Review: Sweet Spot by Rebecca Jenshak

May 28, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

SWEET SPOT
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Rebecca Jeshak
Release Date: May 28, 2020

A hot-headed college golfer falls for her swing coach in this fun and sexy sports romance.

Lincoln Reeves may be a pro golfer and revered swing coach, but when I meet him, he is just one more person telling me I’m not good enough.

So, I do what any girl in my position would do. I tell him to get lost and take his arrogant, annoying smirk with him. I never expect to see him again. I certainly don’t expect to run into him that same night after one too many tequila shots.

Turns out that he’s kind of a big deal. Okay, fine, a really big deal. In fact, he might be the one person who can take my game to the next level.

Convincing him to help will be difficult.

Not throwing my club at his handsome face when he makes me work harder than I thought humanly possible will be excruciating.

But not falling for him will be the hardest thing of all.

AMAZON

 
This was a super cute, light-hearted and sweet read.

Now truth be told, I’m not a golf fan. *whispers* I’d rather watch grass grow. Stop judging me! It’s not my sport, mkay? But I AM a huge Rebecca Jenshak fan. So when she puts a grumpy golf pro and a a hot-headed college golfer in a blurb, you bet I’m going to be all over it like white on rice.

Lincoln Reeves and Keira were wonderful together. There’s no angst. No crazy drama. Just two people falling for each other. Keira is a talented golfer that has the coach from hell and desperate to prove herself. Lincoln is someone that can spot raw talent and instantly recognizes it in Keira. Their first meeting isn’t exactly smooth and there may be some spilled tequila involved, but it doesn’t take Keira long to recognize Lincoln’s potential to help get her to where she wants to be. he may be handsome but he’s not the arrogant athlete she first took him for. What begins as coaching soon turns to something neither of them expected.

Now don’t be side eyeing my rating here. Because a 3.5 star means I enjoyed it. And the low star rating has nothing to do with the writing or the book, and more with my personal preference. When I read grumpy golf pro, I expected grump. And Lincoln wasn’t that at all. He was super sweet, albeit a bit jaded on relationships since he’s a workaholic that loves his job. Personally, this was a touch too sweet and fluffy for my personal tastes, but it was still an entertaining read. Heck, it actually got me to enjoy golf and learn some technical terms I never knew I had an interest in. It may not quite have hit the spot for me, but this may have been because I set my expectations for more grumpy and maybe a little more of the hate to love banter. If you love light and easy reads, this one will certainly hit the spot. And if we’re being entirely truthful here, I have every intention of buying the paperback for this cover. And you don’t get to judge me for it! That. Damn. Finger. Bite.

Rebecca Jenshak is a self-proclaimed margarita addict, college basketball fanatic, and Hallmark channel devotee.

A Midwest native transplanted to the desert, she likes being outdoors (drinking on patios) and singing (in the shower) when she isn’t writing books about hot guys and the girls who love them.

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The author is giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card on her author page. Please direct readers there to enter: www.facebook.com/rebeccajenshak

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Review & Excerpt: A Secret For A Secret by Helena Hunting

May 18, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

A SECRET FOR A SECRET
Series: All In #3
Series: Contemporary, Sports Romance
Author: Helena Hunting
Release Date: May 12, 2020

From New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting comes a new romance about trading secrets, breaking the rules, and playing for keeps.

My name is Ryan Kingston, and I’m a rule follower. I’ve never been in a fistfight. I always obey the speed limit. I don’t get drunk, and I definitely don’t pick up random women at bars.

Except the night I found out that my whole existence has been a lie.

I got drunk. And picked up a stranger.

Her name was Queenie, and she was everything I’m not: reckless, impulsive, and chaotic. We did shots and traded secrets. And ended up naked at my place.

She left me a thank-you note in the morning and her panties as a parting gift. But no way to contact her.

Six weeks later I’m sitting in the first official team meeting of the season, and there she is. I neglected to mention that I’m the goalie for Seattle’s NHL team.

And Queenie? Turns out she’s the general manager’s daughter.

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AMAZON | PAPERBACK | AUDIO

“You think our GM got himself an assistant?”I follow his gaze to the front of the room. Standing at the desk with her back to us, arranging papers, is a woman with wavy chestnut hair that nearly reaches her waist. “Maybe an intern?”

She’s wearing a navy dress that conforms to her very feminine form. I trace the dip of her waist and the curve of her hip, skimming down to where the hem of her dress hits the bend in her knee. Her calves are bare, athletic, and toned, and her heels boast a little bow on the back. Classy, yet sexy. “Possibly.”

“I hope the eye candy is gonna be permanent,” someone at the table behind us says, loud enough for everyone close by to hear.

“I wouldn’t mind if she helped me with my jockstrap,” one of the other guys chimes in, eliciting a loud chuckle from the rest of the table.

I glance over my shoulder and pin them with an unimpressed glare. I recognize Foley from Tampa, and Dickerson is an LA trade. They’re notorious womanizers. “Watch your mouth and have some respect. That’s someone’s daughter.”

“Take it easy, King. It’s not like we’d actually say that to her face,” Foley says.

I don’t have an opportunity to reprimand him further because the GM, Jake Masterson, and our head coach, Alex Waters, enter the room through the side door. The GM crosses over to the woman, whose back is still turned to us, and he gives her a smile that seems . . . overly warm. He leans in and squeezes her shoulder as he says something with his mouth close to her ear.

“Maybe she’s not his assistant. Maybe she’s his new girlfriend, ’cause that looks pretty damn friendly to me.” Bishop jams a sausage link into his mouth.

“Maybe,” I agree.

She turns slightly, giving me a glimpse of her profile. Her cheeks are flushed pink. I blink a couple of times, because she seems incredibly familiar.

“I think I know her,” I mumble, more to myself than to Bishop.

“Not as well as our GM does, by the look of things.”

It hits me like a puck in the chest without pads on. I do know her. Queenie. My one-night stand who bailed the next morning and left a Post-it and panties hanging from my doorknob. Destroyed panties. “Oh God.”

Did I sleep with the GM’s girlfriend? Memories come barreling into my brain, and I want to sink into the floor. My behavior that night was highly atypical. Everything about that night was. I chalked it up to the alcohol, the family drama, and the fact that she seemed to be a very eager and willing participant in our adventures. Do not think about the things you did to her.

I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about Queenie and our night together. I’ve even considered driving by the bar where we met, but I don’t know if she’s likely to show up there. And it’s not as if I can ask the bartender about her without looking like a creep. Besides, if she wanted me to have her number, she would’ve left it.

“Are you okay? You look like you’re about to hurl,” Bishop asks.

I cover my mouth with my palm, not because I’m going to be ill but to hide the fact that it’s hanging open and I can’t seem to close it. Although my stomach is starting to do those awful somersaults that will soon turn into full-on nausea. The kind I used to get when I’d first hit the ice for a game.

This is bad. Really bad. I’ve never had a one-night stand before. I’ve always been in committed relationships, and I prefer to get to know my bed partners before they actually get into bed with me. Teen pregnancy was pretty common where I grew up in Tennessee, because there wasn’t much else to do apart from playing sports or getting into trouble with drugs and alcohol—my brother, Gerald, went the latter route. I obviously fit into the sports category. By the time I became a teenager, my parents had finally learned their lesson. It was drilled into me to never become that kind of statistic, or to turn my girlfriend into a mom before she was ready to take on more than senior-level algebra.

Ironic how my actual mother would’ve been one of those girls had my grandparents not made the choices they had.

“King?” Bishop nudges me. “You’re staring, man.”

Jake whistles with his fingers, causing the woman beside him to cringe but then quickly school her expression into an uncertain smile. “Who’s ready for a new season?”

He’s rewarded with a chorus of cheers from the players. Waters stands off to the side, clapping enthusiastically. He generally runs all team meetings, but Jake is a hands-on GM, so he always manages first meeting intros before he hands it over to our coach.

Jake waits for everyone to settle down and take their seats before he continues. “Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to my personal assistant, Queenie.” He throws his arm over her shoulder and pulls her into his side.

A hot spike of anger rushes down my spine—it’s a foreign feeling. I’m usually very level headed. But not right now. It’s obvious by the way Jake and Queenie interact that there’s a relationship there. Is she a cheater? Did she make me one? There’s a definite age gap. He’s young for a GM, but he’s in his forties, and I’m pretty sure she’s in her mid twenties.

“She also happens to be my daughter, so don’t get any ideas, boys.” He somehow manages to wink and glare at the same time.

And it just went from bad to worse.

My one-night stand isn’t my GM’s girlfriend; she’s his daughter.

 
A Secret for a Secret (All In, #3)A Secret for a Secret by Helena Hunting

3.5 STARS


Give us a chance to get through this together, Queenie. Let me catch you when you fall. Let me be your safe place to land.”

This was so stinking cute, y’all! Like goofy smile on my face the entire time reading sort of cute.

Ryan Kingston is definitely a change of pace from your typical professional hockey player. The man is a freaking boy scout. He doesn’t swear. He doesn’t drink. He doesn’t disappoint his parents. And he doesn’t do one-night stands. He’s a guy that was a perfect kid growing up and then got the shocker of a century from his parents and finds himself reeling at a bar about it. One drink and a chance encounter with a beautiful woman leads to another drink and a different encounter entirely. But then he finds out that his beautiful one-night stand is the GM’s daughter and new assistant. Ruh roh.

Queenie is a free spirit. She’s never quite found herself and sees herself as a disappointment for her devoted father. She can’t find a job that sticks and always seems to mess up. So when her father tells her that the hockey players are off limits, she’s determined to do things right. But it’s tough to keep it friendly when your chemistry is through the roof and Ryan is determined to do things right with her and date her.

Now don’t pay my rating any mind, because this is based entirely on personal preference here. While I loved the opposites attract thing, Queenie and Ryan weren’t my usual cuppa when it comes to characters. Ryan was just a bit too sweet for my reading tastes. Stop judging me! I do love that he still had full alpha vibes even with all that sweetness. Queenie was a touch too brash for my particular tastes too. Though I did love her fire and spark. Ultimately, I loved the story and the characters, even if it wasn’t my typical preference. I simply adore all things Helena Hunting and this series just does it for me. It’s tough to follow the perfection that was book two for me, but this one still definitely hit the spot.


New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of PUCKED, Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She’s writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.

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Review: You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

April 26, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Sarah Hogle
Release Date: April 7, 2020

Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They’re preparing for their lavish wedding that’s three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.

Naomi wants out, but there’s a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.

But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they’re finally being themselves–and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.

When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy debut.

AMAZON 

Through the windshield, he murders me with his eyes. He’s got his entire soul compressed right up against his irises and they’re the color of hatred. They desperately want telekinetic powers so they can blow me into the sky, through the fabric of our universe and into another one. I hope it’s a parallel universe with a parallel Nicholas and Naomi. I want to torture him with two of me.

Truth be told I struggled with my rating for this book. A lot. I’m blown away that this was Sarah’s debut novel. I was immediately hooked when I read the blurb. It was something refreshingly different in the lover to enemies to lovers trope. I mean, an engaged couple, in a battle of wills, a la War of Roses, to see who calls off their doomed relationship first? A grumpy heroine, a snooty hero, meddling parents, and plenty of tiny disasters combine for one amazing read. Seeing that so many of my friends loved this book, I went into it with pretty high expectations. And I think that may have played against me here, so take my review with a grain of salt.

I wish Nicholas were handsier—I mean handier,” I say, stealing the spotlight right back. “I’ve been performing maintenance duties by myself. But I’ve been getting better results, interestingly enough.” Nicholas’s stare is dehydrating. “Sounds unlikely.”
“Maintenance duties?” Deborah repeats, turning to him. “Has something broken? Naomi shouldn’t be trying to fix anything. She could make it worse.”
“I have no choice,” I tell her in a low, conspiratorial voice. “It’s a desperate situation…”

Admittedly, I struggled with the first 40% of the story. It dragged a little and I kept finding myself skimming. The characters felt a little blah and I just kept waiting for the moment they would jump off the pages for me. Luckily the second part of the book really brought that much needed zing. The banter here was amazing. The hilarious way Nicholas and Naomi tried to push each other into an out was entertaining as all get out. The fact that the story is written entirely in Naomi’s POV actually increased the enjoyment for me because I discovered the true depth of her fiance right as she did. There was something so magical about this. Granted I would have loved to be in Nicholas’s head a little bit, but that would have been icing on the cake.

This was a fun, light hearted romcom from an author that is now going straight to my auto buy list. If you’re looking for steam, this won’t have much of it, but the tiny bit that it had was a perfect fit. If you’re looking for a hilarious contemporary romance with plenty of banter and zing, this had it in spades.

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Review: The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jiminez

April 24, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

THE HAPPY EVER AFTER PLAYLIST
Genre: ContemporaryRomance
Author: Abby Jiminez
Release Date: April 14, 2020

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Friend Zonecomes an adorable and fresh romantic comedy about one trouble-making dog who brings together two perfect strangers.

Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can’t seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a “take me home” look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker’s owner reaches out. He’s a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back.

Well, Sloan’s not about to give up her dog without a fight. But what if this Jason guy really loves Tucker? As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can’t deny a connection. Jason is hot and nice and funny. There’s no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: With his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak?

AMAZON 

I would notice you in a crowd of a million.”

I’ve been dying for Sloan’s story ever since the end of The Friend Zone made me cry my eyes out. I loved her and Brandon so much, it was difficult to imagine the man that would make Sloan’s heart beat again. But man, oh man, never in a million years could I have imagined the perfection that was Jason.

Sloan has been a shell of herself for two years since the tragic loss of her fiancé. Her love for Brandon was one of a kind. But sometimes, life gives you a second chance that you never see coming. For Sloan, this comes in the form of a dog that literally jumps through her sunroof and into her car after she almost hits him while driving. She takes the dog in while trying to get in touch with the owner, and quickly falls hard for the adorable mutt. When the owner finally calls looking for his dog, she’s not ready to let go.

Now, admittedly, I’m a little over the rockstar element in books. But Jason was so different. He’s a rising talent on the music scene and one of the most down to earth men I’ve read in a while. He’s charming, sweet, and incredibly patient. Their relationship starts through a series of funny texts and phone calls that I couldn’t get enough of. I love that they get to know each other before they even know what the other looks like. Jason falls hard and fast for the mysterious woman that refuses to share what she looks like or give his dog bag. He’s determined to woo her for a date. And woo her he does. The man woos her so hard. It was DELICIOUS.

Now I will say, I loved the sweet undercurrent of the book. I really did. I loved the slow build of a relationship between Sloan and Jason. I loved that Jason was a genuinely nice guy. I loved that he was so patient when it comes to Sloan and didn’t try to replace her dead fiancé or felt threatened by his memory. I loved that he treated her right.

What I didn’t love is a lot of the drama around the industry part of Jason. I wished that the time spent on the drama was spent more on seeing Sloan come out of her shell. It was just a touch too much for me, especially at the end. This is entirely personal preference, so take this with a grain of salt. I’m just not a fan of OTT drama, and this felt like OTT for me. It did drive the plot forward, so it certainly wasn’t aimless, but it did nothing for me either. I think I was just so invested in Sloan’s HEA after the events of The Friend Zone, that I wished more time was spent on her personal growth and moving on rather than Jason’s industry drama. I think this is why I’m over the whole rockstar thing in my books, because the industry drama sort of comes along with the territory.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still loved the romance here. SO MUCH. And the ending? Absolute perfection. It wasn’t the laugh out loud hilarious sort of romance that Friend Zone was, but it was a sweet and emotional one that was just as satisfying.

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Review: Tell Me Pretty Lies by Charleigh Rose

April 21, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

TELL ME PRETTY LIES
Series: Heartbreak Hill #1
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Charleigh Rose
Release Date: April 5, 2020

Three things my mother acquired when she became engaged:

1. A brand new Tiffany’s ring.
2. A lavish home on Heartbreak Hill.
3. Three privileged stepsons.

The last thing I expected was to fall for one of them, least of all Thayer Ames.
Beautiful, brooding, and untouchable.
I knew it was a bad idea. He warned me himself.
But he was a thunderstorm, and I never could resist the rain.
It was perfect…
Until it wasn’t.
One night was all it took for our world to crumble, leaving only secrets and lies between us.
Now, I have to face him again, but the boy I used to know has become the man who loves to hate me.

AMAZON 

So innocent. So pure. But they don’t know what you like to do with your stepbrother in the dark.”

I’m a sucker for a good bully romance. Give me a tortured alphahole, and I’m putty in your hands. PUTTEH. So of course the second I saw the blurb to this book, I jumped on it faster than you can say GIMMEH.

Tell Me Pretty Lies was an interesting read for me. A part of me loved the somewhat convoluted yet still addictive story. But then another part of me was thoroughly confused for a good chunk of it. This is only the second book I’ve read by this author, so when I was thrown into what felt like the middle of an already developing story in the beginning of the book, I was confused. I had to go back and see if this is a continuing series. Did I jump into book 3 of a series? Was there a prequel novella I missed? I was left scratching my head because this is what marks book one in what I’m hoping is the start of a new series.

The story starts with a funeral and gives you a peek into an already developed relationship between the two MCs. It’s clear that theirs is a relationship that has a lot of history, and I would have loved to see it, rather than being told about it in hindsight. I think that actually experiencing that part of them would have gone a long way in really connecting me to the characters. It felt like the backstory and the true start of their relationship is told off the pages and we only get a small glimpse, where it should have been a full experience. Because of this, I spent a large part of the story trying to wrap my mind around all of the characters, their connection, and what was happening.

Now there’s the other part of me, too. The part of me that was still glued to the pages, confusion or not. There was just a certain zap to this story that kept me riveted. The mystery and suspense kept me turning the pages well into the night. Truth be told, I finished this in one sitting, so that definitely tells you something. It wasn’t without issues, but it was still gripping enough to completely hook me on what I’m hoping is a series, and desperate for more of the brothers. So while it wasn’t a perfect 5 star read, it was still an enjoyable 3 star, and certainly one I’d recommend to any fans of the bully trope that like a good dose of angst with their NA romance.

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Excerpt & Review: Wicked Ever After by Shayla Black

April 8, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

WICKED EVER AFTER
Series: Wicked & Devoted #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic, Suspense
Author: Shayla Blake
Release Date: April 7, 2020

He’s dangerous. She’s his—even if he scares her. But once he unravels her secrets,

he’ll risk everything to claim her for good.

 

Sniper Pierce “One-Mile” Walker nearly had everything he ever wanted—until a fateful mission stripped it all away. Now an outcast, he’s forced to watch the off-limits beauty who stole his heart slip through his fingers. Left with nothing but revenge, he’s determined to defeat evil and win her back. But when he learns she’s planning a future without him, he vows he’ll break every rule and defy all odds to make her his again—forever.

Brea Bell was always a good girl…until Pierce Walker. Despite everyone’s warnings, she gave the rough warrior her body—and her heart. When she receives news that shatters her world, he devastates her by walking away. Terrified of losing all she’s ever known, Brea tucks away her dreams and commits to a “safe” future. Then Pierce appears in the dead of night, challenging and seducing her. Brea isn’t sure she can trust him…but she also can’t say no.

Angry and betrayed, he leaves to pursue vengeance, while her sins are exposed to the world, forcing her to fight painful battles. Can Brea and Pierce conquer the dangers that threaten their happily ever after…or will fate wrench them apart forever?

AMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBO | B&N | GOOGLE PLAY

Start the duet, today, with Wicked As Sin!

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Brea trailed the hostess through the dim restaurant. Pierce dropped his hot palm on the small of her back all the way to a booth in one dark corner. She sat and slid in on one side. Instead of sitting on the other, he plopped next to her, nudging her almost against the wall, his big body pressed against hers from shoulder to knee.She shivered. “What are you doing?”

“Being as close as possible so I can kiss you whenever I want. And touch your pussy. That’s important, too.” He winked.

Fire scalded her blood, battling her embarrassment. “You can’t do that here.”

“Why not? I’ll keep it under the table. No one but us will know. Well, unless you scream.”

With him touching her, chances were high that she would. Brea blushed.

It was impossible to tell from his grin if he was serious.

“Do I have to set ground rules? No touching my private parts in public.”

“Ah, c’mon. I probably won’t get to touch you later tonight. Don’t take one of my favorite toys from me.”

“My girl bits are not a toy.”

“But I love to play with them.” His black eyes danced as he leaned in to brush kisses along her neck. And then he dropped a hand on her thigh.

Apparently he was serious.

He would stop at nothing, burn down the world—whatever it took—to remove the obstacles between them until he called her his for good.

The much awaited conclusion to Brea and One-Mile’s story is finally here and it was fantastic! One Mile has been a character that I’ve been salivating since he first made an appearance as a secondary character. Admittedly, Brea wasn’t a character that hit my radar with her overload of sweet innocence. Then I read Wicked Ever After (One-Mile and Brea, part two) and I realized there may be something more to Brea then meets the eye at first.

Two things happened in this book:
1. Brea seriously grew on me
2. I decided I no longer want Cutter to get hit by a bus

Now look, if you’ve read the first book of this duet, then you know why I say that. I hated Cutter and his treatment of One Mile. He was an a-hole with a capital A. Luckily in this book he finally begins to see beyond the first impression he had of One Mile.

Break finally grows a backbone. She really comes into her own in this book and I loved watching this happen. I loved the way that she found her voice and learned to speak what she wants and go after it.

I love Brea and One Mile together. The man is utterly obsessed with her. He’s crude and rude but he worships the ground his woman walks on and then talks dirty to her behind closed doors. Swoon!

There’s plenty of action mixed into this to really spice things up. I particularly loved the way that things get resolved at the end. Admittedly my only quibble with the story is that it just didn’t grab me as much as the first book. I was a bit bored in parts and found myself skimming a bit. Ultimately this was still a fantastic conclusion to one of my most anticipated books and I highly recommend if you’re looking for something steamy with an uber alpha and plenty of action.

Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly eighty novels. For over twenty years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances via traditional, independent, foreign, and audio publishers. Her books have sold millions of copies and been published in a dozen languages.

Raised an only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past eight years.

Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her daughter, and two spoiled tabbies. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

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Review: Bastard Boss by Sara Ney

April 7, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

BACHELOR BOSS
Series: The Bachelor Club #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Sara Ney
Release Date: January 28, 2020

What is The Bachelors Club?

It’s a gentleman’s club—like the dignified men of the past used to have. Except, we’re not gentleman, and we’re not dignified.

We’re ineligible bachelors, bored, jaded and not looking for relationships. Quite the opposite actually. So committed to being single, we’ve created a high stakes bet to see who can remain single the longest…

Four days co-habitating in a shared work space shouldn’t be a big deal. It shouldn’t be distracting. But Spencer Standish saw me puking in a company trash can, and won’t let me live it down. Cheerful, aggravating Spencer, who wants me to fetch her coffee.

As if she’s the boss of me.

And now I’m stuck sharing her office.

Let’s face facts: I can’t be in a relationship; not when there’s a bet to win—not with Spencer, who loves my uncontrollable basset hound, lazy Sundays, and grilled cheese as much as I do. I refuse to fall for her.

I will be the last Bachelor standing.

AMAZON

Fishing for a boyfriend in the workplace pond is by far the worst idea I’ve ever had. Is it stopping me from flirting my perky tits off? Not one bit.

This was a light-hearted, easy, and fluffy romance, and also just what the Dr prescribed when I wanted to take my mind off of everything happening right now. It was one of those reads that you can enjoy in one sitting, completely shut your mind off, and just put a smile on your face. I love Ney’s brand of humor, and this definitely brought all of the banter with a dash of enemies-to-lovers, office romance trope. It was adorable!

Phillip and Spencer are unwilling office mates while Phillip is basically squatting in his office while the part of the building where he works is being remodeled. And when Spencer watches him spitefully eat a bagel with expired cream cheese and later chuck it all up in a waste basket soon after, it’s hate at first sight. They bicker non-stop and it’s oh so delicious because beneath that is a spark of attraction that sizzles so strong.

This was definitely a slow burn, and if I’m being perfectly honest, a bit too slow for me in parts. I loved the bantering between Spencer and Phillip, but the romance doesn’t fully pick up until well over the 75% mark of the book, and then wraps up too quickly for me to have truly gotten to enjoy it.

The one thing I really love in this series is the inclusion of the quirky pets. Book one brought an evil cat and this one brought an irreverent basset hound.

While I can’t say that this book was perfect, it was still one that I enjoyed, fluffy or not. It was cute and light-hearted read that was fast-paced even while being a slow burn. I love Ney’s brand of douchebags best, but I’m definitely still enjoying her Bastards quite a bit.

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New Release & Review: Hate Crush by A. Zavarelli

November 21, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

HATE CRUSH
Genre: Forbidden, Erotic Romance
Author: A. Zavarelli
Release Date: November 21, 2019


They call him the devil.

When I crash-landed into him on my first day at Loyola Academy, I was sure that couldn’t be true.

He was the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen in real life.

Little did I know he was also the cruelest.

I went from starstruck to stunned the moment his cynical eyes cut through me.

I can’t tell you what it was that made him want to punish me. But from that day forward the brooding recluse of a man made it his goal to torment me.

I want to loathe him, and some days, I do.

But good or bad, nobody’s attention has ever tasted so sweet.

What do you do when you have a hate crush on your bully?

Worse yet, what do you do when he’s also your teacher?

AMAZON


There’s something about Stella that makes me believe she will always go the extra mile to seek approval from those with authority. I can see it every time she looks at me. And before the end of the hour, I’ve made up my mind. In the past, I picked easy, obvious targets for my projects. Without fail, they failed me. They couldn’t withstand the expectations of their peers and their family and the machine that is Loyola Academy.

But Stella won’t fail. I feel it deep in my gut. A spark of hope that I haven’t had with any of the others. A want I haven’t experienced since my own college days. I will push her harder than I’ve pushed anyone else before her, and she will cling to hold onto herself in the face of any storm I might bring her way. I will open her eyes to the realities of this world. And in the end, she will despise me for my ruthlessness, but she will be grateful.

Stella LeClaire, welcome to my final project.

I want to eat her alive and right now, she can sense that. But I’ll never admit it. I’ll never admit that she gets to me. I just need her to know that she’s mine toy with for as long as I want, and that’s all there is to be said about it.

I love me some A. Zavarelli. The woman knows how to right books that just hit the spot for me each and every single time. There’s something about her writing that’s like catnip for me. I don’t even bother to read the blurbs to her books, they’re an auto add for me. But when I read the blurb for this one, I just about had a heart attack in my desperate need to get my hands on it. Forbidden, student/teacher romance with a splash of enemies to lovers and Zavarelli’s signature dark grit? GOD YES. Sign me up!

I was so conflicted with my rating on this one, I sat on it a full two days trying to make up my mind. On the one hand, I binge read it. Like completely incapable of putting it down sort of binge read it. On the other hand, there were elements and parts that just didn’t quite do it for me. Did I enjoy it? Hell, yes!!! Was it perfect for me? Not quite. Would I recommend it? Totally!

So what worked for me? The set up. GAH! Delicious. Sebastian is a teacher in a prestigious boarding school. His reputation for being a tough a-hole on his students is almost as big as the one for his looks. He’s the a-hole of Loyola Academy and he has no problems with that. Stella is the sweet and innocent fly that’s about to step into the spider’s web, thought she’s not quite as innocent as she looks. A product of two barely functioning parents, she just got transferred to the prestigious school because that’s what her parents decided was best to her. With a functioning drunk of a mother and a father barely seeing day light in order to keep them in the moneyed life style her mother has become accustomed to, Stella is surprisingly functional. But when she gets on the radar of the ruthless teacher and batting off the vicious verbal attacks from her fellow students, she can’t help but show a vulnerable underbelly. The spark between her and Sebastian is instant, but their connection is completely forbidden. While Sebastian fights it with everything he’s got in his a-hole artillery, Stella is determined to break his iron control.

Admittedly, the characters felt a little underdeveloped. I wished they were further fleshed out, because I would have been HERE FOR IT. As it was, I felt like I was getting a small snippet of who they were with a lot of the development and backstory happening off the pages. I also struggled with Stella being as passive as she was. She forgave Sebastian and everything he did so easily, I wanted to shake her at times. I wanted her to make him WORK for it. And while I love me a domineering and dominant alpha man as much as the next girl, Stella’s passiveness kinda killed the buzz for me a bit.

Don’t get me wrong, I really did enjoy this book. It wasn’t perfect, but it was still an addictive read. I just can’t help but wish it had another 100 pages to it. It was still a fun read and one I’d certainly recommend it.

A. Zavarelli is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author.

She likes all things chocolate, books that come with warnings, and putting her characters through hell. Her tales have been known to flirt with darkness and sometimes court it unabashedly altogether. Revenge themes and tortured souls are her favorites to write and this gives her an excuse to watch bizarre and twisted documentaries in her spare time.

She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.

Connect w/A. Zavarelli:
Website: https://www.azavarelli.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AZavarelli
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AZavarellibooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azavarelli/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/a-zavarelli
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13549895.A_Zavarelli
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2S3zrKS
Newsletter Signup: http://www.azavarelli.com/#!mailing-list/c46c

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Review & Giveaway: Hold On To Hope by AL Jackson

November 2, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

HOLD ON TO HOPE
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: AL Jackson
Release Date: October 28, 2019

A best friends-to-lovers, stand-alone romance from New York Times Bestselling Author, A.L. Jackson . . .

Evan Bryant wasn’t your typical hero.

But he was mine.

Broken by the worlds’ standards, he was still the strongest boy I would ever know.

My best friend. The boy I’d given everything to. My heart, my body, and the promise of forever.

The day I’d needed him most, he walked away.

He left me shattered and questioning the love I’d thought we’d shared.

 

Three years later, I wasn’t prepared for him to return to Gingham Lakes.

It wouldn’t have mattered if he wasn’t the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.

My fingers still would have ached to caress his skin.

My body still would have begged to get lost in his touch.

And my heart . . . it would have always sung his name.

But time changes things. With it, secrets that could ruin everything.

Can we find a way to love again, or have the fears of our past stolen the hope of our forever…

AMAZON PAPERBACK | AMAZON EBOOK | AUDIBLE

I don’t know how to be in your space and not want you, Evan. I don’t remember how not to be yours.”

Poignant. Powerful. Gripping. And utterly heart wrenching. AL Jackson knows how to create words that get into her readers souls. I swear. There’s just something about stories that just stick with you. And there is no better example of it than with this book.

Evan first stole my heart a sweet little boy that was battling for his life in Follow Me Back. As a grown man, he was absolutely devastating. He and Frankie Leigh have been thick as thieves since they were just little kids. They were best friends whose love for each other soon evolved from children’s adoration to something so much deeper. But when Frankie thought they would be together forever, Evan broke her heart by leaving town with nothing more than a note.

Now three years later, Evan is back, and all those feelings that Frankie thought she’s finally moved on from come roaring back.

While emotional and angsty, this is very much a sweet friends-to-lovers/second chance romance. Admittedly, sweet isn’t really my thing when it comes down to preference, but there was something so charming about this book that it just worked for me. Maybe it’s the fact that Evan wasn’t your stereotypical hero. He was sweet and intense all at the same time. The love that he had for Frankie was devastating and heart warming all at the same time. I loved watching them find their way back to each other and seeing Evan fight for her. There’s something so incredibly endearing about Evan. His health struggles and all the pain that it brought along with it wasn’t easy to read about. He went through so much as a little boy, and so much of it follows him into adulthood.

There’s one particular plot device that was present here that I typically shy away from, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t diminish some of my enjoyment of this book. Unfortunately, I struggled with this piece of the story for a while. I equal parts understood it and hated it all at once.

But then somewhere around the second half everything just grew on me. And when the plot twist hit? I was all in! It came entirely out of left field and I didn’t see it coming at all. It brought everything in a full circle and just made the book for me.

This was another emotional and beautiful romance from one of my beloved authors that tugged at every heart string I had. I can’t wait for more!

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.

Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, FIGHT FOR ME and CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART novels. Grab A.L. Jackson’s latest novel, HOLD ON TO HOPE, a best friends-to-lovers stand-alone romance.

If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.

Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson – Sign up to receive her newsletter http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson or text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.

 

Connect with A.L.

Newsletter | Facebook | Reader Group | Amazon | Bookbub
Twitter: @aljacksonauthor
Instagram: @aljacksonauthor

Don’t miss the awesome giveaway for the Hold on to Hope release!

Enter Here: https://smarturl.it/HOTHReleaseGiveaway

 

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Review: Desperate Measures by Katee Robert

October 31, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

DESPERATE MEASURES
Series: Wicked Villains #1
Genre: Erotic Romance
Author: Katee Robert
Release Date: May 28, 2019

My Savior… Or My Ruin?

One night, and my entire life went up in flames. All because of him. Jafar.

As my world burned down around me, he offered me a choice.

Walk away with nothing but my freedom… Or rise to his challenge and win my fortune back.

I bargained.

I lost.

Now Jafar owns me, and even as my mind rails against his rules, my body loves the punishments he deals out when I break them.

But a gilded cage is still a prison, I’ll do anything to obtain my freedom.

Even betray the man I’m falling for.

AMAZON 

I want Jasmine confined…
My collar on her neck, its chain never far from my hand.
I want her on her knees in subservience.
I want to fucking ruin her.

Sweet mother of ovaries, what did I just read? How did I not know that Katee Robert had such a dirty side to her? I felt like I should go to confession after reading this, because this was sinfully good.

The premise is delicious; a different take on your favorite disney story but with a deliciously kinky twist. What if the villain got the girl? That’s what you get with Jafar and Jasmine. Except instead of a royal kingdom, Jasmine is the daughter to an crime king. And instead of a goofy and somewhat bumbling good boy, she ends up with the intense, broody, and dominant Jafar.

This was more erotica that romance, and even though I don’t typically gravitate to this genre, this totally hit the spot for me. And to be honest, for the amount of hot kinkery that happens here, there was a surprisingly satisfying amount of story to it. Fans of dub con and the baby girl/daddy thing would totally eat this up. I’m more of the former than the latter, so the daddy thing didn’t quite hit the spot for me so much. However, this was still a highly entertaining and hot as sin read that I devoured from beginning to end.

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