Broken. by N.D. Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book. I was hooked immediately. I absolutely loved Indigo’s personality. Gideon was a great choice for her. It was like they were made for each other. Their friendship was so easy and everything fell in place. I cannot wait for the next installment.
Sliding into Home: A Secret Baby Sports Romance by Lauren Fraser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sliding into Home is the 3rd book in the series and a great book from beginning to end. I love second chance romance books and this one was perfect.
Jeff and Kia had a one night stand 6 years ago and it was amazing. Jeff moved shortly after and then Kia moved to get away from her controlling verbally abusive parents and be closer to her sister.
Now they are both living in the same town and Jeff actually Coaches Kia’s son in T-Ball! Talk about small world or fate! This book has a lot of ups and downs. How will Jeff react when he finds out Max is actually his son? Jeff is in the public eye alot and Kia doesn’t want to be part of that. She doesnt want and her son posted about in gossip columns because of their relationship To Jeff. When someone runs to a gossip Column with lies about Kia and her relationship with Jeff, that definitely doesn’t sit well with her. Will Jeff and Kia get the happily
Ever After they both deserve or will these lies tear them apart. Such a great book!!! Loved it!
Review by @xchellex
Smooth Hoperator: A Fake-Relationship Romance by Sylvie Stewart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It took a little bit for me to get into this story, I blame it on my family interrupting my reading time every other word, but once I got into I really enjoyed this book.
While this is book 2, you don’t need to read book 1 but if you want a little more details on some things mentioned in this book I would read in order.
This did overlap with events in book 1 but was to be expected with the nature of events taking place.
I really loved Sunny, she reminded me of me, unable to say no, a people pleaser and loves her family.
Carter was quiet but I enjoyed what we did learn of him along the way.
But my favorite person was Duke he tied this all together and made for some laughs.
I cannot wait for the next one!
When Magic Calls: A Collection of Modern Fairy Tales by Caitlin Berve
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I love fantasy and I love magic so When Magic Calls came across my radar I jumped at the chance to read it. These stories are incredibly unique, original, and I appreciated the way they were told but maybe fairytale retellings just aren’t for me. I believe they would be well received by someone who enjoyed those as that would probably add to the reading experience.
Tequila Midnight by Kathryn Dodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Tequila Midnight is a fantastic read for a debut novel. I read a lot of thriller/suspense, and didn’t see the ending coming (which is a plus, in my opinion). Disliked the main character, but that was part of the appeal of the plot for me.
As a bonus, it is set in Texas (& Mexico), so another state to cross off of my 50 states challenge. This book is worth reading because it is family drama and a quick pace.
The Silent Woodsman by Cat Treadgold is available now in eBook, Audiobook, and Physical Book
⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ Audio Book Review
The Silent Woodsman is the first installment of the Olympic Peninsula series written by Cat Treadgold. This is my first time reading (listening) to a novel by Treadgold. Down on her luck, Ali is attempting to connect with her twin when she finds herself at a cabin waiting out a storm. Mute country singer Joe answers the door and communicates with Ali in writing as he is “resting his voice”. The instant undeniable attraction between the two is so innocent and pure. The chemistry between the two is intense. I thoroughly enjoyed the different approach of communicating through writing. At first I wasn’t sure that I was going to like this but it ended up growing on me. The Silent Woodsman was a little too slowly paced for my liking. I did find it dragging out in places and rushed in others, especially the ending. Despite this flaw, I loved how descriptive the detail was. The characters were lovable, relatable, and engaging. I felt as if I was on this journey right alongside them. I recommend this novel to all romance lovers and truly look forward to reading installment number two later this month.
Sage Advice by Cori Cooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love this book so much! It was super cute and I loved the HS aspect of it and dealing with prom and all the stress. Brings back memories lol. All the characters were great and I could picture who each person would look like and sound like and it was just a great movie playing in my head while reading this. I was lost in it and next thing I know…I finished the book. I do wish that there was more with landen and pypers relationship…I was sad it ended the way it did because I NEEDED more lol. But I still loved this read!
Sliding into Home: A Secret Baby Sports Romance by Lauren Fraser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is so well written! It is one of the best secret baby romances I’ve read in a while! The plot was well thought out and the characters were easy to fall in love with! Smitty and Kia’s story was an amazing read!!
Complicated Choices by Risa Nyman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was definitely not your standard teen angst story. Claire Jackson is a senior in high school with a baby – not just a baby, not even her baby, but her mom’s baby. Ever since Harry was born, Claire has almost single handedly taken care of him. Her mom can hardly function, much less take care of a baby. Claire’s uncle decides that he is going to take Harry away, which ignites a fire in Claire to take care of things legally. She talks to a lawyer about guardianship of her brother; she looks into their finances; she learns about things like home equity. She is strong, competent, and fiercely determined not to lose this baby that is like her own. I really enjoyed reading this parental role reversal story. I especially loved the surprise towards the end of the book. It was well foreshadowed, but I enjoyed being right and seeing it all laid out. Worth the time to read!
Planting Hope by Jennifer Raines
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If you are looking for a book that will give you all the feels, leave you crying, smiling, and wanting to keep turning the pages, then this book is for you!
Planting Hope by Jennifer Raines follows the stories of Nurse Holly Cooper and gardner Kit Silverton as they plant their way to their very own love story.
I loved the fact that the characters seemed real, flawed, and nuanced but still kept the lighthearted feel of a romance while still dealing with hard topics like grief, loss, and domestic violence. The book felt real and left you feeling like hope and love can help you through pain and loss. I can’t wait to pick up another book by this author.
Happy Reading!
Broken. by N.D. Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Indigo is a big name game designer but she also designs apps as well for her company. Gideon is one of her best friends brother and also her roommate for the time being. Indigo has been designing an app that can be used by the government but someone is sending her threats not to put the app out. Indigo is set for a week at one of the game CONs and has asked Gideon to be her security. Could this be her chance to fulfill her promise to Charlie before she passed?
4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a very good debut contemporary romance that definitely gave me a slow burn between Joe and Ali. This story was very enjoyable and I loved that the author was the narrator.
Joe is taking a bit of a break with his voice being isolated to rest in a cabin in the Hoh Rain forest. Joe never expects a visitor at his cabin…. Where he meets Ali. Joe connects with Ali…but when. It is all said and done they part ways… Ali never knowing that Joe is a popular country singer…. But in all they never forgot each other….the connection and spark.
Time passes…but a chance encounter reunites Joe and Ali in unexpected ways..but with family drama, jealousy and lies come in between…will Joe and Ali ever have their HEA that they deserve….
I am already looking to forward to Book 2 … this was a very good story to start a new series ⭐️
Heavy Shot by Toni Aleo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is one of my first Aleo books and all I
gotta say is wow! Just love the background
story, the character interaction, and funny
moments. I really enjoyed reading and
getting to know Dimitri and Austen. They
are so in sync with one another and build
up their friendship into something more. On
top of falling for this love story, there is
hockey (huge hockey fam here) and female
leadership. Now I’m really wanting to read
the previous books in the series.
Planting Hope by Jennifer Raines
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was so moving on so many levels!! I love the stories of redemption throughout this book. Holly returns to home to take over for her grandmother who has been hurt and is in the hospital. She leads a group of children who come from abusive backgrounds as they work to build a garden. Holly gets much more than she bargained for. She may have to decide whether or not to keep running from the violence in her recent past.
Complicated Choices by Risa Nyman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Complicated Choices
By Risa Nyman
I really liked this book, I had a hard time putting it down! It isn’t like any book I’ve ever read before. Claire is an amazing young woman who really stepped up to the plate to care for her baby brother. The story shines a light on mental health which I feel is important for more people to learn about. This is my first book by Risa Nyman, but I can’t wait to check out more. I definitely recommend this book.
Complicated Choices by Risa Nyman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This story was an emotional read that put me through all the feels. Claire is such a strong young woman but she shouldn’t have to be at her age. Claire should be enjoying her senior year in high school but instead she is taking care of her baby brother and her mom. This book is full of drama, secrets, love, family, friends and great characters. The authod did an excellent job pulling me in and keeping me glued to the pages. This is a well written story that I didn’t want to end. I highly recommend this book and I can’t wait to dive into another book by this author.
The Secrets they Hide: A Commissario Scala Mystery (Book 2) by P J Mann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A young man is found dead in a cemetery with a note hinting towards a dark secret from the past. Detective Scala is instantly intrigued and immediately dives into the case. In the note, the killer used plural words when describing victims which means they may be dealing with a serial killer. When another body shows up and the two are not connected in any way, Scala knows then that he has his work cut out for him if he wants to stop the murderer from killing more.
Detective Scala and his team are on a mission and nothing will stop them from getting to the bottom of this case. Something must connect the bodies, they just have to turn to the past to find it.
This book is technically the second in the series but was fine for reading as a stand-alone. I had no problem following along. The book is fast paced with lots of twists and turns and people involved. The author did a very good job keeping you invested in the plot. I also liked how the author threw in some POV of the murderer to help explain his reasoning behind everything. My only downside, and this is a personal opinion, is that I could not for the love of me like Detective Scala. I found him cold with not much depth to him at all. When I read a book, I like to imagine myself as the main character and become immersed into the storyline and it was hard to do with Scala. I would have preferred to have more background and emotions from the main character. Again, this is personal preference. I loved the plot and recommend this book for anyone who likes a plot heavy, fast paced murder mystery!
When Magic Calls: A Collection of Modern Fairy Tales by Caitlin Berve
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When Magic Calls: A Collection of Modern Fairy Tales is a fun retelling of classic fairy tales. This is my first book by this author, and I was not disappointed. She has created a fairy tale museum and tells well-known stories in new ways. Using fantasy, paranormal, romance, and more, the stories come to life. I also enjoyed that each story read quickly so I could catch one while waiting for meetings and other inconveniences that daily life brings. YA fans and older could enjoy the stories. The author really put effort into reworking the stories so they have their own life instead of being a standard retelling. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
Taz: by D.M. Earl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is my favorite MC series I’ve ever read! What an absolutely amazing third installment! With each book we learn a little more about another member of the Timber-Ghost, Montana Chapter of the Devil’s Handmaidens MC, and I’ve yet to find one thing wrong with these books. The flow is superb, the characters are top-notch and relatable, and their personal lives are detailed in such a realistic way. I was instantly in Taz’s world and experiencing her emotions on such a deep level. She also has that momma bear vibe that I think resonates with all parents everywhere. You’ll do anything necessary to protect your little ones. I love reading about this MC and the way they have each other’s backs no matter what. The next book feels so far away, but I know it’s undoubtedly worth the wait. Please catch up with this series before the next release or you’ll find yourself binge-reading from the very beginning!
Reviewed by @shannlynn
Shadow: by D.M. Earl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Blown away again by this author. They quickly made my list of top authors to read, and I can’t wait to get my hands on more of their genius work! Shadow had such an incredibly rough childhood, to say the least. To read about her tremendous tenacity was so inspiring, and their goal as an MC to stop human trafficking touches my heart. I loved to see her still trying to reach that romantic part of her soul through all the tragedy she’s encountered. The flow of this story matches the first, so please pick it up if you haven’t already because they do build upon each other. Plus, once you read one of this author’s books, you’ll immediately jump in to grab more. I can’t wait to see what this series brings next!
Reviewed by @shannlynn
Tink: by D.M. Earl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have never read a book that made me want to be in an MC as badly as this one! I love a good MC and read them regularly, but this author has blown everyone else out of the water. Tink is bad to the bone and can back up her bark. I truly love that her main mission is eradicating human trafficking bit by bit. I enjoyed how real the characters feel. They aren’t painted as perfect and have this whole “take me as I am” vibe and I am HERE for it. The flow of this story was absolutely perfect. I am so excited to read more in this series!
Reviewed by @shannlynn
Broken. by N.D. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Broken. (Green St. Girls Series) by N.D. Jackson – Review by Jessica Stone
I fell in love with the previous book in this series and I was so pumped to see that the author carried on with the characters in the first book instead of introducing completely random new people.
Indigo is a meek but strong, inventive, funny, brilliant nerdy girl of my dreams, having a lot of trauma from abuse she suffered by the hands of someone close to her in the past she has a hard time getting close to and trusting people, particularly men. That is until Gideon.
Gideon is a gentle giant with his own demons to fight, right after he’s done fighting everything that can ever or has ever hurt or threatened indigo, he’s vowed to be her protector and he’s already her roommate, so what could go wrong here?
Indigo starts receives some shady messages from someone want to stop her from selling some programs she has made to the government and her new roommate is not going to let that fly and in the process his heart start to soar, for Indigo, now she’s just got to get with the program. Easier said than done when you’re fighting the demons she is. Can Gideon keep Indigo safe and convince her that her heart is also safe with him?
I love how meek Indigo is, except when it comes to letting others do everything for her, she may be the youngest Green Street Girl, but she is not one to be messed with. Her past pain is palpable and it tears at my soul to see her fighting to get through it in this book but it makes her character all the more relatable reading something so deep that happens to girls everywhere. Gideon, oh Gideon, not much I can say about Gideon but he’s the giant teddy bear I need, the big macho army type, don’t touch what’s mine, I’m also sporting scars from my past, I’m healing though, type guy is literally exactly what Indigo needed. Their romance is so relatable, wonderful, I couldn’t look away.
Once again, you knocked it out of the park N.D Jackson! I can’t wait to read the next book, which I’m assuming/hoping will be Gwyn’s.
Broken., Green St. Girls Series, N.D. Jackson, Review, Itsy Bitsy Book Bits, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Jessica Stone, July 2023
Complicated Choices by Risa Nyman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am left in such awe of how much this book pulled at my heartstrings! At first glance, it can sound like just a drama-filled story that has an obvious solution, but the author truly paints vivid imagery with such emotion that I shed tears more than once. Claire is such a strong young woman who is left with impossible and complex choices, but obviously has to choose. There is talk about mental health, teenage coming-of-age, friendship, and family issues. The author did a spectacular job bringing these characters to full-blown life for me as I was completely and utterly invested in what Claire was going to do and how she was going to pull it off. I am already looking to pick up other books from this author. I highly recommend picking this one up with an open mind and getting blown away by the brilliance of it all!
Reviewed by @shannlynn
Bared. by N.D. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Bared. (A Green St. Girls Romance) by N.D. Jackson – Review by Jessica Stone
I almost didn’t even know how to start this review, I just read the first and second book (Broken) back to back and I’m in love with these ladies, and they’re wonderful men.
So Bared, is about our gorgeous goddess Athena, who is wealthy, down to earth and just a little bit damaged due to some traumatic experiences that happened when she was just a girl of 17. These experiences pushed her into being the strong, independent, no nonsense woman she is today, she let them shape her and motivate her to be successful in the business world, Athena now running and owning multiple clubs across the US. The only problem is Athena trusts no one, and Love? Besides for her chosen sisters Gwyn and Indigo, love is a foreign concept. Something she’s sworn off, believing she’s too damaged to feel it for a man again.
But where there’s a strong woman, with a sordid past, there has to be an equally strong man ready to tear down all her walls and make second guess everything.
Enter Tru. Tru, in his own way is equally damaged from a past relationship that he thought would be his end game, but it just ended up being a game. Seems like Tru must like games because he happens to be a professional billiards player with some pretty rad skills.
Boy meets girl. Tru heads to a tournament in Chicago, which just so happens to be held in one of Athena’s Clubs, one of her newest and latest projects and when they meet, fireworks.
Can these two hard headed, strong independent people get over their pasts and embrace the love that’s surely brewing between the two of them, or are the destined for loneliness to save themselves from heart break.
Ugh, Tru, is such a hard head, he’s typical masc man, but definitely with a sweeter side with a slash of southern gent, minus the accent, but I get so frustrated when he takes everything so personally and compares it to his ex, makes me want to reach into the book and flick him in the nose. But the same can be said for Athena, her strong will and drive are admirable, but she’s so closed off and closed minded when it comes to Tru I could wrong her neck. But all of the things make these two and their relationship even more endearing, because you go through these battles with them. You can’t help but fall in love while standing on the side lines rooting for them. Loved this book, I highly recommend!
Bared., A Green St. Girls Romance, N.D. Jackson, Review, Itsy Bitsy Book Bits, Contemporary, Romance, Jessica Stone, July 2023
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was the first book I’d read in the Oscar and Emmy series, and it turned out to be so wonderful! It was beautifully illustrated and contained such great information about Trap-Neuter-Return. My family is full of animal lovers, so this was right up our alley. I read it with my 7-year-old and 11-year-old, and we all came away with something new and useful. I think it’s crucial in educating everyone about stray and feral cats. I have already picked up several of the other books in the series. I highly recommend picking this up and sharing with the younger ones in your life!
Reviewed by @shannlynn
How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very clever take on the story of Jack and the Beanstalk! Jack is a typical Earth boy and the ogre/giant is watching his every move. He’s got a plan to get Jack to visit but Jack might be a little more cunning than the ogre.
This is a cute book that kids will love. They won’t expect the ending, which will make it more fun!
Ten Little Starfish: A Counting Book by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an incredibly detailed, well written, book about counting, but not only did it count to ten you were able to read a lot of detailed information about starfish, like they can regrow their limbs, or glow under the moonlight. There was also some extra facts, and activities at the end of the story to give this book a little bit of an edge. Although my children are older, and wouldn’t enjoyed this book as much as kiddos who are a little younger and have yet to learn to count we did enjoy learning the facts about starfish, and it would be a perfect read for younger kids.
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend is a great book about a worthwhile topic that hits very close to home, T-N-R or Trap-Neuter-Release. It had wonderful, full-color illustrations, and easy to understand wording. We had a very similar situation to this one and it very quickly got out of control. Luckily a local humane society was able to step in and help us out and they continue to work with us to maintain the situation so it doesn’t get out of control again. I enjoyed how in the author letter at the end she explained how T-N-R was near and dear to her own heart and how Shadow was based off of a real life cat. She also gave such worthwhile explanations on what Trap-Neuter-Release is really about and how it works. I feel like this would be a really good book for young and older kiddos alike who are having to experience a situation like this one or want to know more.
Reticent Hawke: A Billionaire Reverse Age Gap Best Friend’s Older Sister Forbidden Romance by Gwyn McNamee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the second book in the Hawke Family Second Generation series. This instalment focuses on Jude and Angelina.
I always enjoy coming back to the Hawke family books, they’re well-written and the characters are complex yet believable. The writing style is easy to follow and flows nicely making getting drawn in easy. Once again, I got far too emotionally invested in both Jude and Angelina and how their story would develop, especially given both their traumas. The tension is clear throughout and the danger evident leaving you on the edge of your seat at times.
I’m looking forward to the release of the next book, I just can’t stand the waiting!
Heavy Shot by Toni Aleo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Heavy Shot is the seventh book in the sports Nashville Assassins: Next Generation series. Unfortunately, I didn’t realise it was the seventh book in the series until I went looking for the next book to read. Now I have started at the end I need to go back and start at the beginning with the first book with the first generation.
Heavy Shot is an entertaining story with some laughter but it’s not all fun and games. There is some early childhood trauma that comes into play. This emotional and heartfelt tale is sexy, and sparks fly as the MC’s give in to what they want. Watch as the locker room steams up from more than just the showers.
The characters are so easy to like and fall in love with they stole my heart.
The Assassins are an Ice hockey team many following in their fathers’ legacies and Dimitri is no different. It is his life.
Is history repeating itself? Will one encounter lead to a HEA? Well to find out you will have to read the story yourself.
Reviewed by @jennadb
