originalbooknerd's reviews
978 reviews

Sweet Collide by Ava Harrison

dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

5.0

💗𝒮𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓉 𝒞𝑜𝓁𝓁𝒾𝒹𝑒 - 𝒮𝒶𝒾𝓃𝓉𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝑅𝑒𝒹𝓋𝒾𝓁𝓁𝑒 𝟣 - 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌💗

“𝘈𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘵, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦.”

Author: Ava Harrison

Couple: Cassidy “Pippa” Johnson & Aiden Slate

Tropes: Second Chance Romance, Hidden Identity, Protective NHL MMC with a dirty mouth, Childhood friends to Lovers, ”It’s Always Been You” vibes, Found Family, Rags to Riches, Mental Health Representation, EMOTIONAL, Fake Dating

Review: Sweet Collide sucker punched me from the first word and left my heart in shreds until the last! Ava Harrison wove a tragically beautiful tale of two people who found a safe space within each other. Cassidy and Aiden gave me all the feels while reading their book and be warned that the ups and downs these two go through teat every boundary of attraction, betrayal and love.

Cassidy’s character was such a breath of fresh air in this book. I adored how she was always there for Aiden even when he refused to see or admit to it and loved how she tried to be the best version of herself. Ava captivated me with the unraveling of Cassidy’s past and her true identity as Aiden’s childhood friend but also left my heart aching since she was so hurt by his actions from their childhood. The strength and resilience she had in this book was the backbone of the relationship they shared and I found myself routing for her to get that HEA she deserved!

Aiden Slate was a tragically broken boy who turned into a beautifully broken man. He hid behind his hockey career and Ava did the job right with creating all his fears and mental battles in this book. The way he was afraid to be open and honest with his team about his mental health and the triggers that would occasionally put him out of commission was heartbreaking and I LOVED how once Cassidy came into the equation he was able to slowly open up and accept him faults for his own. I also really enjoyed how his past was slowly uncovered and we learned how hard it was for him to leave his friend “Pippa” who unbeknownst to him was his new fake girlfriend the whole time.

Sweet Collide is a medium burn romance that is full of the angsty, emotional turmoil Ava loves to write for us. Aiden and Cassidy are put through the emotional hurdles in this book and I found that the buildup to Aiden finding out who Cassidy really was to be the center point and the breaking point of the book. I could not believe the way Ava was able to weave their romance to provide all the real and raw emotions between them and found myself having a hard time saying good bye to them once it was over. This book was one I thoroughly enjoyed and I cannot wait for the next Saints of Revile book!

Rating: 5/5, Cassidy and Aiden were a full stop SWOON level romance full of angst, second chances and soul mates perfect for anyone who loves an emotionally charged romance!


Thank you Hambright PR & Ava for the eARC copy!


💗𝒮𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓉 𝒞𝑜𝓁𝓁𝒾𝒹𝑒 - 𝒮𝒶𝒾𝓃𝓉𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝑅𝑒𝒹𝓋𝒾𝓁𝓁𝑒 𝟣 - 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌💗

Author: Ava Harrison

Narrators: Angelina Rocca & Christian Fox

Couple: Cassidy “Pippa” Johnson & Aiden Slate

Tropes: Second Chance Romance, Hidden Identity, Protective NHL MMC with a dirty mouth, Childhood friends to Lovers, ”It’s Always Been You” vibes, Found Family, Rags to Riches, Mental Health Representation, EMOTIONAL, Fake Dating

Review: Ava Harrison knew what she was doing when she casted Angelina Rocca and Christian Fox for Sweet Collide. These two narrators were phenomenal with this book and there was not a single second that I wanted to pause this story! The way these two blended their voices and brought Cassidy ad Aiden to life was EVERYTHING! Reading this book was an emotional rollercoaster but LISTENING to it was a whole new level of emotional angst and feels since both of these characters went through so much to get their HEA.

Christian Fox was the ABSOLUTE star in this book much like how Aiden was in the book. He brought Aiden to life in ways that I didn’t expect and infused so much emotions into the POV as Aiden began to open up to Cassidy and also was able to express all the betrayal when he found out who she truly was. Christian was also able to build the tension with Angelina in the best of ways and the way they pushed and pulled as they narrated this book added to the banter between Ava’s characters!

Angelina Rocca did Cassidy so well that I forgot at times that Cassidy was hiding secrets. Her narration of Cassidy’s struggles and path of forgiveness was brought with emotion and she was able to bring the complexity her character had in this book to the foreground! She also was great at the wit and banter between her and Christian. I found that the back and forth was really my new favorite parts of this romance since Angelina and Christian were so well paired with their expressions of these two MCs!

Sweet Collide was a phenomenal read but it is safe to say the audiobook is where my heart now lies! Ava casted two wonderful narrators to bring her book to life and I cannot wait to see what happens next in the Saints of Revile Series!

Rating: 10/10, Sweet Collide’s Audio outshined everything I had thought about this book and Angelina and Christian truly blew it out of the park with their narration!


Thank you Hambright PR & Ava for the eALC copy!

Ruthless by Hannah Gray

dark emotional funny mysterious 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

🖤𝑅𝓊𝓉𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓈𝓈 - 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝒫𝓊𝒸𝓀𝐵𝑜𝓎𝓈𝑜𝒻𝐵𝓇𝑜𝑜𝓀𝓈𝒰𝓃𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓈𝒾𝓉𝓎𝒮𝓅𝒾𝓃-𝑜𝒻𝒻 - 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌🖤 

 

Author: Hannah Gray 

 

Couple: Briar James & Hudson Hercules 

 

Tropes: Forbidden, Mafia vibes, Age Gap, Bodyguard, Close Proximity, Secret Relationship 

 

Review: Ruthless was Hannah’s step into the dark and oh man did she do it well! Briar was a FMC who was briefly introduced in the last Puck Boys of Brooks University series and the mystery surrounding her was intriguing. I enjoyed her character evolution and loved how Hannah was able to create the tension between her and Hudson as they embark on a forbidden romance! 

 

Briar and Hudson were completely opposite at first look but also very similar once you began learning about them. I enjoyed seeing them begin o form a closer bond as Hudson saw underneath her mask but also thought Briar was a fierce FMC who needed to learn to stand on her own. Hannah was able to capture all the interest Briar had with her tumultuous past as well as with her familial obligations that took up the plot of this book. 

 

I found that the ups and downs between the two of them pushed boundaries of taboo in a way since Briar was engaged for most of this book. I also found that the circumstances surrounding Briar’s engagement were tragic. I appreciated how Hannah brought about the romance between her and Hudson while also including all the emotional turmoil between them. Hudson’s character was the one that captured more of my interest since so much of his story was a mystery up until the end and once everything came out I was ecstatic to see them get their HEA. 

 

This book was a great read and closed out the Brooks University series wonderfully! I enjoyed seeing Briar get her HEA and also liked how Hudson came full circle with moving past his heartache over his late wife. This book is one perfect for lighter dark romance readers and I am excited to see more of Hannah’s dark side! 

 

Rating: 4/5, Hannah Gray has DONE Dark Romance with Ruthless and I am ready for her Dark Romance Era! 

 

Thank you to Wordsmith Publicity PR & Hannah for sending me this eARC!

The Summer I First Saw You by Elizabeth O'Roark

emotional funny medium-paced

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

5.0

🌊𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓊𝓂𝓂𝑒𝓇 𝐼 𝐹𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝒮𝒶𝓌 𝒴𝑜𝓊 - 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓊𝓂𝓂𝑒𝓇 𝒮𝑒𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝟧 - 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌🌊 

 

Author: Elizabeth O’Roark 

 

Narrators: Samantha Brentmoor & Jason Clarke 

 

Couple: Daisy  Doherty & Harrison Reed 

 

Tropes: Uncle’s best friend, Summer romance, roommate romance, forced proximity, secret relationship, 12 year age-gap, Best friend’s younger niece, found family 

 

Review: The Summer I First Saw You audiobook was PHENOMENAL!! Elizabeth casted two of the best narrators for the voices of Daisy and Harrison and they DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Samantha Brentmoor is one of my go to female narrators and her narration of Daisy’s voice brought her to life in a way that made you feel as if you you part of the romance! The way she emoted the angst, tension and heartache Daisy went through captivated me and I just cannot express enough words to tell you how well she did Daisy! 

 

Jason Clarke also brought the A-game in this audiobook and from Harrison’s first chapter I knew he was going to DESTROY me! He was able to infuse ALL of the confusion, worry, lust, and tension Harrison felt throughout this book and I found myself bookmarking so many areas of this audiobook to mark places where he was just level 100 SWOON! 

 

Jason and Samantha were truly the right match for Daisy and Harrison. I loved how they fed off the other and how well the story flowed. This book as done in a Duet style which really brought this book to life and allowed me to completely immerse myself into the audio. The Summer I First Saw You was the first book in this series I listened to and was one I will re-listen to later on! 

 

Rating: 5/5, The Summer I First Saw You was my favorite audio book of the year and Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke astounded me with their narration of Daisy and Harrison! 

 

Thank you Valentine PR and Elizabeth for the eALC copy! 

Emperor of Wrath by Jagger Cole

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

𝕰𝖒𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖗𝖔𝖋𝖂𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖍 - 𝕸𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙𝕸𝖔𝖗𝖎 1 - 𝕽𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖊𝖜 

 

“𝐼’𝓂 𝒴𝒶𝓏𝓀𝓊𝓏𝒶 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽. 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝓎 𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓂𝓎…𝓆𝓊𝑒𝑒𝓃.” 

 

Author: Jagger Cole 

 

Couple: Annika Brancovich & Kenzo Mori 

 

Tropes: dark romance, revenge plot, mafia romance, interracial couple, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, forced proximity, “my wife”, one beed, he falls first, ALL THE K!NKS! 

 

Review: Emperor of Wrath was another EXCEPTIONAL mafia romance from Jagger Cole and Annika and Kenzo packed a WRATHFUL punch from page 1! This book is darker than some of Jagger’s mafia books but also perfectly in tune with the couple it is about. Annika and Kenzo were a true enemies to lovers romance that had all of the angst, wit, banter, turmoil and anger we love to see in dark mafia romances! 

 

Annika was a little black cat FMC and I completely adored her character! She was ALL over the place and the meet-hate she had with Kenzo was probably one of the best ones I have seen in a mafia romance! The way Jagger was able to create the dichotomy of her character as the romance began to BURN was intense, emotionally investing and of course WILD! Annika was not a soft FMC and she was not really hard either but somewhere in between and seeing her ice melt for Kenzo as she began to fall was EVERYTHING! 

 

Kenzo Mori was MY CHARACTER in this book! I loved how he was so aware of who he was right away. The emotional whiplash this man had in regards to his feelings was also NEXT TO NONE! He would go from cold to hot to BLISTERING so fast that he kept me sweating for more between him and his newly wed wife. His marriage to Annika compounded with the tumults past he had with her provides a lot of build up for them in this book and the way Jagger was able to bolster Kenzo, his family and the evolving feelings in this book was perfection! 

 

Kenzo and Annika had one of the rockiest, SMEXIEST, tension-filled mafia romances I have read in a while and I cannot wait to continue this series. The way their banter and domineering personas were done added to this book in ways that brought the heat up to astonishing levels. I also enjoyed all the k!nk play they had as well as the morals Kenzo showed in this area. Emperor of Wrath is another amazing romance by Jagger Cole and I CANNOT wait to see where he takes this series next! 

 

Rating: 100+, Annika and Kenzo brought the DARK and Jagger Cole once again blew it out of the water with this highly angsty and act-packed mafia romance! 

 

Thank you to Valentine PR & Jagger Cole for sending me this eARC!

Enemies by Tijan

challenging emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

🧡𝓔𝓷𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓮𝓼 - 𝓐 𝓕𝓸𝓸𝓽𝓫𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓪𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓮 - 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀🧡 

 

 Author: Tijan 

 

Couple: Dusty Phillips & Stone Reeves 

 

Tropes: football romance, forced proximity, “He helps her heal”, trauma bond, mental health rep, childhood crush,  second chance, enemies to lovers 

 

Review:  Enemies is hands down the book that got me hooked on Tijan and her plethora of angsty, witty and swoon worthy romances. Dusty and Stone had all of the ups and downs I have come to LOVE in Tijan’s books and while this book is one of her older releases and has mainly Dusty’s POV, you can still really feel the emotions and turmoil between both of them! Dusty is a FMC who captured my heart with her story of finding love in life again after the events that led her to Texas and Tijan truly provided the personal upheaval in her story arc to keep me hooked until the last word. 

 

Dusty Phillips is a girl who has been handed a lot of lemons in life but still somehow came out on the other side with a bright respect for her future. I loved how Tijan was able to capture the different aspects of her mental health through every twist, turn, upset and life event that she went through in this book and adored how Dusty found herself her own tribe of people who would always support her and stand by her side. Dusty’s story was not an easy read and the beginning of her journey made me want to shake her roommates and friends  since they were so oblivious to her. The introduction of Stone’s character and the hate-lust they shared added just the right amount of spark and also provided the much needed tension. 

 

Dusty and Stone were two blazing suns in this book who had their own struggles as they grew closer. The frenemies with benefits situation they began while Dusty was living with him was perhaps some of then best tension Tijan has written (in my opinion) and I appreciated how Tijan made Stone’s character one to NOT shy away from the ugly truths of life but also so commitment phobic that it posed a problem for Dusty as she began healing. 

 

Stone was a tough nut to crack in this book but was also such a softie for Dusty once he began to fall. The complicated past he had with her family and the fond memories he shared with her and her mother were a selling point in his arc since he had to overcome past lies his family told him. The way Tijan was able to intertwine their shared past with the bond Stone had with Dusty’s late mother was the single most heartwarming part in Stone’s book and the way he cared for Dusty (even when he was a jerk) showed his true feelings for her…even if he wanted to play oblivious. 

 

Enemies is a whirlwind book that is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good enemies to lovers or sports romance with lots of angst! Dusty and Stone keep a place in my bookish heart and will always be a go to re-read when trying to get out of a book slump. Tijan stays one of my all time favorite & #oneclick authors and I cannot wait to see what she does next! 

 

Rating: 100+, Dusty and Stone are an iconic Tijan couple who never fail to disappoint during the first read or any subsequent rereads! 

Defy by L.J. Shen

emotional funny 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

➰𝕯𝕰𝕱𝖄 - 𝕾𝖎𝖓𝖓𝖊𝖗𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝕾𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖙 0.5 - 𝕽𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖊𝖜➰ 

 

Author: LJ Shen 

 

Couple: Melody Greene & Jaime Followhill 

 

Tropes: student x teacher, possessive obsessive alphahole, reverse age gap, high school romance (MMC 18+), football romance, billionaire romance, forbidden and taboo 

 

Review: DEFY…wow, LJ did it again! This is the prequel to the Sinners of Saint series and we begin with Jaime Followhill and his UTLIMATE fantasy. Jaime’s book is short, HAWT and INTENSE like all good LJ books and also provides us with all the angst perfect for people who love forbidden romances. DEFY was a whirlwind romance that sucked me in from page one and these two just kept getting better! 

 

Melody is the goody two shoes teacher that never strays to far from the wrong side of the line. I loved how she was so GOOD and had to wrestle with herself for giving into her feelings. Her POV is heartbreaking yet beautiful since we really begin to see her open up as Jaime wins her over. LJ did really well with the forbidden student x teacher trope and Melody’s character was unique and also perfect for how possessive Jaime is! 

 

Jaime is THE one in this book. He was so gone for Melody that his emotions bled through the pages. I adored seeing all the OG sinners in their high school ages and enjoyed seeing their starting points. I also LOVED how Jaime was an ALPHAhole or…a HOTHOLE! The way he gave everything to Melody and was being torn up at the same time since he did not want her to get hurt was emotional angst at its finest and it was so easy to binge his book for this and this alone! Ultimately, Jaime is the OG Sinner whose romance is perfectly taboo and delicious to read! 

 

Rating: 4/5, A HAWT, spicy romance between a high school senior and his favorite teacher and their taboo love affair! 

If You Want Me by Helena Hunting

emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

🍌𝐼𝒻 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒲𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝑀𝑒 - 𝒯𝑜𝓇𝑜𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝒯𝑒𝓇𝓇𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝑒𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝟤 - 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌 🍌

Author: Helena Hunting

Couple: Peggy Aurora Hammerstein & Hollis Hendrix

Tropes: hockey romance, dad’s best friend, age gap (12 years), she falls first x he falls harder, forced proximity, forbidden romance, she cat sits for him 

Review: If You Want Me is ANGST. Helena packed this book to the brim with all of the angst and turmoil you could imagine. From the beginning Peggy is the character who sucked me into the book and kept me feeling all the emotions as I continued to read. Helena was able to capture the forbidden aspect of their romance to a T and I enjoyed every page!

Peggy is the daughter of Hollis’ best friend and from the beginning this romance is the ULTIMATE forbidden fantasy. I adored Peggy and appreciated how her story had so much included in it from lusting after Hollis to gaining confidence to learning to color outside the lines. Helena was able to capture her wild spirit and silently confident nature really well and did it in a way that made you want to hold Peggy up above the rest or give her a big hug.

Hollis was an enigma. I found his POV the hardest to read since he was at a time in his life and career where he was having to make big decisions. The utter despair he went through when he was injured playing to the elation when he finally gave into his growing feelings to Peggy left me in a pendulum swing. I found that while he was so much older than Peggy he was the saddest bit more immature but also a lot more fearful due to prior heartbreak. However, I absolutely adored how he encouraged Peggy to achieve her goals and constantly pushed her to gain confidence. 

Peggy and Hollis are a sweet and spicy romance that is a TON different than Rex and Tristan but also the perfect balance before we get Dallas and Hemi next! The romance was perfection for the two and I loved how they each leaned on the other during tough times….and I LOVED how Hollis went man to man to admit his feelings to Peggy’s father! This book was a good read and was packed full of awkward moments and laughs that have me dying for book 3 and more of these characters!

Rating: 4/5, Peggy and Hollis are the ultimate forbidden romance and Helena once again destroyed my heart with this book and emotional rollercoaster they went through to achieve their HEA!

Thank you Helena & Good Girls PR for the eARC copy!



🍌𝐼𝒻 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒲𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝑀𝑒 - 𝒯𝑜𝓇𝑜𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝒯𝑒𝓇𝓇𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝑒𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝟤 - 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌🍌

Author: Helena Hunting

Narrators: Stella Bloom & Zachary Webber

Couple: Peggy Aurora Hammerstein & Hollis Hendrix

Tropes: hockey romance, dad’s best friend, age gap (12 years), she falls first x he falls harder, forced proximity, forbidden romance, she cat sits for him

Review: If You Want Me was a book I enjoyed listening to more than reading and it had everything to do with Stella Bloom! Stella and Zachary captured the voices of Peggy and Hollis in a way that made reading it a little lackluster since it took away the voices that brought all the angst to life. Helena killed it with picking narrators and I can say that this audio was addicting and hard to pause.

Stella Bloom was top notch in this book and sounded like Peggy’s voice in my head. From the begging the voice she had was able to emote the angst, tension, lust and wit Peggy’s POV had in spades. The way she also matched with Zachary Webber just brought this whole book to life. Zachary was also really strong in this audiobook and was just gruff enough for Hollis but also provided the emotional range needed for Hollis’ POV. Helena did good with these two and I am excited to see what comes with Dallas and Hemi!

Rating: 4/5, Peggy and Hollis come to life in your ears in this audiobook and once again Helena chose narrators perfect for the characters!

Thank you Helena & Good Girls PR for the eALC copy!

A Sky Full Of Stars by Katherine Jay

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

🩵𝒜 𝒮𝓀𝓎 𝐹𝓊𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓈 - 𝐻𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓈𝓉𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝟧 - 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌🩵 

 

Author: Katherine Jay 

 

Couple: Lainey Bennett & Thomas Kelly 

 

Tropes: Age-gap, Forbidden Love, Brother’s best friend, Football player & ballerina, Healing/Trauma/Mental illness, Childhood Friends to Lovers 

 

Review: A Sky Full of Stars is responsible for 90% of the tears I have shed while reading this year. Katherine really brought her best in this book and I could not believe the way I loved Lainey’s character in this book. From the beginning her story and character sucked me in and refused to let go and all I have to say is that she deserved her HEA at the end. 

 

Lainey and Thomas have the most emotional romance in this series in my opinion and there were times I had to pause while reading to get a grip. The two of them are a perfect catastrophe waiting to happen and the crush Lainey has on Thomas adds fuel to the fire at first while we learn bits and pieces of their intertwined past. They way Katherine hooked us in the prologue drove me to read and see what the event that led them there was and I could not believe the inner resilience Lainey had throughout this book. The way she dealt with mental health struggles also added a layer of rawness to her story and Katherine did a wonderful job in this area of her story. 

 

Thomas was a bit of a shock to me in this book. I found him to be a lot more soft and sweet than I expected and loved how he ADORED Lainey. The way he supports her and is utterly obsessed with her melted my heart and the explosion of them left me happy and sated for a bit. This book did the forbidden romance well and the two of them pushed and pulled at the right times but also fit in ways that showed how well they fit with one another. Katherine did a good job with creating the tension between them as they realize they are in too deep with their feelings and I always love a good explosion of brothers and parents finding out, which did not upset in this book. 

 

A Sky Full of Stars is an emotional journey that is guaranteed to make you grab for the tissues but also clutch your heart in relief. Katherine poured her soul into this story and it shows all the way through. This book closed out the Heartstrings series with a bang and I am sad that this chapter is closing but cannot wait for what is to come! 

 

Rating: 4.5/5,  an emotional, angst filled sports romance to round out this heartfelt series by Katherine! 

 

Thank you to Katherine for sending me this eARC!

Bridesmaid Undercover by Meghan Quinn

emotional funny lighthearted slow-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

🫶🏻𝐵𝓇𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓈𝓂𝒶𝒾𝒹 𝒰𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝒸𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 - 𝒜𝓁𝓂𝑜𝓃𝒹 𝐵𝒶𝓎 𝐵𝓇𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓈𝓂𝒶𝒾𝒹 𝓈𝑒𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝟤 - 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌🫶🏻

Author: Meghan Quinn

Couple: Everly Plum & Hardy Hopper

Tropes: secret pining, friends to lovers, wedding vibes, billionaire romance, found family, she falls first x he falls harder, workplace romance 

Review: Meghan Quinn does it again with Bridesmaid Undercover! This book had me in STITCHES while reading and was impossible to put down until I finished! Hardy and Everly ensnared me right off the bat with the absolute obliviousness Hardy had in regard to Everly's fangirl crush. I adored how Everly pined so long for him since it made her agreement with him to rekindle his love with his ex that much more awkward. 

Hardy was a HOOT in this book and that man held this book together in my opinion. From the get go he was over the top, in your face and hilariously awkward in his plans to send Everly 'undercover' to learn information about Maple, the ex-girlfriend, and I enjoyed how Meghan cranked up the awkward levels to extraordinary heights (the warehouse scene with Brody!!). While the initial focus Hardy had was to rekindle his feelings with Maple, his friendship and bond with Everly was TO DIE for! The way they grew close and had so many inside jokes, moments and attraction melted my heart and I was so happy when he realized his feelings!

While Hardy was my man in this book, Everly had some epicness of her own. Meghan really did it up with her obsessive crush, her need to help Hardy and her refusal to move past the love she had for him. I enjoyed how Everly evolved in this book but found her emotional angst to be what drew me into her character (and the rants she had with her sister). The ups and downs she goes through while ironically enough befriending Maple kept me entertained but still rooting for her to force Hardy to realize his feelings. 

Hardy and Everly maybe one of my favorite Meghan Quinn couples to date and this book blended all the best things from her other series! Like give her a round of applause for giving JP Crane a new bird to obsess over (enter Flamingos!) instead of pigeons! The email blasts from him provided extra laughs at the best times! This romance was a bit slower burn but definitely did not hold the heat with the innuendos and angst! Hardy and Everly were a bucket of fun to read and I can't wait for more of the Almond Bay and Almond Bay Bridesmaids to come!

Rating: 100+, a laugh out loud romance that puts a spin on trying to get back with an old flame to only fall for the girl in front of you the whole time! This book is guaranteed to make you fall in love with Hardy and Everly as they bumble through their ironically hilarious romance!


Thank you to Hambright PR & Meghan’s team for sending me this eARC!



🫶🏻𝐵𝓇𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓈𝓂𝒶𝒾𝒹 𝒰𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝒸𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 - 𝒜𝓁𝓂𝑜𝓃𝒹 𝐵𝒶𝓎 𝐵𝓇𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓈𝓂𝒶𝒾𝒹 𝓈𝑒𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝟤 - 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌🫶🏻

Author: Meghan Quinn

Narrator: Samantha Brentmoor & Jason Clarke

Couple: Everly Plum & Hardy Hopper

Tropes: secret pining, friends to lovers, wedding vibes, billionaire romance, found family, she falls first x he falls harder, workplace romance 

Review: Bridesmaid Undercover was another amazing read by Meghan Quinn but the audiobook was where it was at! Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke fit Everly and Hardy like peanut butter and jelly. I found myself laughing, crying, and clutching my chest, with tears streaming down my face as I listened to this book and in my opinion if the book doesn’t make you react this way then you haven’t read or listened to it right. From the prologue Jason cemented himself as the POV that kept my attention and I found the way he encapsulated Hardy to bring his POV to life. I loved how he made the voices, emoted all the THINGS and included the utter confusion in Hardy’s character as he goes from Everly’s boss to confidant to best friend to the utter fool who loves her!

Samantha Brentmoor was also a bright star in this book and she performed at level 100. The way she was able to meld with Jason’s voice and elevate him as well as bring Everly to life while telling the story kept me hanging on to her words while also trying to retain my laughter. I found her voice to be the one who held more humor since Everly’s character was just so hilarious in this book but also have to commend her for the way she was able to sound awkward and almost shy at times as Everly’s character navigates her epic pining and long-standing crush on Hardy.

Bridesmaid Undercover was a phenomenal audiobook and I loved every minute of Jason and Samantha bringing this story to life. Meghan blew it out of the water in this book and the only thing that would make it better is if JP Crane’s voice had its own whinny but gruff voice about saving the pigeons!

Rating: 5/5, Bridesmaid Undercover is an audiobook made to make you spit your drink out while rolling on the floor laughing and Meghan did the job with these two narrators! 


Thank you to Hambright PR, Good Girls PR & Meghan’s team for sending me this eALC!

The Boyfriend Goal by Lauren Blakely

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

💕𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕠𝕪𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝔾𝕠𝕒𝕝 - 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℍ𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕪 𝟙 - ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨💕

Author: Lauren Blakely

Couple: Josie & Wesley

Tropes: Sports/Hockey Romance, One Night Stand, Teammate’s Little Sister, Forced Proximity, Roommates to Lovers, Opposites Attract

Review: The Boyfriend Goal was a hockey romance fit to satisfy your hockey craving! Josie and Wes were hilarious together and Lauren was phenomenal at creating the angst, tension and banter between them. Wesley Bryant is a 10/10 book boyfriend in this book and I think I adored him from meet-cute and then only fell harder as I read each page!

Wes and Josie are the favored “Captain’s Little Sister” trope and “Forced proximity x roommates” trope and oh what a ride these two forbidden romance tropes were with them! I loved how Lauren played up the secret relationship and one night stand these two embarked on but the way Wes stood up for Josie and pushed her to achieve her goals was where this book hit the feels hard. The care and adoration he had for Josie was swoon worthy to read and I loved how Lauren created all the layers to his character - especially the way he admitted his vulnerabilities and faults to her!

Josie on the other hand was a character. I loved her quirkiness and awkwardness throughout the book and found that The shy, book nerd, librarian vibes she gave off. The way Lauren grew her character and developed her story allowed for me to see how Josie grew into herself after meeting Wesley. I appreciated that her backstory was more complex and that this book did not just center around the forbidden aspect of Wesley being on her older brother’s hockey team. I also found her relationship with Christian, her brother, to be unique since they were not the closest of siblings but both were fiercely independent. 

Josie and Wes were adorable to read. I enjoyed their banter and how witty and sarcastic it was as well as how sweet and sassy Josie was towards Wes. Lauren was able to ratchet up the heat but also develop a wonderful bond between the two MCs that made this book hard to put down. This book was a fun read and is the perfect way to set off the series Love and Hockey!
 
Rating: 5/5, Wes and Josie were a spicy yet sweet romance full of found family, nerdy jokes and witty romance!

Thank you Lauren & Good Girls PR for the eARC copy!


💕𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕠𝕪𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝔾𝕠𝕒𝕝 - 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℍ𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕪 𝟙 - 𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨💕

Author: Lauren Blakely

Couple: Josie & Wesley

Narrators: Erin Mallon & Connor Crais

Tropes: Sports/Hockey Romance, One Night Stand, Teammate’s Little Sister, Forced Proximity, Roommates to Lovers, Opposites Attract

Review: AHHH! Connor Crais brings the ULTIMATE book boyfriend to life in this book and Lauren Blakely once again gives us an audiobook hard to press pause on! Connor and Erin dominated The Boyfriend Goal’s audiobook and these two were able to capture the emotion wonderfully in this book! From the get-go you can hear and feel the tension and angst between the narrators and it only gets better as the book goes on!

Connor was hands down the narrator I loved in this book. This was mainly due to how Wesley was the character in the book I adored the most and who was just utterly SWOON-WORTHY! The way he and Erin worked together in this book really brought it to life and I could just envision all the forbidden vibes and angst  between Josie and Wes. Overall, this is an audiobook I would recommend if you enjoy hockey romance! 
 
Rating: 4/5, Erin and Connor deliver another great audiobook that is hard to pause as Josie and Wes find their HEA together!

Thank you Lauren & Good Girls PR for the eALC copy!