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jenngrandreads's reviews
556 reviews
Comeback by Rebecca Jenshak
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
5.0
This cover. This story. This MMC. Ohhhhhh this MMC. Every time I read a Holland brothers novel, I think THAT brother is the best. And Rebecca manages to outdo herself EVERY. TIME.
Archer's story is a brother's best friend, roommates, hearing loss/ASL rep, book about Sabrina, a ballet instructor, and Archer, a football player. The way they have an enemies-to-lovers moment, but turn into soulmates, is just about the sweetest thing to read.
The fact that Rebecca wrote Archer with hearing loss and using sign language to communicate, adds such a depth to the story that you don't always see in romance. I just LOVE the way she writes her books and her characters!!
Sabrina not only knew ASL, but also became so attuned to Archer's every need. And as much as Archer tries to ignore it, their chemistry is just too much to push away. And let me tell you, their chemistry is sizzling!!
The other part I loved about this book was the found family. We met Archer previously in the other Holland brothers' books, but to see him not only get his own book, but fall for his best friend, Brogan's sister, gives found family a whole new meaning! And to see Brogan and Sabrina's brother-sister relationship was also so special. I've never had a good relationship with my brother, so reading this story was so meaningful to me.
You don't HAVE to have read the first two books in the series, (Burnout and Playbook) since they're all about different couples, and can be read as stand-alone books, but I would still recommend reading them in order, to get the full experience of the brothers and how their stories are intertwined.
Archer's story is a brother's best friend, roommates, hearing loss/ASL rep, book about Sabrina, a ballet instructor, and Archer, a football player. The way they have an enemies-to-lovers moment, but turn into soulmates, is just about the sweetest thing to read.
The fact that Rebecca wrote Archer with hearing loss and using sign language to communicate, adds such a depth to the story that you don't always see in romance. I just LOVE the way she writes her books and her characters!!
Sabrina not only knew ASL, but also became so attuned to Archer's every need. And as much as Archer tries to ignore it, their chemistry is just too much to push away. And let me tell you, their chemistry is sizzling!!
The other part I loved about this book was the found family. We met Archer previously in the other Holland brothers' books, but to see him not only get his own book, but fall for his best friend, Brogan's sister, gives found family a whole new meaning! And to see Brogan and Sabrina's brother-sister relationship was also so special. I've never had a good relationship with my brother, so reading this story was so meaningful to me.
You don't HAVE to have read the first two books in the series, (Burnout and Playbook) since they're all about different couples, and can be read as stand-alone books, but I would still recommend reading them in order, to get the full experience of the brothers and how their stories are intertwined.
Reckless Love by Willow Aster
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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? No
5.0
"Your friendship will always be what carries me. what fills me with joy. but it's your love that sustains me and fills the void that always missing."
You might think that an entire series centered around the trope of single dads might get boring after a book or two. But, NO! Willow Aster, small town romance extraordinaire, makes each book in this series feel fresh and new!
Book 2 in this series, Secret Love, was my first book by Willow, and even though I still need to go back and read book 1, I absolutely ADORED book 3!!!
Here we meet Rhodes and Elle, two life-long best friends, who find themselves working very closely together- Rhodes in the NFL, and Elle a cheerleader for the same team. There's a no fraternization rule between the players and cheerleaders, but they're just friends, so that shouldn't be a problem, right??
This story is told in dual timeline, both in the present and the past as they grow up, which helps give background to their lives and life-long friendship.
Add in Rhodes' son, Levi, and his ADORABLE relationship with Elle, who also happens to be his godmother, and you've got yourself a book you won't forget for a long time!!
You might think that an entire series centered around the trope of single dads might get boring after a book or two. But, NO! Willow Aster, small town romance extraordinaire, makes each book in this series feel fresh and new!
Book 2 in this series, Secret Love, was my first book by Willow, and even though I still need to go back and read book 1, I absolutely ADORED book 3!!!
Here we meet Rhodes and Elle, two life-long best friends, who find themselves working very closely together- Rhodes in the NFL, and Elle a cheerleader for the same team. There's a no fraternization rule between the players and cheerleaders, but they're just friends, so that shouldn't be a problem, right??
This story is told in dual timeline, both in the present and the past as they grow up, which helps give background to their lives and life-long friendship.
Add in Rhodes' son, Levi, and his ADORABLE relationship with Elle, who also happens to be his godmother, and you've got yourself a book you won't forget for a long time!!
Stealing Hearts by Lex Martin
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
One of my favorite things in romance books is when there’s brothers who will clearly always have each others backs, but can also get under each other’s skin like no one else.
And when one of those brothers is a grumpy rancher, who does romantic things for you, while claiming he’s not into you? Sign. Me. Up.
Rhett and Paige are childhood friends, well, really he’s her older brother’s best friend, but she’s a lovesick teenager all the same. They have a falling out, and the book picks up 7 years later.
They both are in need of something the other can provide, so why not get [fake] married to fix it all? Nothing could go wrong...
This book was AMAZING. I am TOTALLY in my romantic suspense era, and Lex Martin has become a new favorite!! Rhett and Paige had sizzling chemistry, the most hilarious banter, and to watch him ardently fight his feelings for Paige makes the moment he realizes he loves her so much sweeter.
And the twist???? Holy moly. It was a good one. I loved this book so much, I cannot WAIT for book 2!!!
The Road Sometimes Taken by Ambar Cordova
adventurous
funny
inspiring
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? No
5.0
I absolutely adore the Baker Oats series. I started ARC reading for Ambar on book 1, The Truth Never Spoken, and have loved every book since!!
>> The Road Sometimes Taken is the third book, and just released on January 15!
This series is interconnected standalones, and the interconnected characters is one of my favorite parts!!
As a Latina, Ambar also includes some of her culture in her characters, and it makes her stories so exotic and interesting! I love the glimpse into her culture!
If you enjoy these tropes, you’ll LOVE book 3, The Road Sometimes Taken:
🗺️ small town
🚐 best friend’s brother
🗺️ road trip
🚐 millionaire
🗺️ sunshine x sunshine
🚐 multicultural
All 3 books are available on Kindle Unlimited so be sure to check them out!! 📚
>> The Road Sometimes Taken is the third book, and just released on January 15!
This series is interconnected standalones, and the interconnected characters is one of my favorite parts!!
As a Latina, Ambar also includes some of her culture in her characters, and it makes her stories so exotic and interesting! I love the glimpse into her culture!
If you enjoy these tropes, you’ll LOVE book 3, The Road Sometimes Taken:
🗺️ small town
🚐 best friend’s brother
🗺️ road trip
🚐 millionaire
🗺️ sunshine x sunshine
🚐 multicultural
All 3 books are available on Kindle Unlimited so be sure to check them out!! 📚
Steal My Heart by Laura Pavlov
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
"We're both brave. Giving your heart to someone is a risk. Loving someone is a risk. But I think we're worth it."
Laura Pavlov is one of my very favorite authors of small town romances. Her writing makes you feel like you’re there with the MCs watching their love story come to life.
This story introduces Easton and Henley who are so easy to fall in love with. Their chemistry, banter, and flirtiness are just the cutest ever.
Easton is a smart, ambitious workaholic, who begins mentoring his boss’s daughter, Henley. Of course, at first he thinks she’s only there because of her father, but she proves him wrong with her intelligence, strength, and determination.
Their chemistry sizzles from the start, and the ease with which they tease each other is adorable! They weren’t afraid to challenge each other, and I also LOVED how Laura wasn’t afraid to highlight the importance of working through trauma with therapy.
I genuinely adored this book, both the plot and the amazing characters Laura created. I’m super excited to see what happens next in this series!
Laura Pavlov is one of my very favorite authors of small town romances. Her writing makes you feel like you’re there with the MCs watching their love story come to life.
This story introduces Easton and Henley who are so easy to fall in love with. Their chemistry, banter, and flirtiness are just the cutest ever.
Easton is a smart, ambitious workaholic, who begins mentoring his boss’s daughter, Henley. Of course, at first he thinks she’s only there because of her father, but she proves him wrong with her intelligence, strength, and determination.
Their chemistry sizzles from the start, and the ease with which they tease each other is adorable! They weren’t afraid to challenge each other, and I also LOVED how Laura wasn’t afraid to highlight the importance of working through trauma with therapy.
I genuinely adored this book, both the plot and the amazing characters Laura created. I’m super excited to see what happens next in this series!
The Proposal Play by Lauren Blakely
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"She's a siren. She's a dreamer. She's an artist. She's my best friend's sister. She's my best friend too- my rock. But right now, she's simply the woman I can't resist."
OMG Maeve and Asher. I just can't even with those two. Every time I read a book by Lauren Blakely, I don't think she could POSSIBLY do better, and then she writes another one and outdoes herself!! EVERY TIME!! Maeve and Asher are the perfect best friends-to-lovers with lots of tension and longing. Ahhhh I just love them!!
Asher is the most perfect book boyfriend EVER. He's swoony, possessive, and LOVES calling Maeve his wife, even when their relationship is "fake." Maeve had been told by a previous boyfriend that she was "too much," which made her very insecure about certain parts of her personality, not wanting to push Asher away by being too much. But the beautiful part was that Asher loves EVERY single part of her, and never once thinks she's too much. He helps her find her confidence, and it's a beautiful transformation to see!
I am absolutely OBSESSED with the Love and Hockey series, and even when books have some of the tropes I don't normally love, Lauren writes in a way that makes me LOVE them in her books!! (I.e. marriage of convenience...it just WORKS with Maeve and Asher!!!!)
This series has interconnected standalones, however, I would highly recommend starting with The Boyfriend Goal to get the best experience, and know the characters in each book. And like I said, I feel like each book gets better, and that experience is super fun as well.
As for the audiobook, you don't get much better than Blakely's books that come with a FULL CAST NARRATION!!!! For our MCs, the duet narration by Robert Hatchet and Vanessa Edwin brought these characters and their emotions to life. The only downfall is it will ruin you for all other audiobooks lol
Rating: 5 stars
Spice: 3 chili peppers
Audiobook: 5 stars
OMG Maeve and Asher. I just can't even with those two. Every time I read a book by Lauren Blakely, I don't think she could POSSIBLY do better, and then she writes another one and outdoes herself!! EVERY TIME!! Maeve and Asher are the perfect best friends-to-lovers with lots of tension and longing. Ahhhh I just love them!!
Asher is the most perfect book boyfriend EVER. He's swoony, possessive, and LOVES calling Maeve his wife, even when their relationship is "fake." Maeve had been told by a previous boyfriend that she was "too much," which made her very insecure about certain parts of her personality, not wanting to push Asher away by being too much. But the beautiful part was that Asher loves EVERY single part of her, and never once thinks she's too much. He helps her find her confidence, and it's a beautiful transformation to see!
I am absolutely OBSESSED with the Love and Hockey series, and even when books have some of the tropes I don't normally love, Lauren writes in a way that makes me LOVE them in her books!! (I.e. marriage of convenience...it just WORKS with Maeve and Asher!!!!)
This series has interconnected standalones, however, I would highly recommend starting with The Boyfriend Goal to get the best experience, and know the characters in each book. And like I said, I feel like each book gets better, and that experience is super fun as well.
As for the audiobook, you don't get much better than Blakely's books that come with a FULL CAST NARRATION!!!! For our MCs, the duet narration by Robert Hatchet and Vanessa Edwin brought these characters and their emotions to life. The only downfall is it will ruin you for all other audiobooks lol
Rating: 5 stars
Spice: 3 chili peppers
Audiobook: 5 stars
All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Rating: 5 stars
Spice rating: 1.5 chili peppers
“Colt, you helped me find all the missing pieces. Even the ones I didn’t realize I needed.”
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Catherine Cowles is the QUEEN of romantic suspense!! This book was SO good!! I loved that our main characters had nicknames for each other almost from the start: Colt = Law Man, Ridley = Chaos. Just so cute!!
Speaking of cute, the animal sidekicks in this book were TOP NOTCH!! We've got Tater, the 3-legged cat, and Bowser the dog. You can never go wrong with animal sidekicks!!
This book will take you on a WILD, emotional rollercoaster, and along the way you'll fall in love with Colt's grumpy demeanor, and how Ridley is a true-crime podcaster due to her sister's death still being unsolved. Even though their relationship starts off rocky, their banter is hilarious from the beginning and their chemistry quickly sizzles!
I have yet to read a Catherine Cowles book that I don't LOVE, and I can't wait to read the next Shady Cove book!!
- Romantic suspense
- True crime podcaster heroine
- Sheriff hero
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Loveable three-legged cat and dog sidekicks
- Small town
- Dislike-to-love
Spice rating: 1.5 chili peppers
“Colt, you helped me find all the missing pieces. Even the ones I didn’t realize I needed.”
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Catherine Cowles is the QUEEN of romantic suspense!! This book was SO good!! I loved that our main characters had nicknames for each other almost from the start: Colt = Law Man, Ridley = Chaos. Just so cute!!
Speaking of cute, the animal sidekicks in this book were TOP NOTCH!! We've got Tater, the 3-legged cat, and Bowser the dog. You can never go wrong with animal sidekicks!!
This book will take you on a WILD, emotional rollercoaster, and along the way you'll fall in love with Colt's grumpy demeanor, and how Ridley is a true-crime podcaster due to her sister's death still being unsolved. Even though their relationship starts off rocky, their banter is hilarious from the beginning and their chemistry quickly sizzles!
I have yet to read a Catherine Cowles book that I don't LOVE, and I can't wait to read the next Shady Cove book!!
- Romantic suspense
- True crime podcaster heroine
- Sheriff hero
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Loveable three-legged cat and dog sidekicks
- Small town
- Dislike-to-love
Visions of Darkness by A.L. Jackson
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Rating: 4 stars
Spice rating: 1.5 chili peppers
"You are what my heart knows."
This book was super fun! It takes place in two worlds: our world, and a dream world where our FMC, Aria, and MMC, Pax, enter into every night when they fall asleep. During the day, they live in the real world where their family and those around them don't understand them. They're also forbidden from seeing each other in the real world, or else something really bad will happen. However, they can be together in the other, dream world, and their bond is unbreakable. Then something happens in the real world and Pax sets out to find Aria, and you'll just have to read it to find out what happens!! ;)
Most of all, I LOVE that because A.L. Jackson is a romance author who has a huge following, her readers who don't normally read romantasy have dipped their toe in a new genre! Way to go Amy!
Read if you like:
- Morally Grey MMC
- Fated Mates
- Two Different Worlds
- Forbidden Romance
- Urban Romantasy
- Touch her and die
- Dual POV
Thank you to A.L. Jackson and Valentine PR for the ARC of this title! All opinions are my own.
Spice rating: 1.5 chili peppers
"You are what my heart knows."
This book was super fun! It takes place in two worlds: our world, and a dream world where our FMC, Aria, and MMC, Pax, enter into every night when they fall asleep. During the day, they live in the real world where their family and those around them don't understand them. They're also forbidden from seeing each other in the real world, or else something really bad will happen. However, they can be together in the other, dream world, and their bond is unbreakable. Then something happens in the real world and Pax sets out to find Aria, and you'll just have to read it to find out what happens!! ;)
Most of all, I LOVE that because A.L. Jackson is a romance author who has a huge following, her readers who don't normally read romantasy have dipped their toe in a new genre! Way to go Amy!
Read if you like:
- Morally Grey MMC
- Fated Mates
- Two Different Worlds
- Forbidden Romance
- Urban Romantasy
- Touch her and die
- Dual POV
Thank you to A.L. Jackson and Valentine PR for the ARC of this title! All opinions are my own.
The Path to Loving Him by Meghan Quinn
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Rating: 4 stars
Spice level: 4 chili peppers
"I know everything will work out as long as I have these two. They will be all I need, nothing else. Us. Forever.
This book was SO cute!! I'm a sucker for a single dad romance, and this one being a single uncle/guardian was a whole new level of adorable!! To see how Ryland was with his niece, Mac (McKenzie), was SO stinking cute!
The book takes place a little while after Ryland's sister and Mac's mom, Cassidy passed away from cancer, and Ryland is named guardian of Mac. Taking care of her is a family affair though, with Ryland's two sisters also taking care of her when needed.
The book starts with Gabby, our FMC, at a job interview for the assistant baseball coach at the high school her brother attended. She thinks she bombed the interview so she decides to let out some steam at the local bar. She sees the head coach, (Ryland) at the bar, who wasn't even at the interview, so she decides to have some fun with him.
Weeks later, she gets the call that she actually got the job, and nos she has to deal with Ryland finding out not only is his one night stand his new assistant coach, but she knew who he was when they got involved.
And off the book goes! This is a wild ride of sizzling chemistry, hilarious banter, off-the-chart tension, and family relationships that will warm any heart of stone. This book is SPIIIIIIICY...definitely spicier than the normal books I read, but the plot and characters were so great, I couldn't put it down!!
Spice level: 4 chili peppers
"I know everything will work out as long as I have these two. They will be all I need, nothing else. Us. Forever.
This book was SO cute!! I'm a sucker for a single dad romance, and this one being a single uncle/guardian was a whole new level of adorable!! To see how Ryland was with his niece, Mac (McKenzie), was SO stinking cute!
The book takes place a little while after Ryland's sister and Mac's mom, Cassidy passed away from cancer, and Ryland is named guardian of Mac. Taking care of her is a family affair though, with Ryland's two sisters also taking care of her when needed.
The book starts with Gabby, our FMC, at a job interview for the assistant baseball coach at the high school her brother attended. She thinks she bombed the interview so she decides to let out some steam at the local bar. She sees the head coach, (Ryland) at the bar, who wasn't even at the interview, so she decides to have some fun with him.
Weeks later, she gets the call that she actually got the job, and nos she has to deal with Ryland finding out not only is his one night stand his new assistant coach, but she knew who he was when they got involved.
And off the book goes! This is a wild ride of sizzling chemistry, hilarious banter, off-the-chart tension, and family relationships that will warm any heart of stone. This book is SPIIIIIIICY...definitely spicier than the normal books I read, but the plot and characters were so great, I couldn't put it down!!
Bold by Hope E. Davis
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
4.5
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
“Believe? No. But I had long hoped that there was something more. Something to enjoy and revel in the beauty beyond what existed in my small circle.”
Bold picks up right where Demure left off with our FMC and MMC separated and trying to make their way back to each other. The fae are losing their magic, so our FMC, Sierra, begins trying to figure out why.
I absolutely loved the continuation of Demure, with Sierra growing even more into herself, and becoming self-assured, courageous, kind, and compassionate.
Not to mention just what an amazing, green-glad MMC Aodhan is. He is so encouraging, and loyal to Sierra, and it’s beautiful to see their story continue.
Probably my favorite part was the animal sidekicks! They were so stinking adorable, and I mean, who doesn’t love a good animal sidekick?!
Overall, I thought this was a beautiful continuation of the series, and I’m really excited to see what Hope brings us in book 3: Resilient!!
“Believe? No. But I had long hoped that there was something more. Something to enjoy and revel in the beauty beyond what existed in my small circle.”
Bold picks up right where Demure left off with our FMC and MMC separated and trying to make their way back to each other. The fae are losing their magic, so our FMC, Sierra, begins trying to figure out why.
I absolutely loved the continuation of Demure, with Sierra growing even more into herself, and becoming self-assured, courageous, kind, and compassionate.
Not to mention just what an amazing, green-glad MMC Aodhan is. He is so encouraging, and loyal to Sierra, and it’s beautiful to see their story continue.
Probably my favorite part was the animal sidekicks! They were so stinking adorable, and I mean, who doesn’t love a good animal sidekick?!
Overall, I thought this was a beautiful continuation of the series, and I’m really excited to see what Hope brings us in book 3: Resilient!!