Hello and Happy Friday!
Anyone else loving the extremely warm weather we're having? Between BBQ and basking in the sun, I'm enjoying myself outside. Do you have any great plans for the weekend or are you like me, looking forward to a chill and relaxing time?
Alright, below I'm sharing a week's worth of what I'm currently reading, what I want to read, and several romance book bargains.
Hopefully you find something to enjoy here too. Have an amazing weekend!!
What I'm Reading Now
What I'm Hoping to Read Next
Unintended by Ari Reavis
Raise the Blood by Nenia Campbell
Master of Salt & Bones by Keri Lake
Raise the Blood by Nenia Campbell
Master of Salt & Bones by Keri Lake
Romance Book Bargains
 FREEThe Bradens at Peaceful Harbor #1
Genre: contemporary |
 FREEThe Bradens at Trusty #1
Genre: contemporary |
 FREEThe Baker's Creek Brothers #2
Genre: contemporary |
 FREEThe Chicago War #1
Genre: contemporary |
 $1.99Harbinger #1
Genre: fantasy |
 $1.99The Iron Fey: Evenfall #1
Genre: fantasy |
 99cMy Hockey Romance #1
Genre: contemporary |
 99cMoon Shifter #6
Genre: paranormal |
 FREEPrincess of Hell #1
Genre: paranormal |
 FREEbox set
Genre: paranormal |
 FREENighthawks MC #1
Genre: paranormal |
 $2.49standalone
Genre: romcom |
 $1.99Tickled Pink #1
Genre: contemporary |
 $1.99Tickled Pink #2
Genre: contemporary |
 $1.99standalone
Genre: suspense |
 $2.99Chronicles #1
Genre: fantasy |
 $2.99Chronicles #2
Genre: fantasy |
 $2.99standalone
Genre: contemporary |
 $2.49standalone
Genre: contemporary |
 $2.49standalone
Genre: contemporary |
 $2.99standalone
Genre: contemporary |
 $2.99standalone
Genre: contemporary |
 $1.99standalone
Genre: contemporary |
 $2.99Stope Packs #2
Genre: paranormal |
Hey everyone and welcome to another Throwback Thursday! Every other week I'll be sharing my book recommendations within a specific romantic trope or theme.
Today I'm sharing the first five Small Town romance books I've loved and reviewed on the blog. I'm still pretty new to this trope, but I've found so many amazing reads in it and hope to find even more.
If you happen to know of a book in this theme that you think I'd love, please let me know.
Detecting Lust by Mikey Lee
Everything about it was bloody genius! This story has an amazing couple, some suspense, and plenty of drama to keep anyone entertained. I'm still very thankful to Pam for introducing me to this author's work.
Find my review HERE
My Kinda Kisses by Lacey Black
Light-hearted, feel-good fun. I enjoyed the main characters, but the side ones had me busting a gut as well. Everyone was so amazing and I really loved the small town feel of everything.
Find my review HERE
Beyond Repair by Annie Hughes
I can honestly say that I've never met someone quite like Lydia before, but I wish I had. I think anyone who reads this book will love Lydia too. She was suffering and she was such a beautiful person that you couldn't help but root for her to triumph. It's the first book of a duet and I highly recommend reading them in order.
Find my review HERE
Get You Some by Lani Lynn Vale
I still don’t know how she does it, but Lani Lynn Vale keeps giving me characters to fall in love with. Every. Single. Time. Y'all know how much I love this author and her books don't miss for me. If you haven't tried her yet, you should get you some :)
Find my review HERE
When We Kiss by Tia Louise
It was a small-town romance about a delusional girl and a hot AF deputy. I think that sums it up pretty well.
Find my review HERE
Unexpected is a standalone erotic romance.
No cheating, no cliffhanger, and HEA guaranteed!
Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon
No cheating, no cliffhanger, and HEA guaranteed!
Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon
Unexpected by Ari Reavis
Rating -
Standalone - More Than One Night #1
Release - July 25, 2022
Genre - Contemporary Romance / secret baby
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - explicit
Source - Kindle Unlimited
Length - 162 pages
Unexpected.
That’s exactly what the night Alana spends with Ethan is. When she walks into the bar, all she wants is to drink away the horrible weekend she’s just had. Instead, she ends up leaving with a stranger, giving in to a passion she’s never felt before. Only, she ends up wanting him much more than she can afford to.
Ethan didn’t plan on bringing Alana back to his hotel room, or the way each kiss and touch would make him crave her more. But their time is cut short when he comes out of the bathroom and finds her gone. When he next sees her, five months later, he’s in for a surprise.
She’s pregnant, and now two strangers need to figure out how to be parents together, all while deciding whether to embrace or deny all the feelings they left behind in that room months ago.
That’s exactly what the night Alana spends with Ethan is. When she walks into the bar, all she wants is to drink away the horrible weekend she’s just had. Instead, she ends up leaving with a stranger, giving in to a passion she’s never felt before. Only, she ends up wanting him much more than she can afford to.
Ethan didn’t plan on bringing Alana back to his hotel room, or the way each kiss and touch would make him crave her more. But their time is cut short when he comes out of the bathroom and finds her gone. When he next sees her, five months later, he’s in for a surprise.
She’s pregnant, and now two strangers need to figure out how to be parents together, all while deciding whether to embrace or deny all the feelings they left behind in that room months ago.
Don't you just love it when a one-night stand turns into happily ever after?
Alana came from a family who lived to put her down, to diminish her. They called it religion and she called it oppression. She got free, but they're her parents so she still allows him into her life, demeaning every action she makes. One night she wants to escape it all and finds a connection with Ethan. However, after a hot night of passion, she runs away. She knows that she could have so much more with him, but old habits die hard. But doesn't she deserve to be happy?
That one night of passion leads to a whole new life and Ethan wants to be there, every step of the way. These characters were so sweet and I loved how the chemistry between them only grew as they got to know each other better. Ethan's family, his best friend Bryce, and her best friend Livia added the love and support Alana desperately needed. There was even a suspenseful and heartbreaking twist that caught me by surprise.
I love the warmth and sensuality this author infuses her characters and stories with. I'm so glad there are more stories to come!
Ari Reavis is a wife and mother of five. Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, she enjoys staying in, devouring books and watching movies. Her kids are running around, her husband is trying to show her martial arts moves, and she's trying to write. Her day in a nutshell.
Find more about Ari and her books on her site: https://arireavis.wordpress.com
Hello and Happy Wednesday. I hope your week is off to a great start!
I'm sharing three books I read and quite enjoyed and maybe you'll find something here to read too!
Beautiful Burn by Adriane Leigh
hero pov
Contemporary Romance, student-teacher
Descriptive heat
260 pages
Auburn Lawrence has loved her English teacher, Reed West, since she was sixteen. Through brainstorming stories, reading classic literature, and plenty of fiery banter, they've forged a bond that neither of them expected.
Propelled by a chance encounter after her graduation, they discover just how deep their connection runs, but love requires more than chemistry to flourish. They spend three electrifying summer months discovering each other under a veil of forbidden passion and desperate lust before they learn that the unattainable is often destined to remain exactly that.
By the time temperatures dip and snowflakes fly, their relationship will face a deep freeze that threatens to snap the bond they thought they shared, shattering their lives one secret at a time.
Rating -
This book had tremendous potential. Maybe because it was short it didn't get to live up to it? I'm not sure. But I definitely liked the concept of the story. I'm not a huge fan of teacher-student romances (I'm a mom of girls!), however, if the student is at the age of consent, I have no worries. And this wasn't even the typical taboo story anyway.
This story is about a teacher (Reed) and a student (Auburn) who, in high school, had a platonic but deep connection through writing. They just clicked. But Reed didn't take it any further because of his respect for the rules and... oh yeah, dude was married. Actually he's married for pretty much most of the book lol. But fast forward 3 years after graduation and Auburn is home from college taking a summer school writing course. Guess who the teacher is??? Yup. Reed. Their connection is stronger than ever and is NO LONGER PLATONIC!! Get ready for some chemistry.
It's a quick read, the storyline doesn't feel that rushed even though it is, and I really liked it. My eyes stung at some parts (I'm not spoiling the plot for anyone) so you know the read was decent.
This book had tremendous potential. Maybe because it was short it didn't get to live up to it? I'm not sure. But I definitely liked the concept of the story. I'm not a huge fan of teacher-student romances (I'm a mom of girls!), however, if the student is at the age of consent, I have no worries. And this wasn't even the typical taboo story anyway.
This story is about a teacher (Reed) and a student (Auburn) who, in high school, had a platonic but deep connection through writing. They just clicked. But Reed didn't take it any further because of his respect for the rules and... oh yeah, dude was married. Actually he's married for pretty much most of the book lol. But fast forward 3 years after graduation and Auburn is home from college taking a summer school writing course. Guess who the teacher is??? Yup. Reed. Their connection is stronger than ever and is NO LONGER PLATONIC!! Get ready for some chemistry.
It's a quick read, the storyline doesn't feel that rushed even though it is, and I really liked it. My eyes stung at some parts (I'm not spoiling the plot for anyone) so you know the read was decent.
Slammer by Tabatha Vargo
Dual POV
Dark Romance, inmate
227 pages
The last place Christopher Jacobs, aka X, thought he’d find himself was behind bars. Ten years later, the boy he used to be is gone. In his place is the shell of a man with murder under his belt. Any emotion he once had was left under the gavel when he was given life in prison. That is until the new nurse in the infirmary joins the block. Putting your hands on a prison employee will get you the hole, but some things are worth their punishment, and something tells him Lyla will be worth more than he bargained for.
Lyla Evans isn’t sure about her new job at a maximum-security prison, but showing uncertainty and weakness isn’t an option. Taking care of murderers and rapists isn’t ideal, but survival is key. She’s warned ahead of time about a prisoner named X, but when she’s attacked, it’s the dangerous X that saves her. Fraternizing with the prisoners is forbidden, but sometimes the most forbidden things are the sweetest.
Rating -
She was life. I wasn’t.
I don't even know what to say. On one hand, I'd like to warn people. But then I think that would ruin this story's effect. You really do need to go in blind.
This story is about Christopher (X). When he was 19, he was charged with the brutal murders of his girlfriend and her friend. He remembers nothing aside from waking up to see the results of a massacre. For 10 years, he's been locked up in super max. The idealistic kid became the remorseful, brooding, lethal inmate known as X.
Evil radiated from him, even though he had a face that was obviously chiseled by angels.
Lyla is a woman who is literally on her face. She's got no food in her fridge, no idea how she's going to make rent or pay her bills, so she takes her freshly printed nursing degree and finds a job at the prison. She realizes that her honorable police officer father would probably roll over in his grave, but a girl's gotta eat.
When she first meets X, she finds that the rumors are true. He is extremely dangerous and scary and the scum of the Earth.
He was the slaughterer of men—the taker of life—the killer. A sinner with the body of a God and the face of a fallen angel, he was beautiful death—gorgeous hell.
She soon realizes that there is more to X than meets the eye. And when she figures out that he may be in prison for a crime he didn't commit, she proves how willing she is to sacrifice it all for the man she loves.
I can't even comfortably classify this as a romance. It's twisted and disturbed and I enjoyed the heck out of it... until the end. That's where I lost it and the star-docking had to commence. However, I can honestly say that this author's writing took me right into the depths of hell these characters were living in. I was there in the infirmary. I was a fly on the wall in the laundry room. I was there!
So if you're looking for a story that's going to make you deliciously uncomfortable, you've come to the right spot.
She was life. I wasn’t.
I don't even know what to say. On one hand, I'd like to warn people. But then I think that would ruin this story's effect. You really do need to go in blind.
This story is about Christopher (X). When he was 19, he was charged with the brutal murders of his girlfriend and her friend. He remembers nothing aside from waking up to see the results of a massacre. For 10 years, he's been locked up in super max. The idealistic kid became the remorseful, brooding, lethal inmate known as X.
Evil radiated from him, even though he had a face that was obviously chiseled by angels.
Lyla is a woman who is literally on her face. She's got no food in her fridge, no idea how she's going to make rent or pay her bills, so she takes her freshly printed nursing degree and finds a job at the prison. She realizes that her honorable police officer father would probably roll over in his grave, but a girl's gotta eat.
When she first meets X, she finds that the rumors are true. He is extremely dangerous and scary and the scum of the Earth.
He was the slaughterer of men—the taker of life—the killer. A sinner with the body of a God and the face of a fallen angel, he was beautiful death—gorgeous hell.
She soon realizes that there is more to X than meets the eye. And when she figures out that he may be in prison for a crime he didn't commit, she proves how willing she is to sacrifice it all for the man she loves.
I can't even comfortably classify this as a romance. It's twisted and disturbed and I enjoyed the heck out of it... until the end. That's where I lost it and the star-docking had to commence. However, I can honestly say that this author's writing took me right into the depths of hell these characters were living in. I was there in the infirmary. I was a fly on the wall in the laundry room. I was there!
So if you're looking for a story that's going to make you deliciously uncomfortable, you've come to the right spot.
Picked by Jettie Woodruff
Heroine POV
Contemporary Romance, taboo/polygamy
Descriptive heat
297 pages
It started with a game, a very different computer game, and a desire to know a life so intriguing and different from my own. I had just started to venture out with my own work at my father’s private investigating firm when our paths crossed on purpose. My purpose. I never expected things to go the way they did. I never expected him to be so nice and handsome. I couldn’t be number four. How could any woman love a man with more than one wife? Not only was it impossible, it was ridiculous. There was no way I was getting any closer. I was going to get in, dig around a little, and get out. That’s it. Does anything ever turn out the way we plan? Becker Cole’s wives were not the typical, obedient little housewives wearing aprons and submitting to him I had pegged them to be. They were cute, young and full of life. I loved them. All three of them. And somehow, I loved Becker too. Could I swallow the persona that society expected me to be and share him, or was this too much? Was I ready to be a part of this world? And if I wasn’t… could I just walk away?
Rating -
This is the first book I've read from this author and I'm not sure if I'll go back for more. The writing style of this book was quite different and the editing threw me off. It would mention Christina cooking but Britney was the cook. The friend Justine was no friend and the writing made this very clear. Quite frankly, this book was written in such a way that you couldn't help but to identify the heroine as TSTL. Dear me. Her inner monologues, which appear to try to inject some humour, we're not funny. They were actually very idiotic. I wonder if I've ever met anyone who thinks like this.
Don't get me wrong. I am very open minded, which is why I read this book in the first place. I wasn't even upset about the taboo relationship. However, if I say I won't be a part of it while you say you want me, then when you flaunt your taboo relationship in my face, I'd be out. No such luck here. It seems Becker could do no wrong. Even having sex with another woman in front of Cass wasn't enough to make her walk away!!
So I wasn't happy with Cassie's dumb decisions. She was very disappointing. Becker wasn't any more appealing. I just couldn't believe how he was portrayed. He seemed pretty cold, inconsiderate, and insensitive. Maybe it would have been better if I got to see his POV. Not sure how he could have been depicted as less of a douche. I'm no writer. And in the end, he didn't choose her. There was no choice. I couldn't live with that because for months he strung her along and if the choice wasn't removed, he'd still be stringing her along. Ah well. We can't all have self-respect. I hope no girls take lessons from this unless it's what NOT to do.
This is the first book I've read from this author and I'm not sure if I'll go back for more. The writing style of this book was quite different and the editing threw me off. It would mention Christina cooking but Britney was the cook. The friend Justine was no friend and the writing made this very clear. Quite frankly, this book was written in such a way that you couldn't help but to identify the heroine as TSTL. Dear me. Her inner monologues, which appear to try to inject some humour, we're not funny. They were actually very idiotic. I wonder if I've ever met anyone who thinks like this.
Don't get me wrong. I am very open minded, which is why I read this book in the first place. I wasn't even upset about the taboo relationship. However, if I say I won't be a part of it while you say you want me, then when you flaunt your taboo relationship in my face, I'd be out. No such luck here. It seems Becker could do no wrong. Even having sex with another woman in front of Cass wasn't enough to make her walk away!!
So I wasn't happy with Cassie's dumb decisions. She was very disappointing. Becker wasn't any more appealing. I just couldn't believe how he was portrayed. He seemed pretty cold, inconsiderate, and insensitive. Maybe it would have been better if I got to see his POV. Not sure how he could have been depicted as less of a douche. I'm no writer. And in the end, he didn't choose her. There was no choice. I couldn't live with that because for months he strung her along and if the choice wasn't removed, he'd still be stringing her along. Ah well. We can't all have self-respect. I hope no girls take lessons from this unless it's what NOT to do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons