bribreez's reviews
679 reviews

Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

4.25⭐️/ 2-3🌶️

I just love small town romances, and of course add in cowboys and YESSSS I WILL READ IT! Back in the small town, and where Rebel Blue Ranch was, the Ryder family lived and worked on the land they owned. The first book focused on, Brooks and Emmy falling for each other, and inevitably it being somewhat a forbidden romance and brother’s best friend! Now, back in Meadowlark, the familiar faces of the Ryder family were back, but this time centered on, Weston “Wes” Ryder and Ada Hart. An interior designer and a cowboy have different interests and careers as you could imagine, but after sharing a steamy moment in the Devil’s Boot bar, Ada and Wes shared a connection that was still present even when they found out they were going to be working together. Lyla Sage once again wrote an easy going romance with heart, depth, and a storyline that was easy to jump into and get lost in. 

There’s plenty of reasons to read this book and any book by, Lyla Sage. Lyla is one of those authors whose stories are straightforward, easy, immersive, and have heartfelt moments sprinkled throughout the characters stories. With Wes and Ada’s story, it was seeing the two of them share a steamy moment, but then things turning unexpectedly when they found out they’d be working alongside each other on the design project Ada was hired for…by Wes! Ada was a bit grumpy, but more so in the way she was actually shy, but her shyness came off as standoff-ish and unapproachable. Wes was the sunshine in this book, and despite sometimes being at the other end of Ada’s distance behavior, he was still intrigued and attracted to her. Wes was the sunshine to Ada’s sometimes grumpy attitude and they really balanced each other out throughout the whole book.

As much as Ada and Wes were attracted to each other, Ada was determined to avoid Wes at all costs, except they still had to work together so there was quite a bit of forced proximity especially with Ada temporarily living in the same house as Wes too! I don’t know why, but for some reason I thought this was going to be an enemies to lovers trope story haha. Thankfully I was wrong and I was glad that this story was actually a reverse grumpy/ sunshine! Seeing how Ada was initially reluctant to get romantically involved with Wes was interesting especially given her backstory. Wes the sunshine, sweet and kind man that he was, always tried his best to keep his attraction at bay for Ada, but nonetheless he reached a point when he couldn’t not touch her and be around her constantly. I also think that at first I wasn’t sure if I was going to love Ada and Wes, but somewhere along the way I started to love them both, and enjoy seeing them interact with each other. One moment that really stood out to me was when Wes and Ada were driving in the middle of a storm. The way that Wes was so protective and worried over Ada when they swerved out of the way of a calf, Wes got so worried thinking Ada got hurt, but she was thankful ok. Seeing Wes go into protective mode was endearing to me, and I’m pretty sure Ada was caught up in how worried Wes got over her. 

Overall, this was a cute, quick, lighthearted, and enjoyable cowboy romance that I enjoyed. I was in the mood for an easy, entertaining, kind of book, and this book was just right for me. I also loved how the book wasn’t too long, kind of quick in terms of the plot line. Ada and Wes were good together, liked seeing the two of them go from sharing a steamy moment to working together, and still growing upon their initial attraction from the beginning. I also loved seeing Emmy, and Brooks (Luke) again from the first book, and getting a few glimpses more of Gus (Emmy and Wes’s older brother) and Teddy (Emmy’s best friend). I love small town romances and with the occasional cowboy gracing the pages of the books, you best believe I’m going to love every single of it! Lyla Sage wrote an easy going romance with dashes of spice, humor, and a few heartfelt moments. If you love cowboy romances set within a lovely small town in Wyoming, found family, a variety in tropes, and a quick read, I would definitely recommend this book and series for sure. 

The Broken Places by Mia Sheridan

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

4⭐️/ 1🌶️

*Please check trigger warnings before reading.

Mia Sheridan’s newest release brings suspense, danger, romance, and mystery as two individuals come together to solve the series of cases that keep popping up in San Francisco. Lennon Gray was an inspector in the SFPD, and with the cases she worked on, she was always faced with a new set of circumstances she needed to solve, but the newest case was one that was disturbing and kept wracking up a number of victims. Trying to solve case with homeless people being at the center of it, also brought Lennon’s new temporary partner, Ambrose Mars, a.k.a. an agent from the FBI. A dangerous drug being found at the crime scene, and unusual items left at the scene made Lennon and Ambrose question who was the one behind the hallucinogenic substances and the reasoning why they were targeting homeless people. 

As you can imagine, I was really looking forward to reading Mia Sheridan’s newest book. This story had an intriguing plot line with the way Lennon and Ambrose were partnered up together and had to solve the mystery behind the hallucinogenic drugs that had surfaced in each crime scene among the victims. The beginning was a bit slow, but only because it had to set up the story and the small details that would later prove to be more significant. Upon meeting both Lennon and Ambrose, I was curious about the types of people they were and their backstories. When it came to Ambrose, he was someone I couldn’t get a clear reading on, but with each chapter certain things about him left me feeling suspicious as to who he really was. Lennon on the other hand was an inspector and she seemed very insightful when it came to detecting clues, and possible motives in connections to the case she worked on. 

I had high hopes for this book especially considering I absolutely love Mia Sheridan’s stories, but this wasn’t exactly the five star read I thought it was going to be. I do think there was some interesting parts to the story including the mystery behind Ambrose which I wasn’t expecting and seeing both Lennon and Ambrose embark on solving the case. Maybe this wasn’t the right book for me at the time, but I didn’t feel a sense of urgency or connection to Lennon and Ambrose. Towards the end, the story felt rushed and ended quickly which I would have preferred it being flushed out a bit more if that makes sense. Regardless, I did like some parts of the story and because I love Mia Sheridan, I’m still giving it four stars. 

My Darling Jane by Ilsa Madden-Mills

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4.5⭐️/ 3🌶️

Jane Darling and Jasper Jannich were two different individuals. Jane was a single mom, former model, and now matchmaker trying to drum up business for prospective clients. Jasper was the quarterback on a NFL team, and living his bachelor life. Having known each other over the years through the shared connection of Jane’s older sister being married to Jasper’s best friend, the two of them didn’t get along most of the time, but that changed in this story! With tropes like, enemies to lovers, slow burn romance, reverse grumpy/ sunshine, angsty, and a protective MMC, there was a lot to enjoy about this story written by the amazing, Ilsa Madden-Mills.

Jane was a single mom, and as you could imagine she was often busy with work but also finding time to spend quality time with her precious daughter. In this story, I got to see more of Jane’s day to day life, and more importantly learn about her backstory. Before Jane became a mother, she was a model, and experienced young love, but that relationship ended badly when the father of her baby wanted nothing to do with being a parent. Between a bad relationship, abandonment due to her mom leaving her and her siblings, Jane wasn’t in a hurry to jump into a new relationship, she’d rather focus on her matchmaking business and her family. 

Jasper was quite the player on and off the field, but that didn’t mean he was careless or rude, he was a genuinely kind man with a heart of gold, and charm. I immediately liked Jasper in the first book, and now in his own story, it was refreshing and fun to get to know him better. I expected to see Jasper all smiles and laughter, and while he did have plenty of moments where he was lighthearted, there was also the unexpected truth about his past concerning his biological mother. Jasper’s life wasn’t always great, from a young age he was abandoned by his biological mother, and that affected him. Thankfully, with his adopted family, they loved him so much and that was all he could ever ask for. Seeing Jasper deal with his past coming back wasn’t something I thought would come up in this story, but it did reveal a lot about Jasper’s character and how despite being a sunshine type of man, he wasn’t all smiles all the time. Jasper was much more than an athlete, he was a man who often felt lonely and wished for someone to care about him as himself and not the famous NFL quarterback. Reading this book made me appreciate Jasper even more, and he was a mix of charm, sweet, thoughtful, protective, and a genuine person. 

This was a sweet, entertaining, and heartwarming romance that showed the former enemies becoming lovers. Jane and Jasper had come a long way from initially not wanting anything to do with each other, but that changed when Jasper went from a prospective client to Jane’s matchmaking services, to falling for each other. I thought the story was enjoyable especially seeing how Jane was able to open herself up to Jasper as opposed to the usual way she treated him before. Jasper was a fun loving guy who was easy to get along with, but through his backstory it revealed there was more to him than just his smiles and flirtatious attitude. The moments when Jasper and Jane were together were good, I loved seeing them get closer the more the story progressed and even the moments between Jasper and Londyn were adorable. The plot line wasn’t too heavy, but some aspects of both Jane and Jasper’s lives did include some minor heavy topics. This story was pretty easy going, and I liked it for the way it was fairly quick, lighthearted, but also had some depth to it. I wasn’t expecting the specific plot twist later in the story, but I guess it worked for Jane and Jasper’s story and to further highlight the progress in their romance. All in all, this was a good book, I enjoyed it, and anything Ilsa Madden-Mills writes, I automatically read it and love it. 

Power Play by Anastasija White

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

*Thank you to Greg’s Promotions and Anastasija White for providing me with an ARC to this story, I greatly appreciate it! Love you Anastasija! 

4.75⭐️/ 4-5🌶️

The final book in the, “Sinners on The Ice” series has come to an end. Over the course of the series, there has been a variety of tropes, stories, and unique characters that I have grown to adore and love. With this being the last book, it centered on Layla Benson and Clay Rodgers. Layla and Clay had a history together from when they dated a few years ago when they were in college, but also Clay was Layla’s brother, Drake’s teammate and friend. Despite a bad breakup, Clay and Layla still had feelings for each other, but through the years, the ups and downs of their past still remained in their memories. Now, with Clay having being traded to Drake’s NHL team, Layla was face to face with the man she loved even to this very day, except now her priorities were different since she was single mom raising her adorable, sweet daughter, Maya. Told through dual timelines, this hockey romance had angst, found family, “it’s always been her”, brother’s friend/ teammate, and a second chance romance.

Having to jump back into a series can sometimes be hard when trying to familiarize yourself again with the characters, but thankfully it quickly came back to me. Right away this story had found family, and seeing the characters from the previous books was fantastic, but also heartwarming because those couples are now in a great place. For Layla and Clay, being back around each other was a bit awkward and tense at first, but with the help of their friends, and them taking small steps to be friendly around each other, it worked out. I would definitely recommend this series as from the first book you meet the characters when their in college and then now to this book everyone is older and it’s nice seeing how far everyone has come since the beginning.

From the moment I saw this story was going to be a second chance romance with a single mom trope, I just KNEW Anastasija was going to have me falling in love with Clay and Layla’s story! Just as I had a good feeling with the beginning, I immediately loved Clay and Layla and how their story was so interesting and had a deep romance that definitely wasn’t over by any means, just ask Clay! At first, I wasn’t sure why Clay and Layla broke up, especially because it was mentioned that something prompted the breakup. The more I read the more I realized just how much certain things played a role in the unfortunate breakup. As you can imagine, there was a bit of angst that had me feeling sad over seeing Clay and Layla trying to work through their feelings and the subsequent pain of their past relationship. I could see that even with the years that passed between them, there was still love present in both Layla and Clay’s hearts for each other. 

Clay Rodgers was indeed a wonderful book boyfriend, and to see him back around Layla, I could see how determined he was to win back Layla! Before Layla (*think back to their college days) Clay was a man who was use to hook ups, flirting, and being casual. Clay wasn’t the type of guy to date nor did he date at all, but when he met Layla, he had a feeling about her that was entirely different to what he experienced in the past. To see Clay go from playboy to a committed boyfriend was sweet, but also illustrated the changes he went through at a younger age. In the present timeline, Clay’s feelings for Layla were still strong, and he was determined to get her back, and with Maya being in the picture she was included as well for Clay to win her over. I think what I loved about this second chance romance wasn’t just seeing Clay doing everything he could to be back with Layla, but seeing how genuinely happy and sweet he was with Maya, and wanting to get to know her. As a single mom, Layla’s life revolved around Maya so, if any man wanted to be with Layla, that included Maya as well which seeing how Clay and Maya became so close super quick, it was so endearing and lovely to see the two of them together. 

Clay and Layla’s story was full of ups and downs that spanned the course of a few years, but eventually they finally got their happy ending. There was plenty of angst and it really got me, which then had me feeling sad for the way things planned out in the past and present between Layla and Clay. I still very much enjoyed this story especially seeing the previous characters from the past books within the series, Clay being so wonderful with Maya, and the close bond formed between Clay and Maya was utterly adorable! Despite the ups and downs that Clay and Layla went through, I was happy once they managed to finally work things out, and just enjoy being together forever! The ending of the story had plenty of lighthearted, romantic moments, and even a precious moment shared between Maya and Clay that had me getting emotional! (Sigh) it was really heartwarming. If you love an angsty, second chance romance with found family, sports romance, an adorable sweet kiddo, and a love that never went away, then you’ll love Clay and Layla. Anastasija did a great job illustrating Clay and Layla’s story. I’m kind of sad the series is over, but I’m looking forward to reading more books by Anastasija as always! 

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

4.75⭐️/ 4🌶️

I will never forget the moment that Tessa Bailey announced she was going to be writing a hockey romance. Add in the tropes of single dad/ nanny trope, age gap romance, forced proximity, and a grumpy stoic dad falling for the intelligent, future marine biologist, and I was ready to read this book! This was the second book in the series, the first one focused on, Wells and Josephine, whereas this book centered on, Burgess (Well’s best friend) and Tallulah (Josephine’s best friend). When Tallulah needed a place to stay during her studies for her Masters, she found the opportunity to become a nanny to Burgess’s daughter. From the moment they met over lunch with their best friends, Burgess was fascinated and intrigued by Tallulah. Although there was an attraction, Tallulah and Burgess kept their relationship professional… until it eventually became more than them just being boss and employee! Tessa Bailey once again wrote another fun loving romance, with depth, spice, humor, and a variety of tropes that I absolutely loved! 

Tallulah was already a familiar face to me as well as Burgess, but seeing them in their own book opened my eyes even more to their personalities and their backstories. For Tallulah it seemed like she initially had doubts about becoming a nanny especially considering she would be living in the same home with a man she barely knew. Granted, Tallulah had every right to feel the way she did because, even I would have felt the same, but with some insight as to why Tallulah felt the way she did revealed an unexpected trauma from her past. Meanwhile, Burgess was still the grumpy man we briefly met in the previous book, but seeing him juggle his NHL career while trying to connect with his daughter was humbling in a way. Burgess was use to his life revolving around hockey and when he wasn’t playing being at home or again trying to connect with his daughter. Once Tallulah came into the picture of becoming Lissa (Burgess’s daughter) nanny, she not only changed her life, but also Burgess’s. 

Did I mention how much I LOVE Tessa Bailey because I really do, and it shows with how much I loved this book as well as her other books. First off, even seeing how this series was introduced, I thought it was fun, but add in the fact how Burgess and Tallulah were in their own book, and yes I was loving them both. Tallulah struggled a lot with trying to be comfortable around men especially considering the traumatic thing that happened to her four years prior. For Tallulah to be around Burgess was not only different, but she felt safe and at ease with him. Burgess was a big, six foot three, and the epitome of menacing when it came to hockey, but despite that, he was really a softie at heart when it came to his daughter, and that quickly extended to Tallulah. As much as I enjoy seeing a man be possessive over the woman he wants, there’s just a special thing to me seeing a man going absolutely protective over a woman. Burgess did anything and everything to ensure Tallulah felt comfortable around him, but also made sure to protect her even despite his insistence of doing things on her own. Burgess was perfect in his own way, and the more I read about him, the more I fell for him just like Tallulah did. 

Overall, this was another great story in the Big Shots series. Tallulah and Burgess had an attraction since the first book, and seeing them in their own story getting to know each other even more was enjoyable, entertaining, and passionate. In some ways, both Tallulah and Burgess hadn’t been living their lives to the fullest in terms of happiness and seizing the day, but over the course of the story, the two of them grew and became more open to love, and living their lives happily. I love me a grumpy man, but add in how Burgess was all about Tallulah from her safety, making her happy, and genuinely wanting the best for it, and I absolutely adored him! Tallulah was a smart young woman, and to see her not only help Burgess with his daughter, but also introduce him to living his life spontaneously was great as well. Tessa once again did not disappoint with the romance and spice in this book. If you love a spicy romance with a dash of angst, some groveling, and the MMC doing his absolutely hardest to win back his girl, then you’ll love this book. Even seeing Wells, and Josephine from the first book was great. Not to mention, getting to meet new characters such as, Sig (Burgess’s teammate), and Chloe (Sig’s future stepsister) whom the two will be the main focus in the next book! All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to how the next book will play out! 

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

4.5⭐️/ 4🌶️

This might be a first for me, reading a sports romance that was centered on a professional golfer and his number one fan. I don’t know much about golf, but with Tessa Bailey at the helm of this book, she made it enjoyable and entertaining. This story centered on, Josephine Doyle and Wells Whitaker. Wells was the bad boy in the professional world of golf, and Josephine was his biggest cheerleader! This story also had, grumpy/sunshine, boss/ employee, spice, humor, golf being the main sporting event, and an unexpected romance that was entertaining. 

Josephine had no doubt that Wells would find his way back to the top of winning gold tournaments, but for Wells he didn’t have that same hopeful feeling he was to use when playing golf. When Wells had enough of Josephine constantly cheering him on and being the biggest fan girl to him, Wells suddenly lost his biggest supporter and for some reason, he grew to miss the red headed woman. As much as Josephine loved to support Wells, once he truly told her to basically get lost, she turned away from him, and started to focus on bigger and important things in her life. In a turn of events, after strangely missing Josephine’s Fangirl antics, Wells found himself going after Josephine, and due to certain circumstances in Josephine’s life, Wells offered her the opportunity to be his caddie. Josephine suddenly found herself working for Wells, and with her vast knowledge of golf, she was focused on helping Wells regain his mojo in golf. 

I love me a grumpy/ sunshine trope, and that was exactly what Josephine and Wells were. Josephine was all about making the best out of any situation even when at times she felt scared, whereas Wells was kind of a jerk majority of the time, not caring about his golf career anymore, and basically known to all as the bad boy. Seeing Wells go from initially being annoyed by Josephine’s presence to actually seeking her out was a big change that I throughly enjoying seeing over the course of the story. Wells was so use to people giving up on him that it revealed a lot about the way he behaved, how he approached others, and essentially why he was so guarded about himself. With Josephine’s help, she not only helped Wells with golf, but also helped him open up in ways that he truly hadn’t before. The best part of the grumpy/ sunshine trope is seeing how the grump or even the sunshine change when being around the other person. Wells and Josephine each helped each other in ways that probably catches them off guard, but it was satisfying to see them become romantically involved and even occasionally forming a sense of unexpected friendship together. Even better was seeing Josephine become Wells caddie, and believe it or not help Wells get back into his former status of being a great golf player. Plus, with some added incentives from Josephine, Wells was motivated into accomplishing those goals. 

I love Tessa Bailey’s book, and this was a fun, entertaining romance to read. I had initially heard some mixed reviews about this book, but I’m glad I went into this book with an open mind. This story had an interesting take combining golf into a romance book. Wells and Josephine were opposites in the way that Wells was the bad boy, and Josephine was the good girl sunshine. I really thought Josephine and Wells were a great match together and not only was the chemistry and tension equally great, but seeing the connection grow deeper between them was good too. I loved getting to see Wells switch from not wanting anything to do with Josephine to literally becoming so worried about her when he got notifications about her glucose levels and speeding all the way to her apartment in fear something bad happened to her. Definitely loved seeing Wells be such a possessive, protective, and obsessive man over Josephine. I wanted a spicy, fun, lighthearted romance and that’s exactly what I got, but with the added tiny bit of vulnerability from both Wells and Josephine. The book was good and I have no complaints about it. I’m interested to see how the next book will be especially since it has one of my favorite tropes! Highly recommend if you want a spicy, sports romance with grumpy/ sunshine. 

Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

5⭐️/ 5🌶️

Who doesn’t love a Christmas story especially involving a romance?! With Tessa Bailey at the helm of this novella she wrote a fun, spicy, amazing Christmas romance with a reverse grumpy/ sunshine couple, opposites attract, and a bit of workplace romance to kick things off with Aiden Cook and Stella Schmidt. Stella was recently released from…prison and trying to start off on a new slate. One day, while looking at the window displays on fifth avenue, she met the most sunshine, optimistic, and handsome man named, Aiden. Aiden was literally so kind, sweet, and a genuine person who immediately recognized that Stella had an eye for creativity when it came to window displays. When it came to needing a job and an opening for a window decorator job, Stella decided why not? Thus, the novella illustrated the way Stella and Aiden found themselves working in the same department store of Vivant, and quickly the two of them forming quite the attraction for one another! 

After what feels like so many years of hearing people talk about this novella and being recommended it, I FINALLY GOT IT! Plus, this was the perfect time to read it with it being the month of December and what not. I had also heard from plenty of people that the MMC in this book was absolutely amazing, and I can one hundred percent agree that Aiden Cook was all kinds of wonderful! Stella was the grumpy to Aiden’s sunshine, and once they got to know each other, they truly complimented one another. Despite this being a short novella, it felt like I was thrusted into a whirlwind romance, and it also had a bit of depth especially with Stella’s backstory. I thought Stella’s journey over the course of the novella was actually insightful especially considering she made strides into regaining control of her life, and gaining that self independence she had always hoped for. As much as Aiden was a helpful man and occasionally was the knight in shining armor to help Stella, Stella always made a point to tell Aiden she needed to do things on her own in order to grow. Aiden being the wonderful man that he was always sought to not only make Stella happy, but also respect her need for independence. 

Another thing I loved about this novella was obviously the romance! Aiden and Stella were attracted to each other right from the start, but with them working in the same department store and certain HR guidelines in place about workplace romance, the two of them initially had to work out their feelings about each other and how to move forward. Needless to say, even before Stella and Aiden became an official couple, Aiden was head over heels gone for Stella! This man was straight up imagining picking out china sets and spending mornings together drinking coffee with Stella in his imagination which, to be honest was really cute of him to think about. As if that wasn’t cute enough, then seeing the dirty talking, sexy side of Aiden had me melting on the floor! Literally Aiden was the epitome of don’t judge a book by its cover because, HOLY MOLY THAT MAN WAS ALL KINDS OF HOT! Phew! Don’t be fooled by the bow ties, Aiden was a man who was dominant, rough, and FINE! Stella could attest to the multiple times she suddenly found herself loving Aiden’s bow ties and even more of his creative and detailed choice of words.

Overall, this was a fantastic novella and I simply adored both Aiden and Stella. This novella was perfect to read for Christmas, and get me ready for all the holiday cheer, but also enjoy a lighthearted, fun, spicy, and surprisingly deep romance between Aiden and Stella. I can’t believe it took me this long to read, but suffice it to say it was an addictive read that I couldn’t put down and was fully immersed in the story as well as connected to Aiden and Stella. Loved the way the story ended on a cute note especially the epilogue furthering showing a happy Aiden and Stella together. Highly recommend this novella! 

My December Darling by Lauren Asher

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

4⭐️/ 1🌶️

(Sigh) Christmas cheer is in the air, feeling the Christmas vibes, and with Lauren Asher writing a Christmas novella, it was the perfect book to read to get my December started! This novella was set in Lake Wisteria (*which is the same small town you might remember if you’ve read the Lakefront billionaire series) and centered on, Catalina Martinez and Luke Darling. The best way I keep hearing this book being described was, imagine “Grey’s Anatomy”, but make it a Christmas novella which I have to agree kind of fits perfectly. Catalina was back in Lake Wisteria for her sister’s wedding… to her ex boyfriend. Yeah, sounds kind of awkward, but Catalina was over it. As for Luke, his best friend was getting married to Catalina’s sister, Gabriella. A December wedding sounded magical, but for Catalina she just wanted to get passed it, and back outta town. This novella showed as Catalina and Luke formed a romance that they didn’t expect, but nonetheless it was sweet, heartwarming, and fun. Lauren Asher wrote a novella that was heartfelt, humorous, inspiring, and all you could want to read about in this kind of story. 

This was the kind of story I needed to start off my December. With the novella also being short, it was straight to the point, quick, but felt natural in its pacing. I feel like Lauren really wrote Catalina and Luke’s story in a cute yet heartwarming way that illustrated all the holiday cheer, but also imbued it with the depth that Lauren manages to bring to her stories. Luke wasn’t a billionaire, but him going out of his way to try to spend time with Catalina by buying a LEGO set she had always wanted to build just to hang out with her was really SWEET! Also, the fact that Catalina would call Luke, Captain America was kind of funny haha. Catalina was a bit grumpy to me, but her personality was actually more shy when I saw more of her throughout the novella. Luke was an optimistic, happy go lucky guy, but he often felt the pressures of trying to be “perfect” when in actuality seeing his imperfections made him more endearing. Plus, seeing Luke get all shy and nervous around Catalina was adorable! (Sigh) this was the perfect novella and I loved it. If you’re looking for a Christmas novella with heartfelt love, humor, small town life, and just an overall sweet romance this is the book for you. 

Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco

adventurous funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

5⭐️/ 3-4🌶️

In the depths of the Underworld, there ruled seven kingdoms of sin led by the seven princes of Hell. Prince Gluttony a.k.a. Gabriel Axton was familiar in the overindulgence of pleasure and adventure when it came to his sin, but when it came to his enemy known as, Adriana Saint Lucent, he never truly never what to expect from her aside from her distaste of him in the scathing gossip articles she occasionally wrote about him. For Adriana, she was always on the hunt for the newest story, researching, and looking to her informants to catch the latest scoop that could add to her paper. If you’ve read the first book in this stand alone series, or even the previous series that is connected to this, then you’ll know that Gluttony and Adriana have had a long time feud for who knows how long and why exactly. Nonetheless, the two enemies disliked each other, but when there was an unexpected situation that was causing disruption within Gluttony’s kingdom, he needed to ensure Adriana didn’t somehow find out and reveal the truth to all of the demons in the kingdom. With the idea of a competition to find Gluttony his wife/consort who better to report on all of it than Adriana, but more importantly to keep her distracted from finding out the truth of what Gluttony was trying to solve with the situation that involved ice dragons. 

OMG! YAY! A new release by Kerri Maniscalco! Kerri has been building up to Adriana and Gluttony’s story for quite a bit of time so, to see their story come to fruition after all the crumbs we’ve gotten was one I was throughly excited about! A fantasy with dragons, demons, enemies to lovers, some mystery, and snarky banter, it was great right away in my opinion. Kerri has this way of detailing her stories that immediately put me into the world of her books, and with this book I felt like I was along for the ride. Adriana and Gluttony didn’t like each other whatsoever, but…that didn’t mean that they were totally immune to having a small, tiny, minuscule attraction towards each other. The way Adriana and Gluttony spoke to each other was filled with snark, occasional jabs to their egos, pushing each other’s buttons, and ultimately disliking one another. When Gluttony “offered” Adriana to be the reporter to write all about him finding a wife, this woman straight up was like, “no, byeeee”. If there’s one thing Adriana wasn’t it was that she wasn’t a simpering fool to fall for Gluttony’s wild charms.

This story was full of intrigue, mystery, danger, and plenty of verbal sparring between Adriana and Gluttony, but the one thing I didn’t anticipate was the competition to find Gluttony a wife. With all that was happening with the ice dragons and Gluttony and his brothers trying to divert the public’s attention from finding out the real danger they faced, the purposed idea of finding Gluttony a wife/ consort seemed like the best plan. While Gluttony wasn’t truly looking for love, he went along with the plan because, he didn’t need trouble among his kingdom, and therefore the competition was planned. Even more intrigue was added when Adriana’s sister, Eden was chosen as one of the potential suitors for Gluttony’s hand, which…if you couldn’t already tell, Adriana wasn’t exactly looking forward to being in more proximity to the rakish prince since the suitors lived in the castle during the duration of the competition. All’s fair in love and war, but there was more war brewing between the two enemies and Adriana planned to take full advantage of her time in the castle to uncover any clues to further her investigation into what was happening in Gluttony’s kingdom. 

My oh my, Kerri Maniscalco truly did a fantastic job in writing Adriana and Gluttony’s story! Kerri deserves nothing but five stars all the way! From the beginning all the way to the end, I was immersed in the Underworld of Gluttony’s kingdom, felt like I was alongside Adriana as she went about her investigation, and the mystery behind the ice dragons was another thrilling part of this book. Adriana and Gluttony’s story had been one that has been teased since even before Envy’s book, and now finding out the past that Adriana and Gluttony shared and how it actually played a part in their story truly revealed more about them than I realized. There was plenty of excitement, danger, and desire throughout this book that left me entertained all the way. Adriana was the perfect demon for Gluttony. Gluttony was use to having everyone fawn and adore him, but Adriana was someone who didn’t easily submit to his charms. Gluttony was use to overindulgence since that was his sin, but if there was one thing he particularly loved was the indulgence of the hunt, and his main objective was to capture Adriana by any means necessary which proved successful in the end. Seeing familiar faces such as the other prince was a nice touch to the story, and by the end there was lots of thrilling action, a plot twist, and a happy ending to wrap up Adriana and Gluttony’s story. I’m really excited to see who Kerri will write about next in the series. Until then, I’ll be eagerly waiting! Highly recommend! 

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

*Thank you to Atria and Victoria Lavine for providing me with an ARC of this amazing story! I greatly appreciate it!

4.5⭐️/ 3🌶️

Most romance authors believe in happily ever after, especially the ones they write about, and the tropes they include, but for Margot Bradley, she actually doesn’t believe in love. Although being a successful New York Times bestseller, Margot doesn’t believe in love nor the things entails, but if it makes her readers happy then that’s what she’ll do. Unbeknownst to readers, Margot actually has a secret document that details alternate endings to all her romance books which include not so happy endings. When an interview goes live, and a fan unleashed all of Margot’s secrets alternate endings, as well as her deepest about being a romance author, suddenly Margot found herself being cancelled and her career pummeling downhill. In an effort to scramble what’s left of her career, Margot ends up on a trip to Alaska to write a new novel that hopefully will show her readers the type of story she actually wants to write, but also redeem herself. In a remote cabin Margot meets new people one of whom literally is an embodiment of all the male characters she’s written, and let’s just say this man was HANDSOME! Victoria Lavine wrote a romance story, but with a unique twist that had me intrigued right from the synopsis, and definitely by the first few pages. A romance with a heartfelt connection, lovable characters, and one you’ll fall in love with. 

Margot wasn’t the kind of romance author I expected especially with her not believing in love, she had an interesting outlook on it. One would think, “why do you write about romance if you don’t believe in it?”, and that’s what I thought too about Margot, but even early on I could tell that something must have happened to Margot that resulted in her not believing in love. Furthermore, it seemed like Margot had a talent in writing romantic, swoon worthy stories that many people, including her sister, Savannah loved. I could understand where Margot was coming from in her opinion, but I felt bad for her when the scandal of her alternate endings/ true feelings were revealed to everyone. With Margot being in Alaska for six weeks to write a new manuscript, it seemed like a good idea, but once Margot realized all the obstacles she’d needed to overcome in order to not only complete her new story, but to achieve the hopes set by Savannah, it was an entirely new mission set forth for Margot. 

Forrest was a man who was use to living in Alaska, it was his home, where his family lived, and where the business of North Star Lodge originated. All in all, Alaska seemed like a peaceful, remote place, but it was also the place where Forrest came back home when his father needed help after his accident. Right off the bat, I instantly adored Forrest, from his competent manly man wood chopping, building an entire living accommodations for his Dad, being a doctor who researched in breast cancer, and was essentially the embodiment of what I would want out of a man, I could definitely see why Margot was constantly looking at Forrest like she wanted to jump him! Haha. Granted, there were some hiccups at first between Margot and Forrest not seeing eye to eye on things, but regardless there was still an obvious attraction between them! Anyways, I found Forrest to be lovable, intelligent, intriguing, swoon worthy, dreamy, and I could keep naming all the things I loved about him! Aside from his many great qualities, seeing the way Forrest put his career on hold in order to take care of his Dad was admirable and it highlighted how much family was his priority. With the topic of families coming up throughout the book namely about Dad’s it really hit me in the heart so, to see Forrest with his Dad was heartwarming and again made me love Forrest even more. 

(Sigh) I had a feeling I would like this book, and oh boy I was right! This book felt cozy, loving, heartfelt, swoon worthy, lighthearted, but also had depth that made me feel connected to Margot and Forrest as well as the overall story. I think the idea of a romance author not believing in love is such a fun, unique twist on your traditional romance book that it made this story intriguing, but also had the added depth of Margot and Forrest’s backstories connecting to the overall plot. This book had a little bit of enemies to lovers, winter vibes since the story was set in Alaska, family, a romance author and a handsome doctor falling for each other, and the quintessential romance tropes that we know and LOVE! If you’re a romance reader, I would highly recommend this book as it will leave you loving Forrest and admiring the way Margot found her way back to herself as well as kind of redefining her view of love. I think the fact that Peyton Corinne said lovely things about this book was enough incentive for me to read this, but to actually end up loving it was just absolutely great for me! Highly recommend!