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missdevo's reviews
319 reviews
Festive Faking: A Country Romance Holiday Novella by Siena Trap
4.0
Macallan “Mac” Blaze and Aspen Sullivan meet while they’re both studying Architecture in grad school. Aspen finds out just before Christmas break that her newly ex-boyfriend Mike is just the latest in the string of “unavailable men” she’s been disappointed by. Desperate to avoid the family scrutiny that will drown her if she goes home alone after promising Mike would be with her, she grasps the lifeline Mac offers when he suggests he’d be the answer to her problems by coming home with her for the holidays and posing as her boyfriend.
Festive Faking is a charming small town Christmas story with some nice open door spice in the mix. Think if HBO made Hallmark style Christmas movies. I love how down bad Mac is for Aspen, and how he couldn’t wait to help her anytime things got a little hairy. I got some Anne of Green Gables vibes from his nickname for Aspen (Freckles) and how he would playfully taunt her with it. While this is on the longer end of the novella spectrum at 209 pages, I didn’t mind at all. I have been enjoying Siena’s hockey books, and this spin off to a new series set in Rust Canyon, Oklahoma has me hooked already. The quaint country backdrop, and the side characters we’re introduced to that are just dying for their own HEA have a lot of promise for future stories. I definitely need more Meemaw in my life.
Thank you to Siena Trap for the ARC opportunity to review!
Rare Blend by Michelle Naomi Mosley
5.0
Marisa Castilla has fled to Red Mountain where her estranged father lives to regroup after a cheating ex (who happens to be her boss) fired her and threw her life into chaos. She arrives to find that her father has called in a favor from a friend and arranged for her to live in a vineyard cottage that just happens to be next door to his son.
Ethan Ledger is the new CEO of his family’s wine empire. He comes off as gruff and grumpy much of the time, but it’s mostly the outward expression of his inner battle with anxiety. He’s not interested in making friends with Marisa, or even really being civil at first, but once she breaks through his hard candy shell, he can’t help but melt for her.
This book is the first in the Red Mountain series, and the debut novel from Michelle Naomi Mosley. It felt really comforting to me as I read it. Watching Ethan let down his walls and surrender to his feelings through this slow burn was heartwarming and sweet, and the spice, once it came, was everything I wanted. I love how strong Marisa is, and how she goes toe to toe with Ethan the whole way. I read this book at a moment, when I needed the solace of a beautiful love story, and this SO delivered. I can’t wait to read more about the people of Red Mountain.
Thank you so much to Truly Yours PR and Michelle Naomi Mosley for the ARC opportunity!
Ethan Ledger is the new CEO of his family’s wine empire. He comes off as gruff and grumpy much of the time, but it’s mostly the outward expression of his inner battle with anxiety. He’s not interested in making friends with Marisa, or even really being civil at first, but once she breaks through his hard candy shell, he can’t help but melt for her.
This book is the first in the Red Mountain series, and the debut novel from Michelle Naomi Mosley. It felt really comforting to me as I read it. Watching Ethan let down his walls and surrender to his feelings through this slow burn was heartwarming and sweet, and the spice, once it came, was everything I wanted. I love how strong Marisa is, and how she goes toe to toe with Ethan the whole way. I read this book at a moment, when I needed the solace of a beautiful love story, and this SO delivered. I can’t wait to read more about the people of Red Mountain.
Thank you so much to Truly Yours PR and Michelle Naomi Mosley for the ARC opportunity!
Game Play by Lisa Suzanne
3.5
When I started this series, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it being split into 5 novella length installments. The first one wasn’t very exciting because it was mostly exposition and world building. The second started to get better as we began to move the plot forward and ramp up the spice.
Aaron Shedlock and Samantha Brentmoor both give great performances as the tension and lies start to pile up between Jolene & Lincoln while they try to keep their redeveloping relationship a secret. Add in their separate and intertwined career complications, increasing family feuding, and the gradual slide from secret sex to surrendering to love again, and there’s a lot to work with character wise for them both. We’re left on another cliffhanger at the end of this installment, and this one I didn’t see coming.
Thank you to Valentine PR and Lisa Suzanne for the ALC opportunity, and for introducing me to the Vegas Aces!
Hate the One You're With by Kendall Hale
4.0
Years ago Caleb Cunningham and Emmersyn Langley married to outmaneuver her manipulative controlling grandmother so that she could access her trust fund and afford her college tuition. After a blowup, the two separated, and although they were estranged, they never divorced. Fast forward to now, and Em’s grandma has passed away, but not before meddling one last time and forcing Emmersyn to live with her husband for 6 months, or forfeit her inheritance, and the jobs of everyone at the company she’s worked so hard to build.
There are a lot of things I enjoyed in this book. Caleb is the dirty talking, down bad, alpharoll of my bookish dreams. Emmersyn is a baddie with a gooey center who has been making her way on her own for so long that she doesn’t even know how much she needs a soft place to land. Some slightly hinky motivation for the marriage of convenience and reunification pulled me of the story just enough to land this read at a solid 4 stars for me.
Thank you so much to The Author Agency and Kendall Hale for the ARC opportunity!
There are a lot of things I enjoyed in this book. Caleb is the dirty talking, down bad, alpharoll of my bookish dreams. Emmersyn is a baddie with a gooey center who has been making her way on her own for so long that she doesn’t even know how much she needs a soft place to land. Some slightly hinky motivation for the marriage of convenience and reunification pulled me of the story just enough to land this read at a solid 4 stars for me.
Thank you so much to The Author Agency and Kendall Hale for the ARC opportunity!
The Things We Break by Melissa Naatz
4.0
Evan and Tristan are teen sweethearts with plans to escape their small town together when Evan heads to college, but things aren't that simple, and 12 years later, they're both still searching for that connection they had as kids. This book is full of real emotions. It's messy, sad, tragic, euphoric, and beautiful at different points. If you have content sensitivities, I highly recommend you check the warnings before diving in.
As a reader I was frustrated both for and with the characters at different points as the story evolved. I'm always a fan of a book that can really touch me and make me feel the emotions. The way Melissa Naatz delivers this story is both artful and challenging. I've never really felt the dreaded book hangover, but I'm there now. I am one of those freaks that love it when a book just destroys me emotionally, and this one legit did me in. I feel like I have some level of safety net with romance, because the HEA is guaranteed, but The Things We Break doesn't wrap it all up in a pretty bow. It wouldn't feel right if it did, and it's a better book for it.
Thank you to The Nerd Fam and Melissa Naatz for the ARC opportunity to review.
As a reader I was frustrated both for and with the characters at different points as the story evolved. I'm always a fan of a book that can really touch me and make me feel the emotions. The way Melissa Naatz delivers this story is both artful and challenging. I've never really felt the dreaded book hangover, but I'm there now. I am one of those freaks that love it when a book just destroys me emotionally, and this one legit did me in. I feel like I have some level of safety net with romance, because the HEA is guaranteed, but The Things We Break doesn't wrap it all up in a pretty bow. It wouldn't feel right if it did, and it's a better book for it.
Thank you to The Nerd Fam and Melissa Naatz for the ARC opportunity to review.
Beautiful Devil by Rachel Leigh
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Rosewood Devil's hockey player Hayes Madden isn't a nice guy, but he's hot and convenient when cheerleader Brogan Astor feels the need to scratch that itch while at a frat party with friends. Unfortunately, he immediately demonstrates his worst impulses before the afterglow even fades and Brogan writes him off as just another jerk. Flash forward, and the cheerleader is now dating a guy from the university's football team. She's feeling disenchanted with her relationship, and has just ended it when a scandalous video of them is posted to social media. Somehow, Hayes, the guy who couldn't get rid of her fast enough after their hookup suddenly has her back when it goes viral.
If you're looking for a book where the author puts their foot on the spice pedal early and hammers down, this is it. I loved every bit of it. The banter, the snark, the heat, it's all in the mix with an interesting plot to boot. One of my favorite things about this book is that Brogan is no pushover. She's stronger than anyone gives her credit for in the face of scandal and shame. Her refreshing decision to embrace the moment and publicly proclaim that her sexuality is nothing she's ashamed of even though she didn't give consent to being exposed publicly is such a flex. I love that she doesn't want to give the people trying to bring her down the satisfaction, and wants to exact her own form of revenge. The twist close to the end is something I had a feeling was coming from pretty early on, but I still enjoyed how it played out. This is my first Rachel Leigh book, but I ate it up. I vibed with her style, and will be going to her backlist for more.
Thank you to Valentine PR & Rachel Leigh for the ARC review opportunity.
If you're looking for a book where the author puts their foot on the spice pedal early and hammers down, this is it. I loved every bit of it. The banter, the snark, the heat, it's all in the mix with an interesting plot to boot. One of my favorite things about this book is that Brogan is no pushover. She's stronger than anyone gives her credit for in the face of scandal and shame. Her refreshing decision to embrace the moment and publicly proclaim that her sexuality is nothing she's ashamed of even though she didn't give consent to being exposed publicly is such a flex. I love that she doesn't want to give the people trying to bring her down the satisfaction, and wants to exact her own form of revenge. The twist close to the end is something I had a feeling was coming from pretty early on, but I still enjoyed how it played out. This is my first Rachel Leigh book, but I ate it up. I vibed with her style, and will be going to her backlist for more.
Thank you to Valentine PR & Rachel Leigh for the ARC review opportunity.
Play Call by Lisa Suzanne
4.0
This is the 2nd book in the series, and they must be read in order. This installment of the story dials up the heat quickly. Jolene and Lincoln are smoking hot together, and giving in to passion and their shared history while on a business trip is going to change everything. They're both still keeping secrets, and what they're re-starting fells very precarious. I'm not sure how I feel about the solution Jolene and Lincoln have come up with to try and continue what they've started. I think we're headed for some rocky moments in the relationship between her and her best friend, and it's making me uneasy. Tensions are also building for Jolene at work with a vindictive coworker, and Lincoln is dealing with an offensive coordinator who was also in the running for the head coaching position, and isn't in the mood to play nice. I'm excited to see where this story heads in the next installment.
As before, the narrating talents of Aaron Shedlock and Samantha Brentmoor are on full display in this story. The spice is hot, and their performances have tension is building until the very last moment.
Thank you to Lisa Suzanne and Valentine PR for the ALC review opportunity.
As before, the narrating talents of Aaron Shedlock and Samantha Brentmoor are on full display in this story. The spice is hot, and their performances have tension is building until the very last moment.
Thank you to Lisa Suzanne and Valentine PR for the ALC review opportunity.
If This Was a Movie by Morgan Elizabeth
4.5
Nate and Jules spent a hot weekend together over New Years last year, but before the dust settled on their life changing connection, a misunderstanding caused Jules to panic and run. Nate is devastated because he really thought he'd found The One. Our anxious girlie Jules has been through it for the past year too since meeting and ghosting Nate. She’s doing her best, but Nate (our patient king) has his work cut out for him breaking down her walls to get to back to her heart. The secret weapon (even from himself) in his arsenal is his 5 year old daughter Sophie. One Christmas wish to Santa later, can the magic of the holidays come through for them all?
This holiday rom-com from Morgan Elizabeth is very sweet, very swoony, and then the heat builds to a spice level hot enough to keep you warm on a cold winter night. I love all of the references and discussion of classic rom-coms worked into the story. Jules watches them to quiet her anxiety and feed that part of her romantic soul, and I can definitely relate to that.
Nate is the perfect man for Jules, and I absolutely love how he loves her. That's all he wants, is for her to allow him the privilege of loving her the way she deserves. It's fully swoon-worthy how clear he is about his intentions, AND his desire to go at her pace the entire way. Talk about a book boyfriend move!
I would agree that this book has Hallmark vibes with spice. It's inspirational, aspirational, heart warming, and will warm other regions too. Another solid banger of a rom-com by one of my trusty auto-buy authors. If Morgan writes it...imma read it!
Thanks to Morgan Elizabeth and her team for the ARC opportunity.
This holiday rom-com from Morgan Elizabeth is very sweet, very swoony, and then the heat builds to a spice level hot enough to keep you warm on a cold winter night. I love all of the references and discussion of classic rom-coms worked into the story. Jules watches them to quiet her anxiety and feed that part of her romantic soul, and I can definitely relate to that.
Nate is the perfect man for Jules, and I absolutely love how he loves her. That's all he wants, is for her to allow him the privilege of loving her the way she deserves. It's fully swoon-worthy how clear he is about his intentions, AND his desire to go at her pace the entire way. Talk about a book boyfriend move!
I would agree that this book has Hallmark vibes with spice. It's inspirational, aspirational, heart warming, and will warm other regions too. Another solid banger of a rom-com by one of my trusty auto-buy authors. If Morgan writes it...imma read it!
Thanks to Morgan Elizabeth and her team for the ARC opportunity.
Pushing the Limits by Brooke Cumberland
3.5
Aspen Evans is an art major in college, and Morgan Hampton is her new professor. He’s 8 years older than she is, but they’re both immediately drawn to each other. They both are still grieving the loss of a sibling. Aspen lost her twin sister 6 years prior to the start of the story. Morgan lost his estranged brother more recently (6 MO ago) and is now raising his preteen niece alone. Falling in love may be forbidden because of their teacher/student status, but that isn’t enough to stop their feelings from taking over.
This book is an emotional look at anxiety, depression, and grief all while falling in love. There are several possible triggers in the plot of this story, so I do suggest checking the content warnings if you have sensitivities to certain topics or tropes.
I was given the opportunity to review an ALC of this book by the author. I started the book listening at 1X speed, but it felt too slow to me. I was able to push it all the way to 2X speed without missing anything being delivered. The voice actors doing the narration (Ryan Stone & Vivienne LaRue) deliver the lines so slowly that even doubling the speed to 2X didn’t feel too rushed to my ear. Both narrators are new to me, and they do a nice job of evoking the drama in the story and keeping me emotionally engaged.
If you enjoy a good angsty spicy love story, there is definitely plenty of both to be found here.
Many thanks to Brooke (Cumberland) Montgomery for the ALC review opportunity.
This book is an emotional look at anxiety, depression, and grief all while falling in love. There are several possible triggers in the plot of this story, so I do suggest checking the content warnings if you have sensitivities to certain topics or tropes.
I was given the opportunity to review an ALC of this book by the author. I started the book listening at 1X speed, but it felt too slow to me. I was able to push it all the way to 2X speed without missing anything being delivered. The voice actors doing the narration (Ryan Stone & Vivienne LaRue) deliver the lines so slowly that even doubling the speed to 2X didn’t feel too rushed to my ear. Both narrators are new to me, and they do a nice job of evoking the drama in the story and keeping me emotionally engaged.
If you enjoy a good angsty spicy love story, there is definitely plenty of both to be found here.
Many thanks to Brooke (Cumberland) Montgomery for the ALC review opportunity.
Famous Last Words by Shann McPherson
5.0
Assumptions Robbie Mason and Fran Keller made about each other when they were teenagers made them enemies. After they meet again and actually get to know and understand each other, their undeniable chemistry makes them friends that become lovers with some really great spice!
When these two stumble across each other as adults, they’re both missing something in their lives. Robbie is stuck trying to prove his worth to professional hockey again after some bad decisions cost him his spot on his old team and landed him with one last chance to stay in the NHL with the New York Thunder.
Fran is struggling to reach the next level in her career as a real estate agent, battling the advances of her unfaithful ex, and trying to make ends meet with a part time side gig as a bartender. One trade off real estate deal for a few months as his fake girlfriend leads to more than either of them saw coming. Robbie cooks up a deal where they can both benefit. He’ll buy the apartment Fran desperately needs to sell and in return, for a few months she will pose as his fake girlfriend, which leads to more than either of them saw coming.
This is my first Shann McPherson book, but I loved it so much, I’ve already got Dallas’s story in my sights. This book has everything I love. The snark. The banter. The you’re the worst - now kiss me chemistry. The spice is HOTTOGO, and Robbie is the perfect filthy MMC of my reader heart. I consider Famous Last Words to be one of the top hockey rom-coms I’ve read this year without question.
Many thanks to Luna Literary and Shann McPherson for the opportunity to ARC review this fantastic book.
When these two stumble across each other as adults, they’re both missing something in their lives. Robbie is stuck trying to prove his worth to professional hockey again after some bad decisions cost him his spot on his old team and landed him with one last chance to stay in the NHL with the New York Thunder.
Fran is struggling to reach the next level in her career as a real estate agent, battling the advances of her unfaithful ex, and trying to make ends meet with a part time side gig as a bartender. One trade off real estate deal for a few months as his fake girlfriend leads to more than either of them saw coming. Robbie cooks up a deal where they can both benefit. He’ll buy the apartment Fran desperately needs to sell and in return, for a few months she will pose as his fake girlfriend, which leads to more than either of them saw coming.
This is my first Shann McPherson book, but I loved it so much, I’ve already got Dallas’s story in my sights. This book has everything I love. The snark. The banter. The you’re the worst - now kiss me chemistry. The spice is HOTTOGO, and Robbie is the perfect filthy MMC of my reader heart. I consider Famous Last Words to be one of the top hockey rom-coms I’ve read this year without question.
Many thanks to Luna Literary and Shann McPherson for the opportunity to ARC review this fantastic book.