Regina
Romantic suspense in Glenlaig, you say? Count me in!
To be fair, I was already a fan of the Kilted Hearts series and couldn't wait to get back to Glenlaig and catch up with everyone - especially Ciara and Alex after that doozy of a meet-cute in the prequel novella. I loved seeing them find their way back together, albeit they both had good reasons to try and keep their distance.
The “Special Ops Scots” are a wonderful addition to the found family of Glenlaig, and I can't wait to read the next story!
The Queen of Feels strikes again!
Heidi Hutchinson has a knack for hitting me smack-dab in ALL the feels.
Every.
Single.
Time.
From the very first page to the final HEA, Write or Wrong took me on an emotional roller coaster, running the gamut from anxious nailbiting to sniggering, to crying, to swooning, to laughing, to happy-sighing, and yes, tthere may have been a couple more tears along the way.
I adored Zara and kept rooting for Asa, even - and especially - when he was being extra Asa-ish, and seeing these two connect and fall in love was just beautiful. chef's kiss
Visiting with XY Records family is always a treat, and I'm happy to see this family growing with every book. More, please?
So, so good!
When I grow up, I want to be like Chloe - a strong and confident shero who faces life's challenges head-on. (It's probably too late for me to become a kick-ass athlete on top of all that...). And I just adored how she bonded with Niko's daughter Ayana (and let's not forget Paul!).
And Niko? For such a big, bad (okay, more grumpy) hockey player, he turned out to be a total marshmallow where his daughter was concerned... Such a great dad who would move heaven and earth to do right by his kid - le swoon!
Alas, Niko and Chloe both had a lot of baggage to sort out first, but both the journey and their HEA (finally!) were so worth it.
Bonus points for Niko's lost-in-translation idioms - they kept cracking me up! :)
More, please?
Wonderfully witty and wacky tale with a lot of heart!
Rex Burke is a new-to-me author, but the book's blurb sounded right up my reading alley, and it did not disappoint.
After a bit of a slow start, I was soon fully invested in Jake's increasingly bonkers adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know this slightly fish-out-of-watery but definitely in-over-his-head hero and the quirky inhabitants of Elsay. And like other readers, I joined the Alva fan club pretty quickly after meeting her.
Third Loch from the Sun tells a witty and wacky tale with plenty of pop culture references, yet it packs quite an emotional punch that I frankly did not see coming.
Now I'm off to add more Rex Burke books to my ever-growing TBR!
Kept me reading way past my bedtime!
After reading the prequel Smoke on the Water and falling in love with Hatterwick and its people, this first story of one of the “Wayward Sons” totally hit the mark for me. Willa and Sawyer were two strong protagonists, and I loved how quickly they both were invested in turning their marriage of convenience into the real thing. The romance and suspense story arcs were interwoven seamlessly and kept me on the edge of my seat (and up reading way past my bedtime...).
I've become a huge fan of the Wayward Sons' extended found family and can't wait for the next in the series!
All the warm fuzzies!
The Rebound Play was such a lovely, feel-good story - it gave me all the warm fuzzies, like an xxl hot chocolate (with extra marshmallows) on a crisp fall day. I adored Keira, and her awkward attempts to avoid Dan cracked me up at times. Yet Dan was such a cinnamon roll of a hero, trying to show Keira that her feelings were absolutely not one-sided.
More, please?
A Vanti-tastic new adventure! :)
For this new mission, some new faces join our crew of old friends. But it wouldn't be a proper Vanti mission if things didn't go sideways and veer off into what-the-hey? territory rather quickly. I don't envy Vanti trying to herd that particular cluster of cats (and caats), but it is so much fun to watch (err, read)!
As always, bonus points for the copious nods to pop culture a.k.a “Ancient TēVē”. :)
I loved it!
Am I biased? Of course I am: I've loved the previous two books in the series, and I've had a soft spot for Brandon Nix since that stunt he and his partner-in-crime Landon pulled in book #2.
He and Andi may not be perfect (and I love them all the more for that!), but they turn out to be just perfect for each other. Chef's kiss
More, please?
Holland is my kind of weird! <3
I adore Cori Cooper's quirky characters, and I really enjoyed getting to know Holland and her (new) group of friends. We may have do agree to disagree where Tom Bombadil is concerned, and for me it was clear pretty early on which of Holland's crushes I wanted to prevail. But even if I kept rolling my eyes at the boys' antics, it was a fun story. And Holland and Asher were just too cute together. And Awkward. With a capital A. :D
Welcome to Maple Falls!
Whitney Dineen made it easy for me to fall in love with the small town of Maple Falls and its inhabitants and guests alike, but espeacially with Ellie and Zach. This sweet rom-com might be a bit insta-lovey, but I adored how easily Zach fit into Ellie's (and her mom's!) life and how Ellie struggled to keep him at arm's length. I enjoyed this sweet romance a lot, and while it can be read as a standalone, it's also a nice setup for more Maple Falls stories. Can't wait for the next one!
I've had a soft spot for introverted, quiet Baxter for a while now, and I'm happy to see him get his HEA, even if Katy puts both him and Tammy (and us readers, of course!) through the emotional wringer on the way. This story has plenty of drama and heat, but it wouldn't be a Hockey House novel without the ridiculousness the hockey bros bring to the table. :) But to be honest, sweet Kai absolutely stole the show (and a piece of my heart).
After having read Alicia Ellis's YA sci-fi mystery series Flesh and Metal, I was looking forward to reading more of her mysteries, and the “Gray Girls” did not disappoint.
I found by-the-book Ivy and very-much-not-so Rose to be interesting and compelling main characters I enjoyed getting to know. More often than not, their strong personalities set them on a collision course, yet they turned out to be a formidable team whenever they managed to get over their various hangups and brought their respective strengths to bear.
I was a bit disappointed that their investigation of the mystery that brought the sisters together - the disappearance of their father - didn't seem to make much progress. But since this is the first book in a series, I assume more pieces to that puzzzle will be revealed over the course of the following books.
Weird and wacky fun!
Lena's mission to get herself out of legal trouble backfires spectacularly, and hilarity and not-so-organized crime ensue in this cozy-ish mystery with some grittier undertones. Plenty of twists and turns keep the story moving forward (or occasionally sideways), and I really enjoyed getting to know Lena and her friends, family, and foes - and everything in between.
I really enjoyed this entertaining, action-packed first-in-series!
While I felt a little overwhelmed initially with all the unfamiliar places and alien species, the premise of the book had me hooked from the get-go, and I had a lot of fun following Mac and Joe along on their first mission. It was easy to empathize with Mac, who had his work cut out for him (or eaten by giant space bugs...) and to root for Joe, who couldn't resist hamming it up as Capatin Charisma.
The vivid descriptions truly brought the story to life, and I could totally see this being made into a TV show or movie.
More, please?
The swoon is dialled up to 11!
Just Act Natural was right up my comfort-read alley: swoony romance, lots of banter, geeky cinnamon-roll hero, fake relationship turning into something very real, meddling family and friends, small-town shenanigans.
The story gave me all the warm fuzzies served with a big dollop of ridiculous situations that frankly could happen to every indoorsy person going on their first multi-day hike / camping trip in the woods.
I found Lila to be very relatable in her fish-out-of-water (ha!) experience in the Great Outdoors. My heart broke for her several times (no spoilers), and I so appreciated Grant being there for her, trying to help her see the positive experiences and making sure she knew that a) no one is great at somethingg they try for the first time, and b) no one has to like evrything they try for the first time.
Also, If I hadn't been already totally smitten with the guy, Grant reading Terry Pratchett to Lila totally would have done it for sure. I mean... come on! hearteyesswoons-in-Discworld
More, please?
