allisonbree's reviews
118 reviews

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

**I received a free, advanced copy of this book for reviewing purposes. Thank you to the author, Harloe Rae for including me in this release!**

Callie is an innocent, timid girl who grew up in a restrictive compound where women were seen as objects. After leaving her abusive father and home, she ends up in Knox Creek, where she'd previously met Harper (from Wrong for You). Needing a place to stay, she ends up moving in next door to Ridge, ex NHL player, and co-owner of Roosters, a bar in town.

When Ridge spots Callie for the first time, he's hooked. When she moves to Knox Creek, the grumpy bar owner finds himself becoming her landlord and becoming more and more obsessed with her (but not in a bad way- don't get it twisted!).

From page 1, Callie and Ridge captured my heart. This book had me laughing out loud, swooning, and grinning like an idiot. I really couldn't have asked for a better story. Within a few chapters, I knew this book would be heading to the top of my Harloe Rae book rankings.

Obviously, Score on You earns 5 out of 5 stars from me. It's got all of the classic small town vibes that Harloe Rae has perfected. If you are looking for a slow burn, grumpy/sunshine, innocent FMC, with an obsessive, overly protective, 'touch her and die' man, this is the book for you!

Meant for Her by Natasha Madison

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

**I received a free, advanced copy of this book for reviewing purposes. Thank you to the author, Natasha Madison, and to Wildfire Marketing Solutions for including me in this release!**

Going in to this book, we knew it was going to involve a widow, now single-mom. Dakota's (Koda) husband Benji, an NHL player, suffers an overdose at the start of the book. Koda finds him unresponsive on their couch, the morning after their daughter's 4th birthday party. While I did not find that part to be shocking, it may be upsetting to some people (there is not a ton of description but there is some. it is definitely something that would be easily to skim or skip over if you are concerned about it).

Christopher, one of Benji's teammates is on vacation when he gets the news of his best friend's death. Thinking of his friend's wife and two young girls, he rushes home. But, he doesn't get a warm welcome from Koda. As Benji's teammate, Koda wanted to know how he could let Benji's addiction take over his life. How had no team member *noticed* or tried to take action to save Benji before it was too late? She was already worn out from the stress of two young kids, and having to put on a brave face while her husband openly cheated on her. And just when she had gathered the strength to leave her husband, she finds him dead.

The character development in the book wasn't what I'll call the 'usual' character development. We didn't have a heroine who had to learn to move on from her bad breakup or get the courage to try again with a former flame. Instead we have a heroine who had to come to terms with her husband's death. She was constantly discovering things that made her hate him even more, and she had to learn that there was nothing she could have done to prevent Benji's death. Not to mention the growing feelings she is having towards the best man from their wedding.

Overall, I give Meant for Her a solid 4/5 stars. I love the characters, and the angst and slow burn was delicious. I loved that the story itself was different from other books dealing with loss in some way. A widow/widower or single-parent trope is not uncommon. But because we experience the character's death along with the FMC, the story is about the grieving process just as much as the romance. The grieving process was done so well, and this book absolutely hit me in the feels.

Something About a Hot Guy by A.L. Jackson

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lighthearted fast-paced