mkm_bookloverarchivistreader's reviews
123 reviews

High School Reunion by Mallory Kane

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective slow-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? N/A

3.75

This book is a rounded up 3.75 review, this is my first traditionally published read book in two years. What I like is the author, she develops the plot successfully. Are main male character and female main character are well developed and lovable. Cade and laurel’s story make this book worth the read. The balance between character driven narrative and plot driven is harder. Both laurel and Cade work in law enforcement. If you don’t care about traditional published with lack of romantic tropes or subplots found in most indie published book you’ll love this book. The authors a stellar writer that a laurel and Cade being lovable characters made this 3.75 star read easy to round up to 4 stars!

Beautiful Collide by Ava Harrison

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Beautiful Collide by   was a wonderfully unexpected five star Romantic read. This was a new to me author who hit it out of the park with a book that made me keep wanting to read. MMC Hudson is a professional hockey player and teammate to FMC Molly’s brother. This book is broken down into 96 chapters and sections labeled based on seasons of hockey. Each has complex family backgrounds but for very different reasons. How specific tropes such as marriage of convenience/Unexpected marriage fits into exceptional plot you must read to find out. I highly recommend  beautiful collide by Ava Harrison. If micro tropes draw you to a book beautiful collide’s are hockey, brothers best friend, enemies to lovers, secret marriage, forced proximity and Vegas wedding. It releases wends.

Buried Dreams by Natasha Madison

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

ALC  by Natasha Madison is excellently narrated in the audiobook. Buried dreams is an excellent tale of second chance romance as FMC Everleigh and MMC Brock have a past. The complex tale of why they part one must listen to learn what happened in their past where love turned to hate then slowly again becomes love. The complex plot supports a ex exceptional character driven narrative. Brock and  Everleigh story tells of dark secrets and past trauma. On top of micro tropes mentioned Dark secrets and past trauma and second chance this romance is hate to love , broken FMC and MMC, small town and single dad. This is a story of duel timeline narrative as we learn Brock and Everleigh’s past as while as they story of how their relationship rebuilds. Everleigh also learns some important lessons but one must read to find them out.  This ALC is a must listen and I highly recommend Buried secrets by Natasha Madison. This book releases later this month. The ALC is a 4.75 listen. Given Buried dreams and even Dreams series which this book is number three a try. Natasha Madison is an exceptional author who tells a wonderful character driven narrative.

Ill Will by Elle Rivers

adventurous challenging emotional lighthearted slow-paced

4.5

4.5 star ARC read. Elle Rivers is a spectacular write, and Ill will is well worth picking up and reading. The tropes of this novel are a marriage of convenience between our MMC Levi and FMC Amy. The other tropes that feed into this plot are it’s always been you, hidden identity, brother’s enemy, protective billionaire MMC and first person single POV. I don’t want to spoiler the plot for the readers but Levi and Amy are two characters that are easy to want to root for to get an HEA. This book releases on March 21st, 2025. I highly recommend Ill will by Elle River. Her work on this plot and her character drive narrative are hard to put down! Check out Elle River’s Ill will March 21st!

The One Who Got Away by K. L. Shannon

• 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? It's complicated

4.5

The one who got away KL sham on kicks of series songs of Saint croix. The MMC Rory and FMC Hannah are both musics. Rory and Hannah are a love story with an age gap. The break up of Rory and Hannah happens early one which brings us to where story two picked up where Hannah left Chance. The tropes are age gap, heartbreak, healing, banter, found family, and forced proximity. What isn’t mentioned is that. Rory and Hannah’s romance is a second chance as they give their love another chance. I highly recommend the one who got away but KL Shannon. This book is in parts and chapter titles are month and dates.  K L Shannon is an extraordinary story telling as she makes Shannon more sympathetic when you get to read her full story.

The Night Before by Lisa Jackson

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Lisa Jackson’s The Night before book one of the Savannah series is a six star 2025 read. Primary FMC is Caitlyn who is also at the center of the suspense storyline. The plot is the prefect support with interesting twists. The primary MMC connect to Caitlyn is Adam a new psychiatrist in the town of Savannah. One must read to under the plot of this character driven novel because the suspense thriller is the primary genre while romance is the secondary. I read this book in around 9 hours and highly recommend The Night before. The complexity of the plot makes Lisa Jackson a brilliant writer. They mystery of the thriller keeps the reader guessing.

Things We Hide From The Light by Lucy Score

challenging emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-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? It's complicated

4.75

Things we Hide from the Light by Lucy Score is the story of FMC and small town sheriff MMC Nash. Nash is the brother of knocks from book one of knockmeout! 

Single Chance by Amy Knupp

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Single Chance by Amy Knupp is extraordinarily written. The FMC Rowan has a complicated medical history which plays a role in the plot. The MMC Chance is her love interest as the story moves forward. Chance is a single dad to a teen. Rowan and Chance start out as a one night stand that Chance. The heart of this story takes pace in a site called Dragonfly Lake. This book is. Umber three in single dads of dragonfly lake. This character driven narrative in intriguingly interwoven with original and brilliant plot. Amy Knupp know how to write a book that readers don’t want to put down. I highly recommend this 4.75 read. The micro-tropes primarily to this romance are spicy, forced proximity, age gap, accidental pregnancy, contemporary romance and single dad. Readers who like these tropes would be most interested in this book. But if you like Amy Knupp and read her before as well I’d recommend picking up Single Chance. This novel also has duel POV as denoted by the character listened in place of a chapter title.

Among the Willows by Jennifer L. Strand

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Among the willows by Jennifer L Strand is a complex romantic suspense novel. The author writes and exceptional narrative that slowly reveals truths of some of the secondary characters including the sister of the FMC Rome. The MMC is Jude, who fights for a second chance with Romy who was his first . The suspense surrounds the action of secondary characters of Hazel, Junior and Jesse’s mom. The complex plot makes this book one I couldn’t put down. I highly recommended Among the Willows and author Jennifer L. strands. This novels micro tropes that readers might be drawn to are cowboy romance, small town, sports romance, duel POV, your mine, forced proximity , he calls her honey, hat flippen, second chance, cinnamon roll MMC, fiery FMC, touch her and die, sunset confessions, true crime. Romy and JUDE are a top favorite of mine of 2025 reads!

The Walker in Shadows by Barbara Michaels

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.75

The Walker is Shadow by Barbara Michaels is a romantic suspense novel. The MMC is Josef and FMC is Pat, with secondary character of Mark and Kathy who stand out. This is book where each chapter is in parts as roman numerals which makes the story more complex. The twist and turns help make this a read one can’t put down.The compelling and complicated plot supports a character driven narrative. As the author herself says in her book blurb starts that something not right, gives a hint to the mystery and thriller element to this primary romantic suspense book. I highly recommended The walker and shadows by Barbara Michaels. Due to excellent plot I don’t want to given the complex plot away.