thesummerbaker's reviews
364 reviews

Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver

5.0

Ooooph. What a good story. West and Skylar are amazing. Ollie and Emmy are precious. Raised into confident, sweet kids by a dad that healed Skyler’s inner child - hell, healed mine. There’s so much nurturing, joy, healing and self-reflection, self-discovery and love in this book! Skyler found peace in nature, animals and people who love without expectation. She discovered unconditional love…and it changed her. It changed West, it healed him - soothed him to be chosen. I love a story that shows both the man and woman finding confidence and healing in each other. Not just the sad broken woman… the man too. 

Beautiful, gorgeous love story - Skyler finding love for herself and for West and his kids. 

🌶️🌶️🌶️

Crossroads by Devney Perry

5.0

Ok…I get why everyone raved about this book! It’s so dang good. The flashbacks are perfection, the story, the history, the connection, the love, the pain, the ranch/resort, Montana, west, Indya….absolute perfection! 

I devoured this story - it hit me straight in my feels. I cried, my heart ached both from sadness and joy. It’s such a beautiful story that is beautifully written. I was pulled into this story so quickly and in love with these characters so fast. 

🌶️🌶️

Sunlight by Devney Perry

5.0

Jax & Sasha 😍 I love a book that makes you work for the happy a little bit. Slow burn, chemistry off the charts, he falls first, exquisite banter, accidental pregnancy, small town/cowboy romance. I adored this story, this relationship, the family and the community around the ranch. I love that it tackles real hard shit while also showing the opportunities for joy. 

🌶️🌶️🌶️

Broken Harbor by Catherine Cowles

5.0

Did I just stay up until 230am to finish this in one sitting because it’s so damn good? Yea. Yes I did. 

First of all this family…the Colson’s… the way they love is beautiful. It’s a gift to read. A mix of blood, adopted and found family comes together to make an emotional, healing, moving story. 3 books…3 siblings in and I cannot get enough. 

Sutton…I fell in love with her in Delicate Escape when she fiercely protected and cared for Thea, how she loved her son and the community around her. Her story….the nickname Warrior is perfection. What a beautiful person. 

Cope…protective, caring, hurting….and immediately obsessed with Sutton. He saw her before he knew her story…he knew she was a fighter. 

Catherine Cowles writing reminds you what’s important, reminds you to grasps onto the moments of joy, to find healing because life is better when you do, to fight…to always always f*ck1ng fight for ourselves and those around us. To allow empathy and love guide our actions and decisions. Needed this book to help heal a piece of my soul! 
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Of course I didn’t guess the bad guy….one of these days I will get it. One day! 😂🤣

🌶️🌶️🌶️

Finding Hayes by Laura Pavlov

5.0

The last book in a series always gets me in my feels but this was another level. The characters in this series have my heart. 😍 what a story to end on. Hayes & Savannah… childhood best friends, separated for 10years… reunited and joined in a marriage of convenience. Lots of “my wife” and “my husband” moments - friends to lovers who are protective and caring. LOVE!

There’s so much history. The healing and forgiveness and growth in this book is beautiful. It’s sweet, it’s emotional, it’s full of deep, long lasting kind of love. I’m so sad that this series is over but I’m glad I can visit it again whenever I want. 

🌶️🌶️

Beating Heart by Laura Pavlov

5.0

This story is as much a story about the people who love Cutler “Beefcake” as it is Nash & Emerson’s love story. If you’ve read this series you know how much Beefcake is loved, protected and cared for - how he loved big and had all the swagger for “his girls”. 

Nash is such a good dad. Emerson is a pediatrician and the way she is with Cutler is so so sweet. Nash is amazing with Emerson - they are equally as obsessed with each other and I live for the slow burn, the banter, the lingering looks, the subtle touches…😍

Side note: I love how Laura has a way of explaining the history of a situation without necessarily having to do a “flashback” chapter. It’s see less, concise and so well written. 

🌶️🌶️🌶️

Forbidden King by Laura Pavlov

5.0

Oh my gosh I love this series! Kingston and Saylor…their friendship is wonderful. They are each others safe place, each others home and have been since childhood. Best friends….the slow burn, the tension, the growth in their relationship, the forbidden romance is incredible. The dandelion tradition they have with each other…. Ugh it’s so good! 

The way this friend group has each others back, see what others don’t, call each other out, encourage each other and love each other like family is so heartwarming. Cutler “aka Beefcake” is the most precious, hilarious, confident 6 year old ever and is one of my favorite parts of this whole series.

Laura Pavlov has a way of writing gripping stories, emotional stories while also having you laughing and giddy. I’m obsessed! 

🌶️🌶️🌶️

Secret Love by Willow Aster

5.0

All of the books in this series get me right in the feels every time. The entries in the Single Dad’s Playbook are hysterical, sweet and relatable. Seeing realistic parenting stories, parenting struggles and parenting joys is one of the things I love about this book. 

Henley and Tru are everything. This story is sweet, tough, gritty, real and 🌶️🔥🔥. Henley’s daughters and the way he fathers them is amazing. They adore him. 🥹 

Willow Aster is so good at writing these relatable, beautiful, realistic, loving, gritty, passionate love stories. The friend group is incredible. The children are precious. I. Am. Obsessed. 

🌶️🌶️🌶️

On the Wild Side by Kristen Proby

5.0

I am obsessed with Brady, Abby & Daisy! This is my favorite story of the series. 😭😭 Abby is strong, loving, caring and confident despite her past. She’s the sweetest mom and a badass girlfriend. Brady is so committed to his family - so totally gone for Abby from the beginning. And the way he is with Daisy and the way Daisy adores him wrecks me. 😭😭 

The way the whole Wild family fiercely love and protect each other, care for their friends and family, call each other out on their shit and build each other up is endearing and heart warming and one of my favorite things about this whole series. 

I’m so ready to reread this one already. 

TW: abuse, child abuse, foster care (from the past), death of a spouse

Sunday Morning by Jewel E. Ann

4.0

Ooph this book made me cry ugly tears. This was a brutal story for me and triggered some religious trauma. However it was also somewhat healing. Sarah finding her voice, choosing herself, struggling with god, finding love, experiencing soul crushing grief - it felt painfully familiar but I also found solace and healing in the pieces I related too. Gosh it makes me feel raw inside. The feelings, the questioning, the insecurity while being sure of what you want - so accurately written. 

There were a few tropes in this book that typically cause me to DNF a book but I needed to read this story. If tropes are spoilers for you don’t read past this. 
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There’s cheating in this story in multiple different relationships and scenarios at different levels and severity.…it’s typically an instant DNF trope for me but this story was so compelling and relatable in other aspects that I couldn’t put it down.