Regina

Building Fences features probably one of the funniest meet-cutes I've read recently. Plus, it gave me ALL THE FEELS. <3
Caroline and Levi were easy to root for, and the supporting cast of characters made me want to read more books about the folks of Cedar Creek.

This is the first book by this author I've read, but I have already two more on my Kindle, and I suppose more titles from her backlist will soon follow.

4.5 / 5

Although it's book #3 of the Kings of Carolina, it's the first in the series I've read - but it sure won't be the last! I had so much fun with Alice and Mal (and the extended family), especiall Mal's shenanigans to not only get Alice back, but also to maker her happy. (That. List. :D)
These two complement each other perfectly, and I simply adored Alice and her no-nonsense approach at wrangling the very nonsensical heir to the Feldish throne.
Plus, their chemistry is off the charts!

4.5/5 hot - and highly entertaining - stars

What a nice surprise!

Off Center is a cute YA romance story with some laughs, but it also touches on some heavier issues.
I loved Lane's letters to Jillie <3 , her developing friendship with Andie, and - of course! - Mackey (what's not to love?). :)

TBH, I'm always a bit sceptic before delving into a multi-author series* where I only know one of the authors. This is the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be my last (two more of hers are already on my TBR pile).

I'm also looking forward to reading more stories in this series. :)

* In this case a series of loosely linked standalone stories with some minor crossovers, and you don't have to have read the first book to enjoy Off Center.

5/5 cue-the-waterworks stars

Let It Be Me has everything that makes me appreciate Kait Nolan's books so much.

It was so easy to fall in love with Emerson and Caleb (and Fi and Paisly and Mooch...), and their story put me thoroughly through the emotional wringer, but was also swoon-worthy (oh, the swoons!), heartwarming, and funny.

Extra kudos for Paisley for being the kind of best friend everyone should have in their corner, and for giving Emerson some tough love when she really needed it.

This book is a wonderful start to this new Misfit Inn spin-off series! I can't wait (but sadly I'll have to) to read alllll about Kyle and Abbey in the next book.

John-Candy-type shenanigans meet Hallmark sweetness

With all the things going wrong on their cross-coutry trip, Wyatt and Georgia's story at times reminded me of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, while at the same time it a very sweet, Christmas-sy Hallmark vibe.
The story is a fun and quick read, I enjoyed spending a little time with Wyatt and Georgia, though Reeses occasionally stole the show.

I was looking forward to reading Darcy's story since I met her in book #1, No More Bad Dates. I like her no-nonsense, pragmatic way of tackling life, the universe, and everything. (And it's especially funny to see her wrangle her not-really-no-nonsense, less-than-pragmatic boss. :) )

On her way to her HFN / HEA, besides the whole No-More-Bad-Dates protocol and vetting process, Darcy only has to get through one terrible date, it's a doozy, for sure.

Alex (or should I say ‘Alex Walsh'?), on the other hand, turns not quite as terrible as Darcy made him out to be. I liked what I saw of him in the first book, and seeing him pushing Darcy's buttons is a lot of fun. :)

To be honest, though, my favorite hero so far is still Almost-Doctor Christie, but he's a tough act to follow. I'm curious what - or rather whom - book #3 will bring for Erin.

Now that escalated quickly!

I like Kylie and Hagen, but their prank war really escalates quickly into territory I'm not comfortable with. I don't get how a person who's supposedly too nice to tell someone else “no” translates to what is essentially breaking and entering and bringing potential harm to another person's property and/or said person.
It's like: Hey, listen, I don't want to be rude or hurt your feelings in any way, but I have no problem giving you bruises by firing a paintball gun at you from close range and potentially maiming you and giving you a bloody nose by installing a tripwire on your front porch... Just... no.

I also wonder if Hagen and Kylie would have found their way to each other if they hadn't been forced together by the whole stalker subplot.

Plus... too many cousins for my liking. One or two would have been enough, plotwise, four were simply overkill and didn't add anything to the story that Page and/or Mack couldn't have on their own.

Still, the story was entertaining and well-written.

3.5/5 stars.

Fun and cute YA Christmas novella with a Grinch-y heroine.

I had so much fun watching Chrissy struggle with the over-the-top Christmas pageant and getting slowly but surely ungrinched along the way - okay, maybe not totally ungrinched, but she's definitely less Grinch-y by the end. I loved the cast of characters, from best friend Nate and pretty boy Evan to Chrissy's family and the wacky townsfolk.

What a wonderful collection!

All three stories are about characters I've met before:
There's Tara, whose lovely (novella-length) story I read in one sitting, playing the old “awww, just one more chapter!” game until 1 a.m. :)

Then there are Sandy and Trey, whose second-chance story I wanted to read since meeting them in “To Get Me To You” (Norah and Cam's story). There were certain twists I did not see coming, but which were - in retrosepct - very fitting.

And, of course, there's Mary Alice, who certainly deserved better than what she experienced with Judd in “If I Didn't Care”, and who finally gets her swoon-worthy HEA with Dr. McHottie.

Two of the stories are Christmas-themed, but IMO you can never go wrong with a healthy dose of Holiday spirit, no matter what time of year...

Giving me the Warm Fuzzies (pun intended ;) )

This might be the first story I read by Laurie Baxter (when it was published together with The Rescue in “A Cute Pair of Shorts”), and the re-read was just as cute and funny as I remembered!
Keesha's adventures in online dating range from hilarious to cringe-worthy (and sound all too plausible), and - just like the first time I read the story - I only wish it had been longer and I'd gotten to know Keesha and Bob better. :)

This book offers a more detailed backstory for characters we've already met in the Gods of the Ragnarok Era books, namely Audr and Grimhild. Though the story takes place in another age, long before the events of GoRE, the world - and some of the characters - will feel familiar.
I appreciate the way Matt Larkin brings this dark and fascinating world with all its complex characters to life, the lines between hero and villain anything but clear.

Short and funny meet-cute with dogs. And a jealous beta fish. :)

This lighthearted, short rom-com is the first story I've read by this author, and it has made me want to read more books by her.

I'll admit, this isn't my favourite in the series. Somehow I couldn't connect with Marissa as well as with Paige or Cassie in the first two books.
Though I'll say that Nash makes a great rom-com hero (plus: puppies!), and the story was still fun.
3.5 / 5

• Absent father: Check
  - Evil stepmother and stepsisters: Check
  - Lost shoe: Check
  
  The usual trappings of the trope are firmly in place to make Gabby's life less than easy.
  What I like about Kate O'Keeffe's interpretation of the story is that Gabby is actively working on a plan to get herself and her little sister out of the difficult situation their father has left them in.
  
  Which is still easier with a little help from Cole, who makes a swoon-worthy Prince Charming to complement Gabby. I also appreciated how his side of the story played out - family drama and clashes with “Man Bun” included.
  
  While the insta-love was a bit much for me (I'm not the biggest fan of that particular trope, but that's just me), I still enjoyed the story overall and couldn't help but fall in love with Gabby and Cole a little myself.
  
  Bonus point for a fun supporting cast including the “Ellas” (looking forward to reading their stories) and Cole's family, especially cousin Avery and her twins.

Another thoroughly enjoyable, feel-good story in the Cozy Cottage Café series!

I was thrilled to see Paige getting her HEA after what happened in book #1, and I think Josh is the perfect match for her.
I also loved that Paige was finally able to let go of - internal and external - expectations to find her “professional HEA” in the end, too.

(Also... Is it weird that I want to give Paige's Dad a big hug? :) )

Like the other books in this series I have read so far, I really enjoyed this story! I loved getting to know Hadley and Fletcher and their history, and it was fun to see them finding their way back together again.
Bonus points, as always in Brenna Jacobs's stories ;) , for a wonderful cast of supporting characters, including the friends and families (and, of course, Fletcher's whole firefighter team).

It's been a while since I read the first book in the series. And to be honest, I kind of dreaded continuing, considering my favorite character would be missing. And while it didn't pack quite the emotional punch (for me, at least) as its predecessor, I still enjoyed some of the twists and turns the story took.
Looking forward to reading more in the series!

Cute, short read! I especially enjoyed the banter between Jennifer and Dallen - by email, text, or in person. :)

“Everyone needs more Ruthie”

While Ruthie may not be everyone's cup of tea, she sure is an entertaining heroine, and there is never a dull moment when she's around.

“I'm very good at offending people, even though that's not always my intention.”
With her take-no-prisoners approach to life, the universe, and everything, Ruthie is a force to be reckoned with! And while I found it not always easy to like her - in a way, I can relate to Trev's initial prickly reaction to her - my heart was breaking for her, and I fouond myself enthusiastically rooting for her to go and get her man.

Predictable, routine-loving me found Trev to be a lot more relatable - though he sure had his judgmental and jerky moments, and his own share of hang-ups to overcome.
“Ruthie is a whirlwind; moving at tornado speed and sucking up everything in her path. But I'm not a storm chaser. I don't even like high winds.”

I loved watching these two squabble and banter while they were slowly falling in like (and more) with each other - against their better judgment - and it was fun to reconnect with the usual suspects (Flora and Dean, M.K. and Clay, Adam and Patrick, and, of course, Reuben).

4.5/5

Cute short story, Via and Hudson were interesting and fun characters to spend some time with. :)

This is the first story I've read by this author, but now I want to read more (Frankie's story?).

The title and the blurb drew me right in - I have a soft spot for the nice guys. :) And EJ is no exception, I fell in serious like with him from the start. Disclaimer: I haven't read the first book in the series, but from what I've seen of the band in this story, EJ is my favorite of the four, hands down. ;)
I adore Skye, she is his perfect counterpart: she's confident but not conceited - if maybe somewhat jaded.
Their meet-cute had me laughing out loud, and even though most of the conflict could have been resolved if these two had just TALKED to each other, it was still an entertaining story.

NSFPT - Not Safe For Public Transportation :D

Caution, this book might cause tears (of joy, of laughter, or of heartbreak - it's all there), snort-laughing (you'll know what I mean when you read it, trust me!) and some serious swooning.

Though, let's be honest: Stiff Suit is a darn tough act to follow, but somehow Captain Dreamboat pulls it off. Jonathan and Blanka are their own brand of funny, sexy, swoony, heartbreaking and -melting, and I would give Chapter 4 alone a gazillion stars if I could! Add to that the usual craziness that is the Bracelyn clan, and you've got yourself another winner. :)

In book #3, the fire-and-brimstone brigade is out in full force again, and somehow that made this third part of the saga harder to stomach for me than the previous book(s). Especially Isaac's dad is just... Seriously, I'm at a loss for words.

I am happy to see, though, that Isaac finally seems to be able to start working on getting out from under his father's thumb. And while I'm still rooting for Preston (sorry, Isaac!), I really enjoyed the after-prom-dinner scenes. <3

Let's just say that even though I had my problems with this particular part of the saga, and I'd give it an overall 3.5 / 5 stars, I've already bought book #4, because I want to know how Destiny's story continues.

Thank you, Heidi, for this super-early Christmas present! <3

Miranda and Carl are two of my favorite characters in the DBS world, and I love this story to pieces. Besides those two and all the swoons they bring, this story also has a healthy dose of DBS shenanigans, brought to you by your favorite rock doofuses.

All the smiles, all the happy sighs, all the swoony feels, all the Christmas magic, and - of course - all the nogg! :D

And the Drama-with-a-capital-D continues, but it feels like there's not much development in either direction. Destiny is still torn between Isaac and Preston (btw - am I the only one who feels bad for Preston?), nothing gets resolved, and Hannah gets her own personal brand of drama on top of that.