Emily

Spoiler-Free Review:

I'm pretty convinced that Ali Hazelwood knows exactly what I want to read and writes just that! This was such a fun, short novella following Mara and Liam. I listened to the audiobook which was short and sweet with well done dual narration. My only complaint is that I want more from these characters! I became attached and then the novella ended, and I was so bummed. The premise around the novella is unique and not something I'd read before. This is a forced proximity, grumpy sunshine, and quirky romance with both sweetness and spice. I just love their romance so much, and like I said, I want more! I found this novella relatable because my husband and I are both in STEM. Aspects of their story kind of paralleled with ours and that was fun. This is out now on audio with the kindle format coming out May 3, 2022. This is an adult romance novella, 18+ for sexual content and language.

This was so cute! I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Under One Roof, but it was still super fun. I love Erik and Sadie so much. Ali Hazelwood's ability to do both sweet and spicy is unreal! The narration is so well-done, single narrator but she does the voices so well! Miscommunication trope is in full swing for Erik and Sadie, who meet at a diner and happen to also work for competing companies. Sadie is so sweet and quirky, and Erik is broody in the best way and just so hot! When they finally communicate, they reach the sweetest resolution

Spoiler-Free Review:

Ali Hazelwood does it again! She has become an auto-buy author, and I'm loving every minute of it! Below Zero is the third installment in the STEMinist novella series. This novella follows Hannah and Ian who are both aerospace engineers. As with Ali's other works, the representation of women in STEM is amazing. Hannah is a stubborn woman who holds a grudge against Ian for something that happened previously, and Ian is a broody delicious male male character. There are enemies to lovers vibes as well as second chance romance vibes, but overall this book was just super fun to listen to. The spice was impeccable! I love how the author writes spicy scenes that are hot but still makes them so quirky and cute. The audio narration was well-done. This is an adult romcom novella, 18+ for sexual content and language. Available on audio now and preorder for kindle is available.

Do I have a new auto-buy author? I think I do! This is such a great series! Such amazing romantic book boyfriends and strong female main characters. The series gets better with each book! A False Stars follows Griffin Sinclair and Nadia Dalca (Stefan from The Front Runner's sister). This is an age gap/brother's best friend romance with slight enemies to lovers vibes. Both main characters have pasts that haunt them and effect the way they interact with people, especially each other. They bring out the best in each other and challenge each other to be their strongest self to overcome their pasts and insecurities. The romance is hot! I don't do a pepper scale but it is very steamy, and I am here for it! If you haven't tried out The Gold Rush Ranch series, you 100% should! This is an adult romance, 18+ for sexual content, language, themes. As always, check for trigger warnings.

My love for Adrienne Young only grows stronger after finishing Spells for Forgetting. The woman can write so beautifully y'all! This story is unlike anything of hers that I've read. It was mysterious and haunting and eerie. So many questions, lies, secrets, and betrayals. I put off this book for a while because I didn't know how I'd feel about a mystery, and now I am wishing I'd read it sooner. Spells for Forgetting is a multi-pov story about an island in the PNW called Saoirse. This island is rooted in magic. 14 years prior to this story, tragedy struck the island: a fire and a murder. These events scarred the town and made the residents' trust in each other waver. Our FMC, Emery... I loved her and my heart broke for her when the questions began to be answered and she finally understands why things unfolded the way they did. Our MMC, August, is the town scapegoat for the events 14 years ago. When he comes back to town to settle some business affairs, the town becomes uneasy. I loved this story so much. I wanted all of the questions answered and for justice to be served, and for me, that kept the pages turning. There's a second change romantic element, but it definitely isn't the central theme. There is tension and steam/spice, and while some of it is on page, I found it to be more tame and not explicit. The twist I didn't see coming shocked the hell out of me! I really was so shook. The story had a great balance of being both plot and character driven in my opinion. This is a New Adult novel, 18+ for themes, language, and sexual content.

Spoiler-Free Review:

I'd like to thank AK Mulford for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book, I really really enjoyed it! This is the third book that I've read in this series, and I think it might be my favorite. I felt the pacing was good and moved fast, which made it so hard to put this book down. This book focuses on one of the Golden Eagles from the series, Bri and her developing relationship with Lina, a princess in a neighboring kingdom. I will be very honest, I haven't read a lot of F/F romance in fantasy, but I felt like this was very well done! I really appreciate AK Mulford's writing and how much representation she includes. There is also plus-size rep, which I loved and appreciated. This is a forced proximity, slow burn romance with pay-off that is spicy and well-written. There are mysteries that need solving, prophecies that need explaining, and so many other things that keep the pages turning. One of my favorite things about this book is the way the author wrote the female friendship between Carys and Bri. I adored their banter and friendship so much, and I felt that it was the best example of a “ride or die” friend. I love that we also get a glimpse of the characters we got to know in The High Mountain Court and The Witch's Blade and the friendships that are just as strong despite living in different kingdoms. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I am so excited to see who the next installment will be about. This is an adult fantasy, 18+ for sexual content, language, themes

Spoiler-Free Review:

Okay, The last few chapters of this book were wild! First, I'd like to thank Katherine Quinn for an ARC of this book! This book follows the events of book 1 in The Azantian Trilogy, The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea, which I read and reviewed last year. This book picks up where book 1 left off following Bash and Margrete. It is mostly dual POV, but we do get a little sprinkling of other POVs here and there and I enjoyed that. Right off the bat, I could tell that Bash and Margrete were going to have some communication issues. There were so many events in the book where if they'd just talked to each other, they would have resolved. However, would we have all the twists and turns and things to drive the plot if they were resolved? No we wouldn't. There is an element of mystery with Bash that kept me turning pages so I could solve it. Katherine Quinn definitely foreshadows that he has a mysterious past and that it eventually will come to a head. There is a trial sequence which was fun to read, and I felt the trials were unique. The ending was wild and unexpected and honestly, has me wishing book 3 was out now. There is some spice and it was well written. The plot has definitely thickened, and I can't wait to see where this story goes. Release for this book is set for May 31, so keep your eyes open on Katherine Quinn's page for more information on preorders. This is an adult fantasy, 18+ for sexual content.

This was my first book by Elin Hilderbrand and I don't think it'll be my last. She paints an immersive picture of the island of Nantucket in this story about a haunted hotel and the people who work there. The newly renovated Hotel Nantucket is in need of a staff, and it seems like each person hired has some secrets to hide. In addition to everyone trying to keep their secrets, a ghost lives in the hotel. Grace, the ghost, wants the secret surrounding her death to be revealed so she can be free. This book was outside of my usual genre but came highly recommended, and I really liked it. There are a few romantic subplots but I wouldn't say it's the main theme of the book at all. The Hotel Nantucket is an adult fiction novel, 18+ for themes and content

Another absolutely amazing story from Devney Perry and the Eden family! I loved Knox and Memphis's story so so much. Juniper Hill follows Knox, a grumpy Eden brother and restaurant owner and chef, and Memphis, a single mother trying to escape a toxic life and family in New York and start give her and her son a fresh start. As a parent, I could relate to Memphis's depth of love of and devotion to her son, Drake. Knox's story and his history absolutely broke my heart and his healing was just so heartwarming. I loved seeing him step into the role that he did with such love even though he was so scared because of his past. Another thought provoking mysterious subplot, and while I predicted a bit of the twist, the author still got me with other parts of it. This is a forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine romance with tension that I absolutely ate up. In my opinion this book was spicier than Indigo Ridge as far as the explicitness of the scenes. I don't do a pepper rating because I feel like it's so subjective and everyone is so different. Juniper Hill is an adult romance, 18+ for sexual content

Leo Winter

Made my way back to Clifton Forge for Presley and Shaw's story. I really like Devney Perry's writing and how she sprinkles in the mystery with the romance. Presley works at the garage and Shaw is an actor shooting a film on location about a murder that occurred in the town (iykyk). Presley is determined to give Shaw the cold shoulder, but when he coincidentally moves in next door to her, he becomes difficult to avoid. This book was pretty good. I didn't love it as much as Steel King or Riven Knight, but still enjoyed it. I really liked Shaw and his story. I didn't like some of the conflict— some felt a little unnecessary. The romance was good and spicy like we like, and this book has enemies to lovers and forced proximity tropes, which I love. Overall I enjoyed it and I will be moving on to the next book in the series! Stone Princess is an adult romance, 18+ for content and themes. Check TW

If you've been here a bit or know me at all, I am a sucker for forced proximity. It is like one of my favorite tropes right up there with enemies to lovers and my other faves. This book delivered on tension and forced proximity! After Stone Princess, I was hoping that Luke would get a happy ending and this is it! Noble Prince follows Scarlett, Presley's sister who's just come back into her life, and Luke, Clifton Forge police chief. After the intense ending of Stone Princess, Scarlett finds herself in need of protection from the Arrowhead Warriors and, having limited resources, Luke is responsible for keeping her safe. Luke is an all around good guy which Scarlett needs after everything she has been through. There's tension, spice, a good story— I'm really enjoying this series! Really makes me want to rewatch Sons on Anarchy but idk if I want to relive the emotional damage

I went back to Clifton Forge last week and read Riven Knight, book 2 in the series, and it didn't disappoint. In this book we finally see the mystery from Steel King solved! As someone who needs closure, I was very happy to have that. The main characters in this story are Genevieve and Isaiah who get married in order to not have to testify against one another after events in Steel King. Riven Knight is full of marriage of convenience and forced proximity goodness— lots of tension! I'm really enjoying this series and can't wait to continue!

Entering back into my Devney Perry era, and I'm definitely not mad about it! Maybe I will make it through her backlist this year. I really enjoyed this book! It had so much mystery and romance and it really had me wanting to watch Sons of Anarchy again for some Jax Teller vibes. The story follows Bryce, a journalist who's recently moved home to Clifton Forge, and Dash, president of a motorcycle club that's no longer active. Bryce is on a mission to expose the reason that the Tin Kings disbanded, but right when she is starting her research, a woman is murdered. Bryce and Dash join forces to clear his father's name, and naturally there are sparks. Dash is so protective of Bryce, and their romance is hot! I can't wait to read more of the series and see the mystery solved! Steel King is an adult romance 18+ for sexual content

J Bree, what are you doing to me?! The vibes in this series are just so good! The tension, the spice, the betrayal, the adventure—all of it so incredibly good! In this third installment in The Bonds That Tie series, we continue to follow Oli as she navigates her life with her Bonds and her growing Gift as they continue to try to out maneuver the Resistance. I found this book to have a bit more dystopian vibes to it which I didn't mind, and it was a little more violent than previous books in my opinion. We continue to learn more about each of her Bonds, and I'm loving the character development so far! I'm still extremely curious about one Bond in particular and hope to learn more about his background in the next book. Overall I am loving this series and cannot wait to continue! Blood Bonds is an adult paranormal ‘why choose' romance, 18+ for sexual content, violence, and themes

Spoiler-Free Review:

If you're looking for a light and festive read for the holiday season, look no further! This book was just what I needed to put me in the Christmas spirit. Aiden is a dreamy male MC with his adorable obsession with Christmas. Stella is a woman looking for a fresh start after some troubled times. This book has grumpy/sunshine and boss/employee tropes, and I loved it! I especially loved that the FMC was the grumpy as opposed to the usual MMC. There is a ton of sexual tension and the pay off is chefs kiss so worth it. I gave 4 rather than 5 stars because there were some areas I just wanted more information or closure on. Overall a super light and cute romance that was fun to read. 18+ sexual content and language.

Before I say anything about this book, I'd like to give a huge Thank You to @authorkgodin for sending me this ARC of her book. I am beyond thankful! Okay, review time! This story hooked me right from the start. So many things in the beginning were intriguing and had me wanting to know everything about them. Let's start with the basics. The writing in this book was phenomenal. I absolutely loved K. Godin's writing style. The book was extremely well paced and the storytelling impeccable. Oh my goodness, the imagery! I could visualize every character, every town and scenery, every conflict. It was all so visual, and as a reader, I really appreciated that. There were moments of heart-pounding suspense and adventure that kept me turning pages to know what happened. I just felt very present in the story. Moving on to the characters, where do I even begin! I absolutely adored Skylahr. She was such a unique female main character both physically and emotionally. She has insecurities that were extremely relatable as well. Kalian, was so dreamy. He created this exquisite sexual tension between he and Skylahr which had amazing pay off. Three words: enemies to lovers! Can't not mention all of the amazing side character dynamics, I loved them all! I am extremely interested and intrigued to see where K. Godin takes Skylahr's story in future books. This is an adult high fantasy, 18+ for language and sexual content. Please preorder Legend of the Huntress by K. Godin which releases 4/2/22!

Spoiler-Free Review:

This book was the August/September pick for the Up All Night book club. I enjoyed reading it and found it thought provoking and deep— maybe a bit over my head. I enjoyed the writing style and how the story read like a memoir. This book follows the story of Alex Green. Alex is a young girl when she sees her first dragon— too young to really understand. The story is about how some women began spontaneously “dragoning” and how society changed and adapted with these events. This is a story of the harmful impacts of prejudice, societal change, the importance of talking about the past, and longing for more out of life. The pacing of this book started off a little slow for my taste, but it picked up around half way. The author talks about true events that inspired bits of the story in the acknowledgements, and it definitely sparked my curiosity to do some research. This is adult contemporary fiction, 16+ for themes and topics.

My tears are still flowing as I write this review because I just loved this series so much! I truly truly feel like I've watched these women grow from teenagers into adults, and it's so bittersweet. The epilogues in this book squeezed my heart, and I really think this series will be in my heart for a long time. Claimed in the fifth installment in the Willow Springs series, and it follows Ivy, our final Magic Willow who is still searching for someone to fill a void left by her high school sweetheart, and Ty, Ivy's high school sweetheart who made it big in Nashville but finds himself burnt out. When Ty comes to Willow Springs for his sisters wedding (which Ivy is planning) he is determined to make things right with Ivy. Ivy is resistant at first and neither of them know what their future will hold, but their love is rekindled. This is second-chance romance at its finest. The longing, the emotions, the forgiveness, the tension— all of it, so good! I recommend this series to anyone who like small town romance, especially if you also like coming of age.

3 stars may be too generous. I felt like this story jumped around so much and that things were not well developed within the plot or the characters. Decent tension and some spice but the love/hate vibes between the two main characters was a lot to keep up with.

Spoiler-free Review:

I read book 1 in this series last month and really enjoyed it, so when AK Mulford sent an ARC application in her newsletter I was set on reading book 2!
I really liked this book the pacing for me was very much like book 1, a little slower start then picked up. Once it picked up, I couldn't get enough! I devoured it! I am obsessed with Rua (the female MC). She has so much inner turmoil to overcome and so many “demons” to fight. She is beyond relatable, not wanting to show anyone her scars outwardly and trying to appear strong. She has the most amazing girl gang, which I love in a book! I fell in love with her friendship with Bri and Aneryn. The male MC, Renwick, is just as damaged and scarred as Rua which makes their moments together charged with sexual tension, which I also didn't hate! This is a slow burn enemies to lovers book, and the payoff is good. As with AK Mulford's other book, the spice was very tasteful but still adult which I appreciated. I think 18+ for sexual content and mild language. Overall, I really enjoyed Rua and Renwick's story. I took one star off for pacing, but the story was still strong in character and plot development. I cannot wait for book 3, which will follow Bri and her efforts to bring peace to their world!

Spoiler-Free Review:

I wasn't planning to read this book, but so many friends were hyping it up so I picked it up. I was pleasantly surprised. Dark romance is a newer genre for me, and sometimes things get a little too dark. I felt like this book was on the medium-milder side of darkness if that makes sense. I don't usually like to give “half stars,” but I felt like this book was more than a three star but less than a four star. Alas... 3.5 stars! Let's dive into the review! So I really liked that the story was loosely based on Peter Pan. It wasn't a retelling but little bits of inspiration sprinkled throughout. I thought the story itself was very creative. There was a mystery and a plot twist that kept me turning the pages! I deducted stars for plot related issues. Somethings could have been further explained or expanded on. It also was all resolved super quickly in the end. The FMC, Wendy, was very unexpected. At first I thought she would be shy and timid, but that was not the case at all! Hook/James, the MMC, is so broken and damaged I just wanted to give him a hug. So much sexual tension- so much! The payoff was definitely there and it was definitely spicy. This book is dark and the author is very upfront about that with a message at the front of the book which I appreciated. Check the trigger warnings because there are many things that could be triggering to readers. The author has a second book in this series coming out soon and I will likely read it. I really enjoyed the creativity of story and the characters. This is an adult dark romance. 18+ for romance, sexual content, and themes.

Spoiler-Free Review:

Sorry not sorry to everyone I now beg to read this book! Also sorry not sorry for the plethora middle of the night dms and voice notes I sent to @bookish.Teresa raving over this book! If you're a fan of the gossip girl universe and books of the like, you will love Magnolia Parks. Magnolia Parks is set in London and the characters are young adults in their 20s, and they're toxic in the best way! This is book one in this series, and the story follows BJ and Magnolia. It's dual POV and has a few time jumps, but I love that we get this from both sides of their story. The writing style is so unique. I explained it to Teresa as like a stream of conscious thoughts from the characters. It reads exactly how I imagine the characters talking and thinking. Magnolia is a very wealthy young woman who has been in love with BJ since she was 14. Certain events broke up their romantic relationship, but they remain friends and are essential like a crutch for each other. They need each other in times of stress and sadness but are also so toxic to one another. This book is full of angst and tension. There is a lot of talk of sex, but none of it is on page or explicit. Lots of drug use and lots of drinking that is definitely on page. There's so much love, so much betrayal, so many things. I absolutely ate this up, and will be starting book 2 tonight. This is a new adult romance, 18+ for themes, language, sexual content.

I've been seeing this book around for a while, and I finally got around to giving it a read. It was good and I enjoyed it. It gave me things I like about fantasy with out having a super complex world. This story follows Rowan, a mortal college student with some unique fears. She is approached by The Lord of Chaos one night while out, and she is mistaken as a demon from his past. Things happen and secrets unfold, and the way the book ends, I'm already wanting to check out book two. There is a ton of sexual tension with a small bit of pay-off. I found some of the dialogue kind of cheesy, and some of the story felt like it was underdeveloped. I think (and hope) that we will get more development in the second book. I was between a 3 and a 4 star here, but it scratched an itch I had, so it got bonus points. Overall a good and easy read, and I'm intrigued by what we will learn in the next book. This is an adult fantasy, 18+ for sexual content and language.

Spoiler-Free Review:

You guys, this book! This. Freaking. Book! I can't find anything I didn't like about it. I read this book in a day because I couldn't put it down. I had to know more of the story and why things were happening. Both of the MCs had personal issues that they need to overcome, making them stronger characters because of it (which I love). Addy (the female MC) is amazing. Constantly she is putting her personal feelings and needs aside in order to be strong for others, especially her family. Her mother-like relationship with her little brother was touching, always putting his needs before her own. Matthias (male MC) loves his mother so much. Their relationship was so cute to read about. Helen, Matthias's mother, is the epitome of a wise woman. I loved the way she was written, and I absolutely loved the letters after each chapter. They not only had a point in the story but also gave us more back story into her life. This is a slow burn, enemies to lovers, and grumpy/sunshine romance. The pay off is so good! The spice is well-written and fits the overall tone of the book. 18+ sexual content, language, and themes. Involves themes including: death of a parent, mention of abuse, terminal diagnosis and possibly others. Always check trigger warnings. I loved all of the characters and the story so much! Tear warning: this book did destroy me emotionally, but it 10/10 picked up the pieces and was worth it. The story was so moving, and I know it'll be on my mind for quite some time!