This book has it all, y’all! Angst, anger, healing, restoration, so. many. reasons. to. swoon, hilarious banter, red-hot chemistry, and a touching romThis book has it all, y’all! Angst, anger, healing, restoration, so. many. reasons. to. swoon, hilarious banter, red-hot chemistry, and a touching romantic arc. I was blown away!
Anne Kemp just gets better and better (not that I ever found a book of her’s that wasn’t stellar) - but wow, she has a knack for surprising the reader in the very best way, each and every time. And I am here for it!
Dixon and Elle were pure fire from page one, and I just loved discovering their history, then yes, watching them reconcile and then. just. burn. And the kisses? Three-alarm blaze! Warning: have a cup of cool water handy when you read this, just in case…
Highlightables:
- The found family that is the River City Renegades. (Here’s to hoping Campbell or Sawyer, or even Sutton gets a book next!) - The coaching staff - Pete and Cannon are hilarious. - Trevor, oh, Trevor. - Nan! Oh, oh my, Nan! She was comedic gold!! I loved her to pieces! - Hayden and her relationship with Elle. - Hello. That darn storage closet. That scene is gonna live rent-free in my head for a long time to come.
Notable Quotables:
- Every movement of his is calculated, like controlled chaos contained in a six-foot-something wall of pure determination. He’s not just defending the net; he’s guarding it like a dragon hoarding treasure, daring anyone to challenge him. When he drops into a butterfly save, his pads hit the ice with a satisfying thud, and my breath catches. Grace like that shouldn’t be possible for a man his size, and yet, he makes it look effortless. - The look on her face when she came to grips with what had happened will stay etched in my mind forever. She’d been so pale, shaking in my arms, and all I wanted to do was hold her closer to me and not let anyone else touch her. I’ve had moments where I’ve felt protective over those I love; my mother, Nan, even some of the guys on the team. But this was different. The sensation was fierce and instant, and wasn’t a feeling I could ignore. - My traitorous hand automatically slides to his chest, operating on its own accord as if someone else was pulling a string. The warmth of his body is like fire under my fingertips, and I’m okay if I’m the moth coming in because of the flame. His heart races, like mine, and I can feel the muscle beneath the soft fabric of his shirt flex as I touch him.
Don’t you wanna just dive right in? Go ahead and click, you won’t be disappointed! The redemption and found-family themes of this book are top-notch. Some of the best I’ve read in a long time. Trust me, you’ll want to join this hockey team somehow, maybe Trevor the Beaver needs a Mrs. Beaver to his mascot? Or maybe one of those crazy coaches needs an assistant? Anything to hang out in River City a little bit longer.
This funny, heart-felt, uplifting rom-com comes with my high recommendation. Don’t you dare miss it - 5 hockey puck shaped stars!...more
This hilarious, touching rom-com literally has it all! An amazing friend group. Incredible family dynamics. Lava-hot chemDeserves Quadruple Platinum!!
This hilarious, touching rom-com literally has it all! An amazing friend group. Incredible family dynamics. Lava-hot chemistry. Bad boy backstory. Strong talented women (no doormats in sight!) Life lessons about what’s truly important. Good wind out in the end. Wrongs being made right. And of course, love that conquers all!
It is so much more than that I expected (and trust me, I expected a lot because, hello, it’s Kate Watson.) Even so, this book blew. me. away!!
Notable Quotables: - Lou is a study in contrasts, and I’m getting sick of the homework. She shouldn’t get under my skin like this. But something about her—the way she fights for every inch, the way she stands tall even when she’s uncertain—tugs at something buried deep. Something I was sure had died. - “I want you to stop expecting your first draft to be flawless. You screwed up! Own it, erase what’s written in pencil, and work with what’s written in ink. But don’t throw away the page because there are mistakes on it.” - I could never be with a guy who doesn’t feel this way about music. Not that I have plans to be with anyone. But if I do ever fall in love, it’ll be with someone who looks at my dad’s guitars with this exact reverence. In TikTok speech: Find yourself a guy who looks at you the way Patty looks at a 1957 Gibson Les Paul Special.
I laughed, I cried, I screamed at the page, I may have even thrown the book once or twice. But I absolutely loved every. single. moment of it - watching these two characters grow and change and land right where they should.
As is pretty routine with Kate’s books, there are so many nuggets I can take with me for my own life. About accepting, about loving, about encouraging and sometimes even pushing. About taking risks and having faith and yea, trusting even when it’s hard.
Also, is Kate Watson some sort of music whizz we didn’t know about??? Or is she just an extremely meticulous researcher? Because her musical metaphors were unbelievable. The use of musical terms was off the charts - every single music scene was brilliant and hit just right.
Thank you, Kate, for this story that I highly highly recommend. I wasn’t sure some of the other couples from this series could be topped, but, move over Trane, Dillie, PJonny, and Rash - make some room in the green room for # Latty because these two are perfect harmony!
And are you sure the Sweet as Sugar Maple Series is really and truly complete? I just can’t believe it’s time to leave the town of Sugar Maple - though I’ll come back to visit, reread my favs from time to time - don’t you worry. But one person I am worried about is Patrick’s brother Sean. Are you just gonna leave him out there “hanging” in broken-hearted/single-man land? Or do I (cross my fingers and every single toe - please say yes, please say yes) smell a new series on the horizon, or even your next Christmas novella - perhaps involving a certain O’Shannan-flocked hockey goalie that just got called up? Here’s hoping! ...more
Anne Kemp has done it again! This book is an exhilarating kick-off (or should I say face-off?) to a new series absolutely chock full of potential. I aAnne Kemp has done it again! This book is an exhilarating kick-off (or should I say face-off?) to a new series absolutely chock full of potential. I am so excited about this new town, this hockey team, and all these new characters. Bravo on the world building, Anne, I’m now searching out River City, Virginia on the map, looking for houses for rent!
Highlightables:
- Ollie (Just Ollie. Period.) - Ollie’s teammates - Some of the secondary characters (Sutton, Ben, Molly, etc) and the “family” that is the River City Renegades - Anna and her commitment to her family - O&A’s chemistry, banter, and friendship - Their natural progression to more - (How many times did I scream Yes! Yes! Yes!)
Notable Quotables:
- Anna was the girl the other guys on my hockey team pursued, but she only hung out with me. She is sunshine and warmth, a ray of light that brightens even the cloudiest of days. I’ve always felt protective of her and our friendship, so when I realized my feelings were a little more than being a buddy, you can bet I put a lid on them. I never want to lose her or the friendship we’ve built. - Like an iceberg, where you can only see the tip so things look safe, but what you don’t know is that the true beast is all underneath the surface and you need to go easy. If I look at it this way, we’re either gonna sink…or we’re gonna swim. And I’m not sure which outcome scares me more. - I whirl around to find Ollie standing just a few feet away, his broad shoulders filling the space as if he was made to command it. His jet-black hair is slightly mussed from the cold, his jaw tight with barely contained irritation, and he’s rocking a huge shiner on his right eye, which he hadn’t told me about. He’s wearing a fitted leather jacket over a Renegades hoodie, and he looks every bit like the guy you don’t want to mess with. He. Is. Beautiful.
In summation: Anne Kemp sucked me right into this new story and the world she’s so cleverly penned. I wanna move to River City and get a job with the Renegades, just to rub elbows with these interesting characters. There is so much potential here and so many wonderful stories to be told. And I can’t wait!
Do yourself a favor and jump right in, you will love Ollie and Anna, the Renegades, and River City too.
Wow! This book was packed full of life lessons and victories of faith. I literally stood to my feet and cheered so many times! Thank you, Tawni, for tWow! This book was packed full of life lessons and victories of faith. I literally stood to my feet and cheered so many times! Thank you, Tawni, for tackling tough subjects (and questions that are relevant for a lot of young people today), and all in a way that uplifts and encourages the spirit. Questions such as: Can I trust God? Does He really care about the small things of my life? Is He really going to give me someone that will not only respect me and protect my heart, but also take my breath away? Yes. Yes, it is possible (trust me), and this book is a wonderful reminder!
Okay, how much did I want to join Dana’s young women’s small group? I’m about 3 times too old but where do I sign up? The theme of found family/community was just lovely, and kept me turning pages.
Highlightables:
- The love story: the chemistry between Dana and Rhett was very well done. I loved their banter and their honesty. - That last plot twist: I never saw that coming, but it was a nice surprise and added just the right amount of tension. - The church, community, small group elements: all made me want to join up. - The redemption story: don’t want to spoil anything, but second chances (esp after some heart-felt redemption) make for some of the best stories.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys themes of redemption, second chances, or the amnesia trope. All were well done here and made for a lovely story, bound to uplift the heart and encourage the spirit. ...more
A touching, emotional holiday read that blew my expectations completely out of the water!
Sometimes all it takes is the love of the right person...
ThiA touching, emotional holiday read that blew my expectations completely out of the water!
Sometimes all it takes is the love of the right person...
This book was a living, breathing testament to the healing, restorative power of love. In this story, we literally watched the LOVE undo all the misconceptions, lies, and shame placed on a man by those who didn’t truly see him nor appreciate him. Those destructive bindings were bent and broken under the weight of love, and what was the result? His heart learned to laugh again. It. was. so. beautiful.
Gruff and Andy were pure magic on the page. I was soooo invested in them, I stayed up way too late and got up way too early, completely engrossed in this story. It’s not often that a book affects me this way, but this one just did it for me.
Highlightables:
- The meet-cute. - The way he looks at her. - Gruff. Simply Gruff. - Andy and her sunshine. - The cats! - Everything about this couple’s dynamic. (Good luck with those walls, Gruff.) - The way they take care of each other. - His soft spot which is only. ever. her. (and yes, her cats.) - The way he loves and supports her. - The way he just wants to be claimed. - The way she sees him. - The way (because she truly sees him) he began to reveal more of himself, including that sense of humor. Yes! - Their chemistry. Pure fire.
Notable Quotables:
- She’s the persistent dandelions that burst out of the grass before anything else considers blooming. And a weed is an apt metaphor for her because she’s so preposterously bright-eyed, it feels like an angel had to lose its halo just to supply her glow. - I feel certain if she’ll just tell me, I’ll move mountains to make this stop. I suspect, knowing who Andy is, that there is no gray area here. I’ll become Atlas and carry the world for her or find a radioactive spider and Spiderman myself into a solution. There has to be one. - I have held my heart in a cage, wrapping it up behind bars so I didn’t have to face the same brutal end I’ve experienced before. But Andy? She didn’t just walk in with a key. She almost instantly made me believe there was no need for the cage or the bars, and they’re simply gone.
Anybody else out there want a Gruff? Yea. Me, too. I loved every single minute watching her sunshine bring his heart to life again. And I loved the way he loved her, every bit of her, and supported her, no matter what.
I can’t recommend this book enough - just the right amount of humor, but with a whole lot of heart. And just in time for the holidays! ...more
Since We’ve No Place To Go is the must-read, feel-good holiday romance of 2024. Trust me.
Kate Watson is aThis. This is the place to go for Christmas!
Since We’ve No Place To Go is the must-read, feel-good holiday romance of 2024. Trust me.
Kate Watson is a rom-com mastermind. Reading her books is like riding a roller coaster - you laugh, you cry, you shake your head, but your heart aches in the very best of ways. She knows EXACTLY how to make us fall in love with her characters, let us bleed out for a tiny while, then patch our little hearts back together, all inside of 300 pages. And for Christmas, no less - it’s the perfect holiday escape!
Highlightables:
- That. meet. cute. Hilarious infinitum!! (I mean who dreams up this stuff?) - Her family and her backstory (teary-eyed-sad-face.) - Her brothers and her dad. Comic relief. - His heart-breaking story and the way he handles it (oh, my heart.) - His coach. - Their nicknames. - The internal banter. - The external banter. - The chemistry - it was chef’s kiss!
Notable Quotables:
- “We have more than that in common. We both love baseball, we both have strong opinions about what’s right for our team.” He pauses, and I crane my head forward, curious to hear what else he’s going to say. “And we both think I’m too attractive for my own good.” (Cooper Freaking Kellogg!!!) - “Haven’t you heard, Frosted Sugar Plum? Rules are made to be broken.” (Of course.) - Well, I’m drunk. Not on alcohol, mind you. I’m an elite athlete at an event where I’m trying to impress my boss. I’m not dumb enough to get hammered. No, I’m drunk on Liesel Fischer…Drunk isn’t even the right word, because you have to drink something to get drunk, and Liesel doesn’t give me almost anything. But her playful scowls and verbal jabs are just enough to make me crave more. She’s salty and occasionally sweet—the best combination—and I’m starving for more.
I don’t know about you, but I’m starving for more too! And that’s the beauty of Kate Watson’s stories - they keep you turning pages late into the night. How does she do it?
To top it all off, there was so much healing in this story. For someone who has also lost a parent, it was the perfect Christmas gift to my heart! (That tree metaphor, y’all. Seriously right on.)
Since We’ve No Place To Go has it all: comedy, healing, friendships, family, love, and redemption. An absolute home run, just in time for the Holidays!
Where’s this author been all my life? Not only am I left with an insatiable desire to watch TONS of football, buOff The Bench? More like…off the hook!
Where’s this author been all my life? Not only am I left with an insatiable desire to watch TONS of football, but I’m also currently buying up all her backlist - because this book scored touchdown after touchdown!
Ms. Chacon mastered the plot, chemistry, romance, friendships, and beautiful family dynamics, but she also nailed the heart-pumping actions scenes! This book was one pic-six after another!
Warning: Do not start this story till you’ve got a few hours to burn - because you will NOT want to put it down. Dani and Austin were endearing on their own (great job, Ms. Chacon, with backstory), but they were even better together; and watching their story play out was highly entertaining. (Also, great play action on the side characters, I literally could not get enough - his family, her family, her BFFs, Ethan and her other coworkers, his teammates, Omar and Caleb, I could go on and on. The banter, the rivalries, the friendships, all top-notch!)
Notable Quotables:
- Research shows that spending time together and sharing personal goals increases the likelihood of developing romantic feelings by 30%. (I will not be part of this statistic. I will not be part of this statistic. I will NOT be part... oh crap.) - Dani strikes me as the kind of person that needs to be coaxed into opening up. Slowly, gently. Like a rare flower blooming in the dead of night. - I am breathless yet he’s giving me life. I am swept away by the current that is Austin Taylor, and yet he’s anchoring me in place. I’ve never experienced anything like this before—and I never want this with anyone else other than Austin Taylor. - That’s what life is about too: it’s about getting up when you fall, it’s about pushing through when the odds are stacked against you. It’s about believing in yourself and believing in others. And when the person you love is lacking, you let them borrow your faith.
Sports romance might be the “bull-rush” right now, but this one has a little extra: it’s exciting but balanced, provoking but full of heart, and bonus: it contains a few valuable life lessons. If those things are your play, then this book is for you!
I highly recommend this sweet, swoony page-turner that will keep your heart pounding like we’re in the red zone. 5 pigskin-shaped stars! ...more
The Super Big Favor was a romance-lover’s dream come true! The marriage-of-convenience trope is a difficult challenge to pull off in modern day, but tThe Super Big Favor was a romance-lover’s dream come true! The marriage-of-convenience trope is a difficult challenge to pull off in modern day, but this author absolutely hit it out of the park! (Matthew had me at “hello”, or rather: when he rushed in the door, “I’ll do it. I’ll marry you.”)
Not only was the world building, plot line, and characterization spot-on, but the writing was mature and clever - so much more than I expected from a debut novel. As a reader, I was quickly caught up in the story and so deeply invested in these characters - amazing for such a short novella. Truly spectacular. So much so, that I can’t wait to see what this author will do next!
I highly recommend this sweet, clean, but deep read with so much chemistry and heart! ...more
I had to let my heart rest a full week before sitting down to write this review. I’ve never had a book affect me quite like this one, and I mean this I had to let my heart rest a full week before sitting down to write this review. I’ve never had a book affect me quite like this one, and I mean this in the very best of ways. I just literally had no idea what I was signing up for when I opened this intense, heart-felt, beautiful novel, and it is my highest hope to do it justice.
Ashley Dill writes the poetry of the heart amongst her pages - the prose, voice, setting, and story world all had a unique shimmer to it, a signature all her own. She knows exactly how to weave it all together masterfully, so that you don’t even realize the full intensity of the tapestry until you stand back and take it in from afar. This book reminds me of one of those whimsical rides at an amusement park, when you try to savor every single second because you just know it will be over way too soon, but then, once it ends, you spend all your time recounting every perfect moment, over and over, trying with all your might to hold onto that magic. That’s what flipping the pages of an Ashley Dill novel is like - her stories just stay with you like the very best after-taste.
Highlightable’s (I’m gonna try really hard here to avoid spoilers): - The ranch. The animals. Especially the horses. The measure of healing found there. - And Tillie. Oh, Tillie. And her baby. (Don’t want to say too much here but. the. symbolism…) - Miss Simone - The way Bea never gave up on him. - The way Tag loved her. - The pond. - The hayloft. - The journals. - The nicknames. - The writing. The stanza of poetry that opened each part of the book. - The side characters - especially Jesse and Cade. (Please tell me he’s next in line at getting his own book?)
Notable Quotable’s (I highlighted so many passages in this book, it was so stinking hard to narrow it down, but here’s my best effort): - “If you sat down to write in your journal at this very moment, what would you write?” I didn’t have to think. “I’d write about the thing that ruined my life.” “And what is that?” “The rain.” - I find myself in smudges, Between warm skin and paper, Ink whispers all my secrets, When shame’s hand grips my tongue. - “Stories are meant to be told. Even if they’re hard.”…“Every person should find someone to share their story with. Every person should be known by somebody. At least a little.” - With every scrap that’s left of me, I adore you. - Only people who love deeply can know what it means to thrive when everything in the world is against them. To dive roots into cold ground and reach for the sun. To bloom when they’re not even supposed to.
This book, in a nutshell, wrecked me. Shattered my little heart, then stitched it back together, one fractured piece at a time. (And again, in the very best way.) The story was poignant, real, raw, and honest, yet hopeful, uplifting, and redemptive at its core. What is the true power of love? Well this book is a wonderful, heart-felt dive into that very subject. And then: What difference can it make in a life, when just ONE person believes in you? Again, this book is a deep master-class on that subject too.
If you are looking for a light-hearted, easy read, let me tell you, this isn’t it. But if you enjoy a deep plot line that tenderly deals with hard topics, delves into the redemptive power of love, and personifies the strength of the human spirit in response to crisis, this book is spot on. It’s an absolutely beautiful read from start to finish. I will be having golden, light-filled dreams of Scribbs and Strings for many, many years to come, and I will love every. single. minute.
Highly recommend this book - would give We Redeemed the Rain TEN golden, rain-drop shaped stars if only they would let me. ...more