originalbooknerd's reviews
978 reviews

Enticing by Bella Matthews

dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

💋𝐸𝓃𝓉𝒾𝒸𝒾𝓃𝑔 - 𝑅𝑒𝒹𝐿𝒾𝓅𝓈𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒲𝒽𝒾𝓉𝑒𝐿𝒾𝑒𝓈𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀𝟥 - 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌💋 

 

Author: Bella Matthews 

 

Couple: Adelaide James & Leo Sinclair 

 

Tropes: 

🏒Hockey romance 

💋Marriage of convenience 

🏒He falls first x harder 

💋Single mother 

🏒FMC is a writer 

💋Alphamale vibes 

🏒Forced proximity 

💋”My wife” 

 

Review: Bella really blew my mind with the way she delivered Leo Sinclair’s story. 𝐸𝓃𝓉𝒾𝒸𝒾𝓃𝑔 was absolute perfection. From start to finish this book was both enticing and captivating. Leo and Adelaide warmed my heart and the way Bella brought out Leo’s alpha side and his swoon side kept me turning the pages until I saw his HEA! I wasn’t sure if anything would be able to top Callen or Nixon but 𝐸𝓃𝓉𝒾𝒸𝒾𝓃𝑔 sure brought up the angst and heat to be one of the best books within the second generation and among Bella’s complete interconnected universe itself! 

 

Leo Sinclair. GAHHH!! This man is a girl dad. I have no words for how hard this man falls for his “fake wife” and her children. Bella took my breath away with the devotion she was able to put into his character and I loved seeing the man who was always the jerk or the jokester finally get his chance to step up and prove how golden he truly was. The love he developed for Adelaide fit along with the Sinclair family modo perfectly but also had it’s own twists since someone really special had to push him off the path he had created for himself with being less serious and not ready to settle down. I also ADORED the bonds he had with her two daughters, Izzy and Lennox. 

 

Adelaide was also a breath of fresh air and a new face for us. Seeing her love for her children and the way she protected what was her FIERCELY was part of what drew me in so hard to her story. Bella was able to tackle the ups and downs in her story in a way that truly tugged on the heart and watching her finally get the HEA she deserved was both satisfying and bittersweet since I was not ready to say bye to her, the kids and Leo. Bella also tackled some themes that may be triggering to some readers within Addie’s story and the way she brought them up and entertained them within Addie’s POV and within her character was beautiful to watch. It was also done in a way that read true to the horrors Addie had faced and was continuing to face as she fought for her daughters! 

 

𝐸𝓃𝓉𝒾𝒸𝒾𝓃𝑔 was truly perfection for Leo, Addie, Izzy and Lennox and I cannot wait to see them more in future books. Bella showed us a side of other second generation children in this book we had not seen as much of before and I am so excited for more to come! 𝐸𝓃𝓉𝒾𝒸𝒾𝓃𝑔 was hands down a book impossible to rate since it was everything and more of what I wanted! 

 

Rating: 100+, Leo Sinclair was everything I didn’t know I needed for this holiday season and Bella really outdid herself on his story! 

 

Thank you to Bella for sending me this eARC! 

Forever Wild by Rebecca Jenshak

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

🏒𝐹𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒲𝒾𝓁𝒹 - 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝒹𝒸𝒶𝓉𝐻𝑜𝒸𝓀𝑒𝓎𝟧 - 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌🏒 

 

Author: Rebecca Jenshak 

 

Couple: Everly Kent & Jackson “Jack” Wyld 

 

Tropes: 

🏒Age Gap 

👠She’s Sassy 

🏒Healing from Injury 

👠Teammates Little Sister 

🏒Forced Proximity 

👠Brother’s best friend 

🏒Hockey romance 

👠Grumpy x sunshine 

 

Review: 𝐹𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝒹 has been the book I and everyone else who read the Wildcat Hockey series has been waiting for and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Rebecca brought us the one and ONLY Jack Wyld in this book and I may have found my favorite Rebecca Jenshak book boyfriend to date. From start to end this man dominated and destroyed me in the best ways as he fell hard for little Everly, who is not so little anymore! 

 

Jack was everything I didn’t know I needed in this book. From the start to the end the way Rebecca showed his evolving love for Everly to the conflicting emotions he had for falling for a teammate’s little sister, I was HOOKED! Rebecca was able to give us a broody, stoic, cares for everyone but refuses to ask for help hockey MMC that broke my heart but also healed it while reading and   no words can express how deep I fell into his orbit! The emotions he had to navigate while he began seeing Everly as more than Tyler’s little sister were EPIC and SWOON worthy but also were done in a way that made you understand why he held back. I found his fear of falling for her hard and fast to be my favorite aspect of his story and loved seeing it play out! 

 

Everly was a breath of fresh air and her story was really the glue in this book. Everything about her screamed “woman finding her way” and Rebecca mastered the vulnerabilities and insecurities in her POV. The way her crush developed into a full blow love for Jack had me in the feel since the banter between them sparked fire every time they were in the same room. I found the way she took it upon herself to care for him when he tried turning her away while injured to be the centerpiece to their romance and I really enjoyed the way she LOVED to push his buttons and irritate him to get a response. Rebecca was able to capture the fiery personality Everly had while also making her fears real and relevant. The way she matured in this book while also learning to own up to her goals was EVERYTHING (even if it resulted in a third-act break-up!) 

 

𝐹𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝒹 brought the enemy to lover vibes from the first page and their banter was truly some of the best and angstiest from Rebecca ever! The way these two fed off the other in terms of wit, sarcasm, attitude and lust resulted in one of the best forbidden, hockey romances I have read this year! 𝐹𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝒹 blew all my expectations to dust and also introduced my next anxiously awaited MMC, Nick Galaxy! 

 

Rating: 100+; Rebecca saved the best for (almost?) last and 𝐹𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝒹 will always be the book that did me all because of Jack! 

 

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

Deviant by Ivy Fox

challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

🅳🅴🆅🅸🅰🅽🆃 🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆 

 

Author: Ivy Fox 

 

Couple: Rowen Hawthorne & Elias Larsen 

 

Tropes: 

🖤 ᴅᴀʀᴋ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ 

🖤 ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ 

🖤 ꜰᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ 

🖤 ʙᴜʀɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴇʀ 

🖤 ᴋɪʟʟᴇʀ/ꜱᴏᴄɪᴏᴘᴀʜ 

🖤 ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴀʏ ᴍᴄ 

🖤 ᴍᴀꜱᴋᴇᴅ ᴍᴀɴ 

🖤 ᴜɴʟᴏᴄᴋꜱ ʜᴇʀ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ꜱɪᴅᴇ 

🖤 ᴀɴɢꜱᴛ 

🖤 ᴛᴏʀᴛᴜʀᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇꜱ 

🖤 ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ꜱᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇꜱ 

🖤 ɢᴀᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ 

 

Review: 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑵𝑻  was one of my most anticipated Spooky Season releases and Ivy Fox did not disappoint with this darkly disturbing read! Blackwater Falls kept me in a COMPLETE chokehold while reading and I found it IMPOSSIBLE to put down once I began. Elias, Rowe and the Harvest Dozen will be haunting my thoughts for the foreseeable future as I come to terms with the ABSOLUTE WILD ride Ivy put me through while reading this book. 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑵𝑻 had ALL the vibes for a dark romance from the forbidden and taboo to the deeply dark and morally gray anti-hero and Ivy led me on a path that made me question my morals, sanity and taste in book boyfriends as I fell HARD for Elias Larsen! 

 

𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑵𝑻 is all about the dark and disturbed. The way Ivy set the plot for the book BLEW my mind in ways I never thought possible. The whole foundation of the story hinged on the mystery, intrigue and suspense surrounding The Scourge and the Harvest Dozen. The depravity Ivy put into this book…I have no words for it. I found myself questioning everything as I read and was left baffled when the final events unraveled. Ivy was able to both captivate me and disturb me with the unhinged and blood thirsty vibes Blackwater Falls and The Scourge created in my head while reading and I was not ready for all the secrets and betrayals that she left me with. 

 

The romance in 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑵𝑻 hinged on the way Elias both HATED and LUSTED after Rowen and the way he sta!ked her to get his revenge! The moral compass this man lacked allowed for an absolute wreckage for my mind while reading and I found myself submerged inside his POV every chance I got! The way he went from obsessed about his revenge plans to obsessed over her safety and attention flabbergasted me but also warmed my little dark heart since this morally gray red-flag of a man fell hard, fast and all consumingly for his woman. 

 

While Elias was everything bump in the night, Rowen was a conundrum in contradictions. Her POV was littered with guilt, hatred and self loathing which left me questioning her sanity from page one. Ivy was able to capture her story PERFECTLY from start to end and while her story arc was devastating, I appreciated how it was written and the beauty Ivy put into the brokenness of her character. Rowen is a character that truly hits a certain way and her growth and journey to her HEA is one that is wholly deserved after everything she preserved through to get it! 

 

𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑵𝑻 is a DARK romance that pushes boundaries and toys with the forbidden. The tension and sparks that flew between these two every time they shared space added a nice point of contention and Ivy dominated the forbidden lust between them while also toeing the line of cheating since Rowen is dating Elvis’ younger brother when we meet her. I found myself questioning EVERYTHING in this book but one thing I always felt safe knowing was Elias would truly do everything to keep Rowen his. The absolute FILTH that came out of this man lit the pages on fire and if Ivy did one thing on an immortalized level it was the way Elias perfected the dirty talk and degradation. 

 

Elias and Rowen bled me dry in this book and I don’t think I’ve completely recovered yet. Ivy Fox once again left me in a book hangover with 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑵𝑻 and the whole world of Blackwater Falls and I can only hope we see more of this darkly disturbed world again! 

 

Rating: 100+; Ivy Fox destroyed my mental sanity with this book! Elias, Rowe and the Harvest Dozen took me on the most taboo, deliciously 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑵𝑻 ride and I have yet to recover after the madness! 

 

 

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

Maison De Fous by Nova Kane

challenging dark fast-paced

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

5.0

🎪𝕸𝖆𝖎𝖘𝖔𝖓𝕯𝖊𝕱𝖔𝖚𝖘 - 𝕮𝖎𝖗𝖖𝖚𝖊𝕯𝖚𝕯é𝖘𝖎𝖗𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 2 - 𝕽𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖊𝖜🎪 

 

Author: Nova Kane 

 

Couple: Lux, Indie Connors & Lux Julius 

 

𝕿𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖘 

🎪 Masked MMCs 

🎪 Chaos & Carnage 

🎪 Touch Her & I’ll wear your face. Literally. 

🎪 Halloween Vibes 

🎪 Multi POV (Lux, Indie & Johnny) 

🎪 Clowns and Kinky Side Show Cirkies 

🎪 Equally Insane Couple 

 

Review: 𝕸𝖆𝖎𝖘𝖔𝖓 𝕯𝖊 𝕱𝖔𝖚𝖘 left me questioning my sanity! Nova Kane added Lux to the mix in this book and…you are not ready for her brand of cr@zy! The depravity and darkness she added pushed the limits of how dark romance can go but also I have to say JOHNNY!! That man is just the right brand of unhinged and I was ecstatic to see him back in this book! 𝕸𝖆𝖎𝖘𝖔𝖓 𝕯𝖊 𝕱𝖔𝖚𝖘 was a fast paced, spicy and spooky read perfect for spooky sun but also satisfying for those who love their romance with a dash or gray but mostly black! 

 

Nova gave us the Queen of the Cirque with Lux and that FMC will forever be branded in my head. I found myself wanting more and more of her but also enjoying the multiple POV style the book was done in. 𝕸𝖆𝖎𝖘𝖔𝖓 𝕯𝖊 𝕱𝖔𝖚𝖘 was the perfect balance of new plot and character additions to the dark 𝕮𝖎𝖗𝖖𝖚𝖊 𝕯𝖚 𝕯é𝖘𝖎𝖗 Nova built in book 1 and I am looking forward to the next! 

 

Rating: 5/5; 𝕸𝖆𝖎𝖘𝖔𝖓 𝕯𝖊 𝕱𝖔𝖚𝖘 is dark, delicious and depraved but I wouldn’t want it any other way! 

 

Thank you to Nova for sending me this eARC! 

 

À La Folie by Nova Kane

challenging dark fast-paced

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

5.0

🎪𝕬𝕷𝖆𝕱𝖔𝖑𝖎𝖊 - 𝕮𝖎𝖗𝖖𝖚𝖊𝕯𝖚𝕯é𝖘𝖎𝖗𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 1 - 𝕽𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖊𝖜🎪 

 

Author: Nova Kane 

 

Couple: Indie Connors & Lux Julius 

 

𝕿𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖘 

🎪 Dual POV 

🎪 Kn!fe Play 

🎪 Masked MMC 

🎪 Blood Play 

🎪 Whipping 

🎪 Voyeurism 

🎪 Chaos & Carnage 

🎪 Touch Her & I’ll wear your face. Literally. 

🎪 Halloween Vibes 

🎪 Clowns and Kinky Side Show Cirkies 

🎪 Equally Insane Couple 

 

  

Review: 𝕬 𝕷𝖆 𝕱𝖔𝖑𝖎𝖊 is your next dark romance OBSESSION!! Nova Kane gives us a delicious spooky, dark, twisted and horror inducing novella that has 5 ALARM SPICE and DEVIANT SPICE! From the first page this novella kept me in a chokehold and I could not believe all the boundaries that were tested while I read Indie’s and Lux’s story! These two are not gentle but instead are a CHAOS infused STORM that had me biting my nails, ripping my hair out and SCREAMING my lungs out at them! 

 

𝕬 𝕷𝖆 𝕱𝖔𝖑𝖎𝖊 was super fast paced, extra spicy, and had every k!nk you desired in a dark Circusesque romance. Nova was able to make me question my morals, my sanity and my mind as I read and fell into a hate-love-lust with this couple. 𝕬 𝕷𝖆 𝕱𝖔𝖑𝖎𝖊 ends in a way that make you NEED book 2 and it also satisfies your “HEA” in romance that is not straight-laced and wholesome but instead obsessive, possessive and ugh!nged! You best believe I will be running for book 2 (review coming soon)! 

 

Rating: 5/5; 𝕬 𝕷𝖆 𝕱𝖔𝖑𝖎𝖊 is a decadently, dark and delicious romance that will test your boundaries in way that is guaranteed to question your sanity! 

 

 

Thank you to Nova for sending me this eARC! 

 

Forever Starts Tonight by Karla Sorensen

emotional funny 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

✨𝐹𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓈𝒯𝑜𝓃𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 - 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝒹𝑒𝓇𝐹𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓎𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀𝟦 - 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨ 

 

Author: Karla Sorensen 

 

Couple: Poppy Wilder & Jax Cartwright 

 

Tropes:  

🍼One Night to Get it Out of Their Systems 

🍼Accidental Pregnancy 

🍼Big Family Dynamics 

🍼Age Gap 

🍼Best Friend’s Little Sister 

🍼Grumpy/Sunshine 

 

Review: 𝐹𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓈 𝒯𝑜𝓃𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 is another knockout read by Karla and if you haven’t waited forever to get this story then I don’t know what you’ve been reading! This book is Poppy’s and Jax’s book and from the first page it is obvious the ANGST will be NEXT LEVEL! This book was an emotional rollercoaster for me but also one that kept me in a book hangover long after I finished! 

 

Poppy Wilder was an adorable FMC and her story was such an experience to read, as she was the youngest Wilder sibling to find her match. Karla truly captured the way Poppy pined after Jax in this story and seeing the washer feelings evolved as the story went on made me want to hug her but also shake her when she began dating Dean. Karla did us dirty with the teasing we get with this swoon vet and we can only hope she gives us a short book for him after Poppy let him down! 

 

Jax Wilder was HAWT. I was there for the forbidden vibes he threw out and from the way he had to literally leave the country to avoid his feelings for Poppy. His backstory was heartbreaking and I really loved how he was able to heal some as the book went on. They way Karla dealt with the accidental pregnancy with Jax was probably my favorite part of this book. I enjoyed seeing him go through all the EMOTIONS as he struggled to accept fatherhood. I also appreciated how Karla made his relationship with Poppy to be more raw and up and down than easy going as it proved how much they loved each other by the end! 

 

Jax and Poppy are ANGSTY! These two are some of the most tension filled MCs I have read by Karla yet they also are so different at this point in their lives that you want to root for them. The turmoil Jax feels was compounded by the fact that Cameron was his best friend and the way Karla had the blow up between them was done perfectly while also showing how much Cameron needed their friendship. 𝐹𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓈 𝒯𝑜𝓃𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 was a binge worthy read full of heartstopping swoon and a must read for anyone enjoying small town, forbidden romance! 

 

Rating: 100+; Poppy and Jax melted my heart and Karla once again gave us a romance perfect for anyone needing angst and found family! 

 

 

 

Thank you to Karla for sending me this  eARC! 

 

The Thorne at My Side by Erin Marie Bassett

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

4.5

🫶🏻𝒯𝒽𝑒𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓃𝒜𝓉𝑀𝓎𝒮𝒾𝒹𝑒  𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌🫶🏻 

 

Author: Erin Marie Bassett 

 

Couple: Maggie & Austin 

 

Tropes: 

🩵Enemies-to-Lovers 

🫶🏻Enemies-with-Benefits 

🩵Workplace Chemistry 

🫶🏻MMC Wears Glasses, and Suits 

🩵"Good Girl" 

🫶🏻Textual Relationship 

🩵Spicy Romance 

🫶🏻Romcom 

 

Review: 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓃 𝒜𝓉 𝑀𝓎 𝒮𝒾𝒹𝑒 was hilarious! Erin truly brings us a binge worthy romcom in this book and she just blew it out of the office with the banter, wit, snark, innuendo and the INSANE push and pull that Maggie and Austin had! The dynamic she created between them from the beginning hinted at how explosive these two would be and it is safe to say the Austin completely gobsmakecd me with how hard he fell and by how hard he denied the fall! 

 

Erin was creative with how these two characters met and grew closer together in this book. The way they both hated each other at work but then had no clue they were online-chat buddies had me cackling throughout the book and I could not wait for them to each realize it. I do have to say though that Austin was a dumb boy with how he handled the truth once he realized it was Maggie all along! 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓃 𝒜𝓉 𝑀𝓎 𝒮𝒾𝒹𝑒 is a enemies with benefits romance and I enjoyed the dynamic Maggie and Austin had behind closed doors, I found that they each were so perfect for the other yet in the light of day they could just NOT GET ALONG! 

 

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓃 𝒜𝓉 𝑀𝓎 𝒮𝒾𝒹𝑒 is spicy and hawt. Erin really nailed the benefits situation going on in this book and I loved every spicy minute! These two had insane on page chemistry but they also had quiet moments that added a lot to the book. Seeing them lower their walls was my favorite part of the story and I found myself rooting for them to get that HEA! While 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓃 𝒜𝓉 𝑀𝓎 𝒮𝒾𝒹𝑒 is all about Maggie and Austin, I found myself enamored with Felix, Austin’s best friend, and cannot wait for his story to come! 

 

Rating: 4.5/5; A hilarious enemy to lovers, workplace romance that made me sweat, laugh and rage from beginning to end! 

 

 

Thank you to Good Girls PR & Erin for sending me this eARC!

When You Give a Lawyer a Kiss by Ann Einerson

emotional funny 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

4.5

💋𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒢𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝒜 𝐿𝒶𝓌𝓎𝑒𝓇 𝒜 𝒦𝒾𝓈𝓈 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌💋 

 

Author: Ann Einerson 

 

Couple: Reese Taylor & Dawson Tate 

 

Tropes: 

🏍️Age-gap 

💋He’s her boss 

🏍️Forced proximity 

💋Grumpy Hero 

🏍️Opposites Attract 

💋No third act breakup 

🏍️Billionaire Romance 

💋Banter & Spice 

🏍️Novella 

 

Review: 𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒢𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝒜 𝐿𝒶𝓌𝓎𝑒𝓇 𝒜 𝒦𝒾𝓈𝓈  is a laugh out loud romcom that had me rolling on the floor but also biting my nails! Ann was able to bring all the broody and possessive vibes when writing Dawson Tate but also show a softer much loved side after he meets his matching Reese Taylor. This book was a sweet, fast paced, and quick read that brings the feel-good vibes with a touch of forbidden office romance at its best. Ann truly tied the novella up in a way that makes us want more of these two but also gives us a hint at what’s to come! 

 

Reese Taylor is a fierce and fiery FMC and I adored her from the moment we met her. Her unconventional meet-cute with Dawson brought me to tears because he is the GRUMPIEST MMC ever but also has a sweet side only shown to her. The way the meet-cute went from sweet to HAWT also showed just how much chemistry these two had and we can only leave it to Dawson to ruin his chance before it truly began! 

 

Ann was able to make the couple have a more organic feel while reading through the way she added the push and pull between them. The fight they had to deny feeling and prevent them getting close to each other was comical and added OH SO MUCH angst to the book. I appreciated how the office romance was a slower build until the explosion and loved how Reese stayed independent and true to her self. Dawson was also the best match for the fiery red head and seeing the cold lawyer fall hard for his woman was full stop swoon! 

 

𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒢𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝒜 𝐿𝒶𝓌𝓎𝑒𝓇 𝒜 𝒦𝒾𝓈𝓈 is a witty, fast paced romance that is built into Ann’s interconnected world of billionaire romances. Reese and Dawson are two I would love to see more of and am looking forward to their cameos in future books! 

 

Rating: 4.5/5; Ann once again gives us a heartwarming yet angsty workplace romance with a noteworthy HEA! 

 

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

 

Just Between Us by Lena Hendrix

emotional funny 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? It's complicated

4.5

💜𝒥𝓊𝓈𝓉𝐵𝑒𝓉𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓃𝒰𝓈 - 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝒦𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈𝟥 - 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌💜 

 

Author: Lena Hendrix 

 

Couple: Veda Bauer & Royal King 

 

Tropes: 

💜Black Cat FMC 

💜Golden Retriever MMC 

💜Spicy lessons 

💜Tattooed MMC 

💜Hand necklaces 

💜Secret relationship 

💜Small town 

💜Forced proximity 

💜He falls first x harder 

 

Review: Royal King is IN THE HOUSE!! 𝒥𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝐵𝑒𝓉𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒰𝓈 was everything we wanted when told that this would be Royal’s book and I absolutely fell in love with this tattooed sweetheart. Lena shocked me with Royal and his story but in all the best ways! 𝒥𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝐵𝑒𝓉𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒰𝓈 was a lot different than previous books in the Kings series but stayed true with ramping mod the mystery and suspense surrounding the mother to the King siblings. Lena truly kept me in a chokehold while reading partly to get Royal’s HEA and partly to get the answers to the mystery surrounding Maryann King! 

 

Royal and Veda were a total opposites attract romance and from start to finish I was hooked. The level of angst these two had outdid previous books in this interconnect world Lena has created and I truly adored Royal and his Golden Retriever energy! The precious way he fell hard and fast for the grumpy and reserved Veda warmed my heart and it is safe to say that his dirty mouth and deviant desires shocked me to the core! HIs story has been the most tragic so far int he series of King siblings and I loved how Lena had his moments of healing intertwined with him finding his HEA with Veda. 

 

Veda Bauer was a complete 180 to Royal. This FMC gave total black cat vibes and I WAS THERE FOR IT! I loved how she was fierce but also had insecurities. Lena was able to integrate her sassy attitude with a cocksure confidence that was a like catnip while reading but what did me in was her surprise connection to Royal *wink wink*! The way these two meet is unique, hilarious and kept me laughing as they try to navigate the shock of a lifetime when they each realize who the other is! 

 

𝒥𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝐵𝑒𝓉𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒰𝓈 was a seamless continuation of the Kings series and the shocking twist of events in this book was both chilling and heartwarming. Seeing the King men finally come together was worth all the turmoil and I cannot wait for JP King to fall hard next! 

 

Rating: 4.5/5; Royal King was a breath of fresh air and a royally good time as he fell hard for Veda and all her sides! 

 

Thank you to Lena for sending me this eARC!

Headed for Home by Harloe Rae

emotional funny 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

4.5

🤍𝐻𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝒹𝐹𝑜𝓇𝐻𝑜𝓂𝑒𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌🤍 

 

Author: Harold Rae 

 

Couple: Cassidy Brooks & Drake Granger 

 

Tropes: 

🤍 Sunshine x Sunshine 

🧡 Small Town Romance 

🤍 Childhood Crush to Fling to Forever 

🧡 Boy Obsessed & relentless hero 

🤍 Steamy Romcom 

🧡Baseball pro turned bar owner 

🤍Barrel racing cowgirl 

🧡He falls first 

🤍Single mom 

🧡‘It’s always been you’ vibes 

🤍Found family 

🧡Hilarious farm animals 

🤍Sports romance 

 

Review: 𝐻𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝐻𝑜𝓂𝑒 was a spicy, quick, small town read by Harold Rae that kept me ensnared from the prologue! This book was nestled in her small town universe and centered on Cassidy and Drake who could not have been more different but were oh so perfect! From the minute these two meet again years after Cassidy left their hometown, IT IS ON! Drake Granger knows right away what he wants and that is Cassidy Brooks with his ring on her finger. I found the way Harloe developed Drake’s character to be pivotal to this story since he was basically a big man child who was bad with the word “no” and personal space but also had a heart of gold. 

 

𝐻𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝐻𝑜𝓂𝑒 was a single mother, second chance book that makes you swoon. The chemistry between these two was burning yet sweet and I enjoyed the dirty mouth Drake had right out of the gate. This book was one that could fit any mood since it just makes yo feel good after reading and who doesn’t love a single mother romance!? 

 

While the romance was a focus in this book, what dug into my heart was the relationship and bond Drake had with Cassidy’s twins. The way this man MELTED for them was the epicenter of this book for me. I found myself in awe of how fast he fell and how unapologetic he was in convincing Cassidy that he was her ‘one’. 𝐻𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝐻𝑜𝓂𝑒 was another terrific read by Harloe and I hope we see these two more! 

 

Rating:  4.5/5; Drake Granger is a 5 chili pepper alphamale made wholly of sin, whiskey and the south and I wouldn’t take him any other way! 

 

 

Thank you to Harloe for sending me this eARC!