revealed a few surprises that kept the story moving at a nice pace. I was also surprised about how Mason's disappearance played out, so jackpot with that. Overall, a pretty great psychological thriller.
Narrated by Karissa Vacker for 9 hours and 55 minutes, easy to follow at 2-2.5x. She did a lovely job. When she was in the 'then' she made her voice sound more childlike and I appreciated that.
*Thanks to Stacy Willingham, Macmillan Audio and Netgally for my audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
3.5⭐ Genre ~ thriller Setting ~ Boston, Massachusetts Publication date ~ December 27, 2022 Est page Count ~ 398 Audio length ~ 10 hours 33 minutes Narrator3.5⭐ Genre ~ thriller Setting ~ Boston, Massachusetts Publication date ~ December 27, 2022 Est page Count ~ 398 Audio length ~ 10 hours 33 minutes Narrators ~ Stephanie Cozart and Christina Moore POV ~ dual 1st Featuring ~ debut, police procedural, murder, childhood trauma, infidelity references
Molly is married to Jay, who turns up dead in their home after a night of partying for his 40th birthday. Rita is our detective on the case.
Molly had a traumatic childhood (I can't remember if we found out why early on, so I won't spoil why just in case), which makes her think Jay's murder has something to do with that. Could that be true or did Jay have some secrets of his own that lead to his demise?
Can't say I enjoyed Rita as a person, but I like that we had the police procedural side of things and I think they worked well to solve the case.
This was a bit slow moving at points, but I liked this one as a debut. I didn't see the murderer coming and that thrilled me, so for that I'll round my 3.5 up to 4. I'll give this author a whirl again.
Narration notes: Wasn't wowed by either of their voices really. Stephanie's voice sounded robotic at times.
*Thanks to Terri Parlato, RB Media and NetGalley for my audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Featuring ~ dual 1st person POV, lawyers, age gap, alphahole, billionaire, boss/employee, best friend's cousin, cousin's best friend, enemies-to-4.25⭐
Featuring ~ dual 1st person POV, lawyers, age gap, alphahole, billionaire, boss/employee, best friend's cousin, cousin's best friend, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, office romance, one night stand, good amount of steamage
You don't need a lighter for your cigarette if you are around Declan & Hannah cuz their chemistry is full of flames.
Hannah is a delight. Super smart, super sweet and handled working with Declan with professional ease Declan is an alphahole to the max and down right rude at times. But for every a$$holery thing he says and does he eventually becomes just as sweet as nutella brownies.
There are only a few scenes of the steamage nature, but they are long and descriptive and scorching ~ totally cold shower worthy. I've listened to the first three books and read this one, but I have no doubt I'd be crossing my legs if I'd listened to this one.
Ford is still my favorite Dalton, but Hannah is a close second. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what Camden has to offer in the final book in this series ~ The Bachelor.
*Thanks to Marni Mann and Valentine PR for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
4.25⭐ Genre ~ contemporary romance Setting ~ NYC Publication date ~ March 1, 2021 Est page Count ~ 397 Audio length ~ 12 hours 24 minutes Narrators ~ Lauren4.25⭐ Genre ~ contemporary romance Setting ~ NYC Publication date ~ March 1, 2021 Est page Count ~ 397 Audio length ~ 12 hours 24 minutes Narrators ~ Lauren Sweet, Tor Thom POV ~ dual 1st Featuring ~ lawyer, bedazzle queen, tv reality show, grump, sunshine, minimal steamage
Luna & Alec These two do not get off on the right foot when they meet at the first taping of The Wedding Game. It's a classic case of judging a book by its cover, but once they spend more time together and get to know one another their fondness grows.
Most of the side characters were great, with a few exceptions as expected. Thad was quite something and you couldn't help but feel bad that he felt neglected.
This had it's fun moments and some I want to wring your neck moments. All in all, pretty delightful.
Narration notes: I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.
Well I wasn't aware of this novella prequel until after I read You Had Your Chance, Lee Burrows, which I am not really happy about. I would suggest reWell I wasn't aware of this novella prequel until after I read You Had Your Chance, Lee Burrows, which I am not really happy about. I would suggest reading this first so that you will have a better understanding of how Shayna and Lee's relationship began and why there is an 8 year time jump.
Featuring ~ dual 1st person POV, college, football, quarterback, tutor, bet, one steamage encounter
Lee is failing Biology and needs a tutor to get his grade up, so he doesn't get benched. Step in the smartest girl in the class, Shayna. Lee takes on a bet to sleep with her from his tool of a teammate. You can probably guess how it'll pan out.
Overall, this was a good start to the series, I just wish I read it first.
It is available for Free on Amazon, so that was a bonus.
I was delighted that Jen reached out and asked me to read her trilogy. I haven’t read too many books of this nature, but I like to keep an open mi3.5⭐
I was delighted that Jen reached out and asked me to read her trilogy. I haven’t read too many books of this nature, but I like to keep an open mind and help a new author spread the word of her work.
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, college, age gap (10 years), BDSM, control, alphahole
Chloe and Kat have successfully run their business Closet Connections out of their Harvard dorm room for 6 years. As they near graduation they need capital in order to keep their business going. They strike a deal with Sebastian, Jess and Nicholas at Apex Industries to not only give them funds they need to succeed, but Chloe gets a little more than she bargained for when Sebastian proposes she be his submissive for 72 hours a month.
I really liked the idea of Closet Connections. They were very committed and worked tirelessly to make it a success. Chloe, Kat and Madison worked well together and I enjoyed their friendship.
Chloe was frustrating to me at times. She seemed to have a knack for business, even being so young and a fresh graduate from Harvard, but she was all over the place with how her interactions with Sebastian were. She was obviously inexperienced and out of her element, but she adapted for the sake of her business, and ended up enjoying herself. Sebastian is definitely intense and was a bit scary at times. I wouldn’t have minded a couple of chapters with his POV.
There was a cliffhanger, so I’m interested to see what happens in the next book that will follow Kat and Jess.
*As a few other reviews state, I do agree that some editing is needed*
4⭐ Genre ~ sports romance Series ~ Kingsmen Football Stars #1) Others in the series ~ books #0.5 - 3 Setting ~ California Publication date ~ December 27, 24⭐ Genre ~ sports romance Series ~ Kingsmen Football Stars #1) Others in the series ~ books #0.5 - 3 Setting ~ California Publication date ~ December 27, 2022 Est page Count ~ 260 Audio length ~ 6 hours 23 minutes Narrators ~ Joe Arden, Callie Dalton POV ~ dual 1st Featuring ~ met in college, characters in their late 20's, football, quarterback, athletic trainer, office (field) romance, one sided enemies to lovers, secret dating, steamage
Lee & Shayna Shayna is the new athletic trainer and Lee is the star quarterback of the San Francisco Kingsmen. They haven't seen each other in 8 years after a bet drew a wedge in their budding relationship. Shayna tries to stay mad at Lee, but it's super hard when he's genuinely sorry for what he did and he's got rock hard, smooth abs to boot.
Yes it's predictable because we know how the sneaking around due to a no fraternizing policy will turn out if you've read the trope before. The usual conflict towards the end I could have went without, but all wrapped up perfectly.
Series notes: Please do yourself a favor and read the prequel False Start first as it gives the scoop of the bet that took place in college. There's a link to get it free on my review there.
It was exciting meeting some of the players on the team and I'm looking forward to each of their books. Up next is You Can't Kiss the Nanny, Brady Banks. After I am done with their football series I will most definitely have to check out the Hockey Hotties.
*Thanks to Piper Rayne and Valentine PR for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Heather Adores Books
>
Books:
2022
(369)
Loading...
