The Good Girl Effect is the first book in the Salacious Legacy series, a spinoff/2nd gen of the Salacious Players Club series! This is set in Paris anThe Good Girl Effect is the first book in the Salacious Legacy series, a spinoff/2nd gen of the Salacious Players Club series! This is set in Paris and it’s a single dad x nanny romance.
Jack St. Claire is struggling, he’s a single father, a widower, and he has his hands full with running a new kink club in Paris (alongside his childhood/family friends and siblings group). Camille has dreams of life outside her small hometown and one day finds a letter and photograph tucked away in a book in the bookstore she works at. Determined to find out more about the people in the photo and their love story she searches on social media and finds out about Jack and his late wife. Recently having grieved her own father, Camille is determined to track down Jack in Paris and return the letter, she arrives at his house and is mistaken for an applicant for the nanny position for his daughter and hired! This is definitely a forced proximity (she moves in), single dad x nanny romance, where he’s definitely very closed off at first. One day she finds out about the club and is very curious about how world and what he can show her.
I loved the original SPC series so I was very excited for this 2nd gen series, but this one kinda fell flat for me sadly. It was fine but I was never fully invested in the couple or rooting for them. I get that Jack’s character is struggling but him as a father wasn’t great and I felt like Camille had nothing going for her other than being sensual and curious about the club and rope play with Jack. Them together just didn’t sell me either, most of the story he doesn’t want her to even speak cause it sounds too much like his late wife so instead he instructs her to write him letters after their sessions of things she likes there instead. I did the audiobook and the female narrator for the heroine just did not work for me either. All in all, maybe it was just this couple/their characters that didn’t work for me in this book.
I had an audio ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own....more
Lucky Shot is the first book in the Moonshot Hockey series! It’s a grumpy x sunshine, single dad, hockey romance! Filled with found family, banter, anLucky Shot is the first book in the Moonshot Hockey series! It’s a grumpy x sunshine, single dad, hockey romance! Filled with found family, banter, and forced proximity.
Ruby is a paranormal romance author who has been struggling to write but gets asked by her dream editor to rework her shelved baseball manuscript and turn it into a hockey romance! A huge switch from her usual vampire romances, as well as a whole world of a sport she knows nothing about…and she has just six weeks to get it done. But her agent comes in clutch and sets her up immediately with a six-week stay in Montana and a crash course on hockey from a hockey player, Nick Galaxy! The only problem is Nick had no idea his dad conspired and okay’d the setup without him…until Ruby shows up on his doorstep!
I adored this one! This was such a fun, fresh take on a hockey romance. I loved Ruby being an author who is writing a hockey romance and all the behind the scenes of her having to learn the sport, get on the ice, spend time (freezing her Arizona-booty off) at the ice rink. While it’s Nick’s off-season, he is coaching some kids camps at the rink and we see his teammates/friend group as well (the guys were all so fun with Ruby). Nick is also a single dad to his son Aidan and his dad lives with them as well who loves to meddle in his son’s dating life. Ruby was the cutest and I loved her sunshine outlook to Nick’s grumpiness, their banter and chemistry was just so fun to see play out! This also has ties to other series in Rebecca Jenshak’s universe, Nick made appearances in the Wildcat Hockey series (Jack and Ev make an appearance in this book too) and Ruby was in Spotlight (in the Holland Brother series) as her sister Olivia had that book!
Overall a super sweet, fun romance and I can’t wait for more from the characters we met in this book and to see the rest of the series play out! I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own....more
The Love Bus was so sweet and cute! This is a strangers to friends to lovers, road trip (they’re on a bus “bucket list” group trip together), where shThe Love Bus was so sweet and cute! This is a strangers to friends to lovers, road trip (they’re on a bus “bucket list” group trip together), where she’s a somewhat popular online chef personality (who just went viral for all the wrong reasons) x he’s a grumpy doctor, and it’s wrapped up in a slow burn romance!
This author usually writes historical romances so it was fun seeing her have a contemporary romance as well. Aisle Seat Guy x Grumpy Girl! They end up on the same “bucket list” bus trip. Luna’s mom has the trip booked for herself but after an injury was unable to make it or cancel, but she could transfer the ticket and Luna was voluntold by her family to go. Luna recently had a public, on-air breakup with her co-chef on their live cooking show and needed a break so the trio came at the right time. Noah went along on the trip with his mom and he and Luna quickly become fast friends.
This was just super sweet, the bus trip with a bunch of strangers becoming close fast just made sense and felt very real. Noah is the best and I loved the realness of Luna going through it and how these two opened up to one another about their lives, careers, hopes, dreams, struggles, relationships, family. All set against the backdrop of a bucket list trip around the southwest and adventures, so much fun! On the longer side for a contemporary and a bit meandering through the tour stops at times, but I enjoyed it and was on a road trip myself when I read it. I loved that this was slow burn, definitely what I’m in the mood for right now and seeing their connection first. I think we get 1 chapter from the hero’s POV, so definitely wish we got more from him. Overall I enjoyed this one and the cover is so pretty!
I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own....more
I feel conflicted on this one, the start was fun and I was enjoying it but it did start to fizzle out and I found myself not as interested in picking I feel conflicted on this one, the start was fun and I was enjoying it but it did start to fizzle out and I found myself not as interested in picking it back up the further in I went. So it was fine overall and maybe it had to do with me picking this up when I just wasn’t fully in the mood for contemporary.
This is a second chance romance between two now popular podcasters who formerly hooked up in college (and it didn’t go well). She basically has a podcast job similar to chicken shop date but interviewing celebs while eating hot dogs, and he has a podcast where he’s breaking down toxic masculinity. She gets drunk one night and on her personal page calls out him for their college split, it goes viral, and her management/producers want to capitalize on that and have her interview him on the show and it goes from there.
Now listen I love chicken shop date but this kinda felt weird in being too similar and the pop culture references weren’t my fav (those never work for me in books). This is black cat x golden retriever, where the hero is pretty much perfect already on paper which I just don’t love. I’d rather have seen his character growing and going through things instead of being fully perfect already. Their nicknames also just always took me out and didn’t work for me. Honestly the more I write this review the less I realized I liked this one so I guess I’ll stop there. Anyways, cute cover and the premise sounded fun in theory.
I received an audio ALC from the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own....more
Room for Two is a contemporary romance audiobook novella narrated by Samantha Summers and Teddy Hamilton. This was a fun easy listen!
Cade and Nora areRoom for Two is a contemporary romance audiobook novella narrated by Samantha Summers and Teddy Hamilton. This was a fun easy listen!
Cade and Nora are cute and slightly quirky. Both have been secretly into one another for a while but don’t realize the other is too. This starts with a little cutesy miscommunication messy mixup by their friends (purposefully). He thinks she’s in the market for a roommate and is interviewing her for that’s, while she thinks they’re finally on a date! ...more
On Midnight Shores is a small town, grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract, good girl x tattooed bad boy, workplace (boss x employee) romance where she’On Midnight Shores is a small town, grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract, good girl x tattooed bad boy, workplace (boss x employee) romance where she’s been pining for years!
This author has been on my radar for a while and I had heard good things about this series. If you’re in the mood for a cute small town, this gives those vibes. Bonnie is a graphic design major who tells her family she has a summer internship when she actually is still trying to find one. She has been struggling with finding her place in her family and feeling like she’s the only failure in her big family (she’s got 6 brothers). She’s also crushed on Rafe, the tattooed bad boy in town for years and the story kicks off with her getting what she dreamed of. She eventually starts working with him at his art shop in town too.
I just wasn’t super invested in this one. The characters read young and just didn’t grab my attention. I didn’t feel like we got a good look into either of them besides the motions they go through in this story. The whole slew of characters and series seems to have Peter Pan vibes? Overall the story/characters just wasn’t for ne
I received an audio ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own....more
Mountain Daddy is an age gap (24 years), forbidden, dad’s best friend, one night stand (to more)! This one is such a fun premise and grabs your attentMountain Daddy is an age gap (24 years), forbidden, dad’s best friend, one night stand (to more)! This one is such a fun premise and grabs your attention right away.
Kendra finds out her roommate skipped out on her (with all the rent money she gave her too) when the landlord shows up to say she is being evicted for not paying the rent for months and has to be out by the end of the month (aka in 10 days). She happens to be on the phone with her dad when it happens so he says she can come live and work with him for a bit! With one last night of “freedom” before living with her dad, Kendra hooks up with Luther at an inn/restaurant she stops at on the way, not knowing Luther owns the restaurant. They share a hot night and she goes her own way not expecting to see him again…but see him again she does! Cause he’s her dad’s best friend!
This started off so fun! I was loving it. I had read the previous book in this series but this one was going so much better. My only issue was the length of this read, I feel like for what it delivers on I was already satisfied with the couple/their story and was surprised the book still had a lot more chapters to go. Speaking of chapters, there are 159 plus an epilogue in here, supppper bite size tiny chapters. Anyways, I received an audio ALC and the audiobook was so good, a duet narration by Connor Crais and Erin Mallon!...more
I always love this author’s writing and didn’t even know this new release was happening. The Bewitching follows three women in three different eras, tI always love this author’s writing and didn’t even know this new release was happening. The Bewitching follows three women in three different eras, they all encounter danger and witchcraft in this multigenerational horror saga!
“Monsters don’t age, they live forever.”
A graduate student is working on her thesis in the late 1990s, an inspiring writer attends a women’s college during the Great Depression in late 1930s, and a farmer’s daughter growing up in the mountains of Hidalgo in the early 1900s, all encounter witchcraft and danger. This book was so atmospheric and eerie, I loved the layers of paranoia, the darkness, the witchcraft. It was great seeing how the story all came together, a very immersive experience. The audiobook was especially fantastic!
4.5 stars! American Sky is a historical fiction that follows 3 generations of women and covers so much! WWI, WWII, the WASP Program, Vietnam War. I lo4.5 stars! American Sky is a historical fiction that follows 3 generations of women and covers so much! WWI, WWII, the WASP Program, Vietnam War. I loved these characters, how strong each woman is in her own way, and how aviation plays a role in all of their lives.
This was a slightly longer book (around 450 pages) but the page count was definitely needed. It covered a ton of years (60+) and felt like a family saga, which is something I love to read. We follow strong women and their different journeys with aviation, flying, and the sky. I was just invested in the entire story and the characters. This book is on KU with read and listen and I definitely recommend, the audiobook was very easy to get pulled into. ...more
4.5 stars! The Enchanted Greenhouse was so cute and fun! I really enjoyed The Spellshop from this author last year and this new release in the series 4.5 stars! The Enchanted Greenhouse was so cute and fun! I really enjoyed The Spellshop from this author last year and this new release in the series I enjoyed even more than that. This is a cozy fantasy series and I find them so charming, heartwarming, and fun. The romance in this one was so sweet too!
Terlu was lonely and ended up breaking magical law when she created Kaz, a sentient spider plant (a character featured in The Spellshop). For the sentencing of her crime she was transformed into a statue and placed in The Great Library to serve as a warning to all librarians, scholars, and patrons who might try to defy the law. Finally restored to her normal state after 6 years, Terlu wakes up to find herself on a snowy island and very confused.
Terlu finds herself on a magical island filled with enchanted, long-forgotten and abandoned greenhouses. She finds herself on this island with the only inhabitants being Yarrow, a gardener, and a flying cat. Terlu is determined to help Yarrow bring the plants back to life and revive all of the greenhouses! Her romance with Yarrow along the way just so sweet and I loved these characters so much. I’m also always a sucker for cute sentient characters in books and this one delivered! All the characters were just so easy to get wrapped up in and I loved them.
“Sometimes people are going through things that you can’t see cause you’re too busy looking up to them.”
I adored this magically delightful read! I received an audio ALC from the publisher and highly recommend trying it out in audio. The narration was done so well, really pulls you into the story quickly, and brings the characters to life!...more
3.5 stars! Crazy Love is book 5 in the standalone Single Dad Playbook series, and the last in this series. This one is small town, marriage of conveni3.5 stars! Crazy Love is book 5 in the standalone Single Dad Playbook series, and the last in this series. This one is small town, marriage of convenience, single dad, sports romance!
Penn is the star running back for the Colorado Mustangs and has definitely lived up to his reputation of the playboy bachelor of the group. The book kicks off with him meeting Addy in the Bahamas while he’s there officiating his friends’ wedding and they hit it off immediately. They share a kiss but she ghosts him quickly after. We then cut to later, Penn is ready to get serious and wants to adopt Sam, a foster kid he has been spending time with. He’s struggling with the process because he’d be a single parent with a very busy career and hours spent away. Enter Addy back into his life. She’s working for the football team as their new nutritionist and she’s also one of his coach’s daughter too! She finds out about his plight to adopt Sam and jumps in with a marriage of convenience idea!
This series is very low angst and just easy and sweet. Penn is very much a cinnamon roll hero, almost too much for me paired with the low angst of it all. Penn and Addy just easily fit together and quickly are adopting another child plus pets (it did slightly feel too sweet and easy). Their house gets full fast. Her dad’s reaction to their marriage/relationship kinda took me out, he comes around in the end but it was rough. The whole series was very cutesy, but book 1 remains my fav! If you want light sports and low angst, sweet romances this author is a good one to try.
I received an audiobook ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own. This audiobook was narrated by Connor Crais and Vanessa Edwin who always do such a fantastic job!...more
Passenger Princess is the first book in the Evergreen Park standalone series, and is a bodyguard x pageant queen, grumpy x sunshine, road trip romancePassenger Princess is the first book in the Evergreen Park standalone series, and is a bodyguard x pageant queen, grumpy x sunshine, road trip romance!
This was a super quick read and cute! The formula for this couple dynamic works super well and Ava & Jamie together were fun. He’s grumpy and a bit of a broody bodyguard, she’s fun and sparkly and a girlie girl full of life (very Legally Blonde meets Miss Congeniality vibes). The protective vibes, her winning Miss Americana, the caretaking, her standing up for herself and other women, the adopting a kitten, her reading romance books, all the fun vibes. Bodyguard romances are so much fun and this one really worked for me! If you want a romcom with plot and spice, this book definitely delivers!
I flew through the audiobook for this one, which is narrated by Emma Wilder and Stephen Dexter! They did a fantastic job with these characters and it was so much fun to listen to. I received an audio ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own....more
The Orc and the Innkeeper is a cozy monster romance, with a spunky human innkeeper x brooding orc brewmaster, and a fake engagement!
This is the first The Orc and the Innkeeper is a cozy monster romance, with a spunky human innkeeper x brooding orc brewmaster, and a fake engagement!
This is the first book in the Elderberry Falls series, where humans and magical beings co-exist. I had this one on my TBR and then when I got the audio ALC, it made me get to it sooner than later. This was an easy listen. It’s equal parts cozy fantasy but then spicy and delivers on monster romance vibes too. It wasn’t my favorite read ever but it was good, and I think it being audio helped me get through it quicker than I would have otherwise.
We follow Mariah, the human innkeeper, and Thorak, her high school bully and orc brewmaster. Thorak shows up for a business meeting in Mariah’s inn with a potential investor to his brewery. He desperately needs the meeting to go well and when he’s faltering in the meeting, he claims Mariah is his fiancée (since she’s a human and that helped sway the investor). Thorak sees the fake relationship as a way to make amends for how horribly he treated her in the past, while Mariah needs someone to pay to have mites removed from her inn. His reasons for bullying her in the past weren’t great, but when is bullying ever great? Not sure that whole aspect to their relationship was needed, as it wasn’t my fav in the story, but it is what it is. I think if that was removed and the story was even shorter it would have worked better for me. So I liked this one enough, but nothing I loved. I believe this was a debut from the author so I might check more out in the future.
I received an audio ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own....more
4.5 stars. Protected is a new survival romance by Claire Kent. This is a post apocalyptic, standalone (but exists in the same world as Last Light and 4.5 stars. Protected is a new survival romance by Claire Kent. This is a post apocalyptic, standalone (but exists in the same world as Last Light and the Kindled series), with a gruff hero (this author does heroes like this so well), who is protective and non-verbal.
This book takes place 2 years after Impact, an event that lead to this post apocalyptic world that we’ve seen play out in the Kindled series and Last Light by this author. This book actually takes places before Last Light and the Kindled series and will act as a prequel/bridge into The Wilds series coming from this author next year. In this book we follow Lilah and Deck. Deck is traveling with a group and they find/run into Lilah when the story starts. Lilah has been surviving on her own after losing her boyfriend and is quickly folded into this new crew. Deck is tasked with helping her/keeping watch of her and they quickly form a bond. Deck is non-verbal and while he teaches her to fight, she teaches him to communicate with her (using ASL as a base and then coming up with their own signs/gestures to fill in).
This was nice and short and I liked Lilah and Deck together. We do get reminded maybe a couple too many times (for me at least) about their size difference, but otherwise I liked seeing these 2 work together. As a group they explore a lot and get into some sticky, survival situations that play out. I liked how protective and sweet Deck is. We do get a couple brief appearances of other characters in this Kindled world which is always fun and I can’t wait to see The Wilds series start up soon (with characters we meet in this book getting future books).
I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own.
CW: attempted sexual assault, violence, deaths...more
Road Trip with a Rogue is the third book in Kate Bateman’s Her Majesty’s Rebels series, following a friend group of private investigators (the heroineRoad Trip with a Rogue is the third book in Kate Bateman’s Her Majesty’s Rebels series, following a friend group of private investigators (the heroines of the other books in the series). Daisy is the pants-wearing, blade-wielder of the group and headed to Gretna Green for their latest case of stopping an 18-year old heiress from marriage. She ends up traveling with Lucien, a Duke who has his own reasons for following the couple who is eloping…
I had so much fun reading this one. I love Kate Bateman historicals and this was a fun one. All the road trip goodness and stopping at inns, sharing a room/bed/etc. The forced proximity was great and they have known one another for a while cause he’s friends with her brother and they had an almost moment years ago. This was good and fun. Not one of my all time favs by the author, but such a solid new historical romance release that I’d definitely recommend at the same time.
I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own....more
Bourbon & Proof is the 3rd and final book in the Bourbon Boys series! I’m so sad this series is done because I loved this series so much but I am exciBourbon & Proof is the 3rd and final book in the Bourbon Boys series! I’m so sad this series is done because I loved this series so much but I am excited for what the author has coming next! This one was sooo good, characters we have been waiting for their book for the whole series and I was obsessed! This is a marriage of convenience, best friend’s brother, small town, romantic suspense, found family.
Hadley + Ace! Ugh I love them so much! We have seen Hadley tease Ace throughout the series and they definitely have something between them. In this book we see their past, they’ve been in each other’s lives for years, and just get so much amazing mutual pining between these two. I love a marriage of convenience romance but am super particular of how they’re set up/if they make sense, and this book absolutely worked with the setup. They are pushed to get married/decide to marry because of situations with their families.
Ace is the oldest and head of his family’s bourbon business in Kentucky. He has always had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and is always there to take care of his family, his loved ones, and his community. Hadley has flirted and teased him for years and he has kept away for reasons (which we get to see explored in the story). The found family vibes in this book were everything, I love Hadley’s relationship with the family (she’s best friends with his brother Lincoln, is close to his grandfather Gris, and even has a guest room in their house). We get romantic suspense in here as well and it played into the story and series so well! I loved this one so much, loved the chemistry between Hadley and Ace, when that tension between them finally snaps ...more
Eliza and the Duke is the 2nd book in The Doves of New York series, a historical romance series from Harper St. George. This series overall has been oEliza and the Duke is the 2nd book in The Doves of New York series, a historical romance series from Harper St. George. This series overall has been okay, but not a favorite for me from this author.
Eliza is an American heiress. We met her and her sisters in the first book of the series. Basically their mother was a rich man’s mistress and the daughters grew up with a lot of scandal around them. But then their paternal grandmother passed away and felt bad for the snub on them so she left the girls are inheritances…with the caveat that they must marry “suitable, titled men”. So off to London they went to find men. Eliza is in an arranged betrothal and wants one last adventure before she’s set to wed. She meets Simon, a prize fighter known as “the Duke”, and immediately knows he’s the man for the job and it kind of goes from there!
I have always enjoyed this author’s historical romances but something about this one just didn’t hit quite the same. The couple and characters were fine, but I wasn’t super invested with their story. It felt a bit underwhelming overall and definitely not a favorite for me from this author. The cover on the other hand is such a stunner, love the monochromatic jewel tones this author’s covers seem to use a lot. I also did like that the hero is a commoner and seeing him be tasked with the family’s security made for some fun forced proximity.
I received an ARC and ALC from the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own....more
Red Card is an upcoming sports romance from Maren Moore! This was described as having She’s All That meets She’s the Man vibes. It’s college setting, Red Card is an upcoming sports romance from Maren Moore! This was described as having She’s All That meets She’s the Man vibes. It’s college setting, British bad boy rugby player x the coach’s daughter, a bit of a friends to lovers vibe, where she asks him for “flirting lessons”!
I flew through this read! Such an easy one to drop into the story and get to know these characters. Cillian got kicked off a rugby team in London and is now playing for a college rugby team in New Hampshire. He meets Rory, the coach’s daughter and the equipment manager for the team. Rory lives and breathes sports, especially rugby and knows the ins-and-outs of the game better than most players. She’s super close with all the guys on the team and because she’s always jumping into sports-talk she’s always being seen as “just one of the guys”. Tired of being friend-zoned or becoming their wing woman, she asks Cillian for help with flirting.
The team bonding was fun, Cillian has some grief in his life he’s dealing with, Rory is determined to “win” at flirting, and it was cute seeing how easily he and Rory fall for one another. They really become a part of each other’s lives easily and it’s not really forbidden since they don’t really have to sneak around and her dad is totally fine with it later too. I wanted a bit more of actual sports time but otherwise this was a fun one and it’s out later this summer in August!
I received an ARC from the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own. ...more
3.5 stars. Tourist Trap is a fun, summer romance from Morgan Elizabeth! In this one we have ex’s brother, roommates to lovers, forced proximity, summe3.5 stars. Tourist Trap is a fun, summer romance from Morgan Elizabeth! In this one we have ex’s brother, roommates to lovers, forced proximity, summer bucket list, grumpy x sunshine.
Claire decides to spend the summer as a lifeguard in Seaside Point (a shore town in New Jersey). She wants a summer of fun before she settles down to decide what she wants to seriously do with her life. She ends up running into Miles, her ex’s older brother (who always had a thing for her she just didn’t know it) and who is the owner of the house she wants to rent a room from!
Flirting, banter, and just all those summery vibes! I had an audio ALC and the narration from CJ Bloom and Sebastian York was perfection....more
Christi (christireadsalot)
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