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As Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist – Review by Katie Matthews

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As Though You Were MineAs Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow what a story. This was a very emotional read for me, as someone who has been through fertility treatment and potentially having to use different ways of becoming a mother, I instantly felt a connection with the characters in this book. The synopsis spoke to me on so many levels and I knew I just needed to read it straight away. The author did an absolutely amazing job with the story, it was emotional, heartfelt, devastating and so much more. I definitely cried a lot whilst reading it. The topics were handled sensitively and with compassion. The characters were wonderful to read about, genuine, real and raw emotions that cam across so well.
Honestly, I am so glad that I picked up this book and would 100% recommend it to other readers.

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A Death on Fools Lane (An Eve Sawyer Mystery) by Jane Suen – Review by Katie Matthews

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A Death on Fools Lane (Eve Sawyer Mystery #4)A Death on Fools Lane by Jane Suen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was another great read from Ms Suen! I love following Eve and her adventures. This may be a short story but it is certainly not short on detail. Poor Eve was expecting to have a nice relaxing getaway with her friends but as we know when Eve is about there is always something to be solved! There were so many twists and turns in this story – everything was definitely not as it seemed! The author did an amazing job of keeping the suspense going the whole way through the story.
These books are an absolute must read – I can’t wait to read this author’s next book!

@katiem
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Russian and Royally Complicated (The Crowned Hearts Series Book 2) by Gwyn McNamee and Christy Anderson – Review by Katie Matthews

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Russian and Royally ComplicatedRussian and Royally Complicated by Gwyn McNamee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was so excited to read this book after reading the first book in the series and it did not disappoint at all. I absolutely loved Lev and Daphne! They really were two of the best characters I have read about in a long time. They hated each other but that hate led to the most electric passion ever! The chemistry between them literally oozed off the pages! Because we had already met the characters in the first book I felt like their story was able to start with a bang and that it did! I loved the first book in this series but I have to admit I think this one has knocked it off the top spot! I was completely riveted form beginning to end – an absolutely fantastic read and one that I highly recommend!

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Royally Complicated (The Crowned Hearts Series Book 1) by Gwyn McNamee and Christy Anderson – Review by Katie Matthews

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Royally ComplicatedRoyally Complicated by Gwyn McNamee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book so much! I absolutely adore these authors and I was glued to this book from beginning to end. A wonderful writing duo that you have absolutely no idea who writes which parts because they complement each other’s writing styles so much.
I loved Bridget – she was such a great character to read about and Prince Fynix was one of those characters you fall in love with instantly. I adore stories like this one when a royal falls in love with a normal down to earth person – definitely movie material this book! I loved all the twists and turns in the story and I was rooting for these two the whole way through the book!
Fantastic book and I can’t wait for the next one!

@katiem
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A Forever Kind of Thing by Carrie Thomas and Melinda Harris – Review by Katie Matthews

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A Forever Kind of ThingA Forever Kind of Thing by Carrie Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, I thought that it was a really good read and I find it easy to read. The characters were easy to engage with and I can imagine many young adult readers would really enjoy it.
There was a lot going on for our main character, Mina. She was the target of many bullies during her younger years and I really did feel for her, school can be an awful time for some people. I liked Wes, I didn’t think I would but he surprised me.
I loved the story was written by two authors and you had no idea! Their writing styles matched each other perfectly.
Overall this was a really enjoyed able read and one I would definitely recommend. I will be looking forward to reading more from these authors in the future.

@katiem
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The Anchor Knot (The Knot Series Book 2) by DonnaLee Overly – Review by Katie Matthews

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The Anchor Knot:securing the knot of truth (Knot, #6The Anchor Knot:securing the knot of truth (Knot, #6 by DonnaLee Overly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Anchor Knot was a beautifully written story that was really engaging to read about. I really liked the characters especially Gabby. She seemed like a really likeable and down to earth person who is really struggling with who she is meant to be and if she is being true to herself. She really was selfless person she always put everyone else first and made sure that everyone around her was happy – even if that meant she did always feel that way herself. I really enjoyed Gabby’s story she really grew over the story and realised that she mattered as a person. There were some very good unpredictable twists in the story too.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

@katiem
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The Reluctant Suitor (The Studs of Clear Creek County) by Stacy-Deanne – Review by Katie Matthews

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The Reluctant Suitor: BWWM Historical Western (The Studs of Clear Creek County)The Reluctant Suitor: BWWM Historical Western by Stacy-Deanne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve really been enjoying these stories by this author. I find them really easy to read and they have great characters. I love the time period that these stories take place in, so much struggle goes on in these times with regards to interracial relationships and I love that the author tackles this with such amazing story lines and characters.
I loved Billie Jean! She certainly was not afraid to stand up for what she believed. She had a great confidence and independence about her that made her so amazing to read about. She definitely didn’t see Fisher coming along though! There was this instant attraction between them that was definitely undeniable and I really enjoyed seeing them evolve as a couple and navigate the barriers of that time period when it came to their relationship.

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Ten Little Starfish by Kim Ann – Review by Katie Matthews

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Ten Little Starfish: A Counting BookTen Little Starfish: A Counting Book by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such an adorable book. I read it with my 3-year-old and he loved it. He loves numbers so I knew this book would be a winner. The illustrations were so colourful and engaging he loved looking at them and finding things within the picture. The writing is beautiful, so easy to read and engaging for my little boy because of the rhyming words.
This book was definitely a 5-star winner in this house and one I would highly recommend to young children who are starting out on their counting and learning numbers journey!

@katiem
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The Magic Carousel (The Brass Ring Series Book 1) by K.L. Small – Review by Katie Matthews

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The Magic Carousel (The Brass Ring #1)The Magic Carousel by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a wonderful story and would make an amazing book on any child’s bookshelf. It will certainly evoke the imaginations of the children who read it whilst also providing some great opportunities for discussions. The story takes us on a magical fantasy adventure with the main character Russell – the writing for the story was brilliant, such vivid descriptions which made it so easy along with the illustrations to imagine what was happening.
A wonderful read and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book.

@katiem
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Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend by Terri Sabol – Review by Katie Matthews

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Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-ReturnOscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book because it is very close to my heart. I volunteer for a rescue in the UK and the number of cats we have come into rescue to have kittens because of their owners have chosen not to neuter them. We have male strays who have been fighting again because of not being neutered, cats who get run over because they are either chasing females or getting away from other unneutered male cats. It’s a huge problem and I love that this story is addressing the issue at a young age. Its giving children to correct information about how to care for their pets to keep them safe. The story was really well written and had beautiful illustrations. I cannot recommend the book enough it shows how the T-N-R programme works and the positive effect it can have.

@katiem
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Lilly Tames Her Worries by Carole Heaney – Review by Katie Matthews

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Lilly Tames Her WorriesLilly Tames Her Worries by Carole Heaney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such a cute read and one that would definitely be a great addition to any child’s library both at home and school. The story was easy to follow and was beautifully illustrated. With some many children unfortunately displaying signs of anxiety this would be a great story to read with them about how to cope with their feelings especially as it is explained so well through the character of Lilly and how she deals with things that come up in her life. There are some lovely, simple activities for children to try.
A lovely read and I highly recommend it.

@katiem
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Granting Katelyn (Sweet Valley Series) by S.E. Reichert – Review by Katie Matthews

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Granting KatelynGranting Katelyn by S.E. Reichert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another enjoyable read from this series. I love these books because they are just so easy to read, the characters are really relatable and they are actually a pleasure to settle down with and read. The plots are easy to follow and the wonderful writing makes them a pleasure to read. Granting Katelyn was a wonderful book with great characters. Grant was so lovely, I fell in love with him instantly – I really just wanted to give him the biggest hug! Katelyn was equally as lovely, she had a great strength about her and the interaction between the two characters whilst at times was steamy there was also this genuine connection that I loved! There was a lot of emotion in the story too and the author did an amazing job with getting that emotion across to the reader.
I 100%recommend this story to other readers.

@katiem
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Back to the 80s by S.E. Reichert and Kerrie Flanagan – Review by Katie Matthews

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Back to the 80'sBack to the 80’s by S.E. Reichert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book so much! The storyline was great and I loved the characters. In just one shop I was transported back to the 80’s and all the memories of things I or my family owned! I’m pretty sure I still have my cabbage patch doll somewhere! I love a good rom com story and this one was definitely one of my favourites! I could definitely imagine this book being made into a film – one I would definitely watch. There was definite instant attraction between Blaine and Eric, and although pretty fast it didn’t feel forced and I enjoyed seeing this evolve over the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would highly recommend it to other readers.

@katiem
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Reticent Hawke (The Hawke Family Second Generation Book 2) by Gwyn McNamee – Review by Katie Matthews

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Reticent Hawke: (A Second Generation Hawke Family Novel) (The Hawke Family Second Generation)Reticent Hawke: (A Second Generation Hawke Family Novel) by Gwyn McNamee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was so excited to read this newest release by one of my favourite authors ever! I love a good forbidden romance and this one was a brilliant read! There was so much tension, angst and a whole lot of chemistry going on between the characters I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough to find out what was going to happen next. I think I may have found my second favourite book by this author (although I love all of them) this one was just amazing – I’m struggling to even find the words to do this book justice – the last time I was lost for words was when I read Savage Collision!!
This really is a FANTASTIC read and I cannot recommend it enough – its excellently written with amazing characters!

@katiem
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Ruthless Hawke (The Hawke Family Second Generation Book 1) by Gwyn McNamee – Review by Katie Matthews

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Ruthless Hawke (The Hawke Family Second Generation #1)Ruthless Hawke by Gwyn McNamee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Will this author ever write a book that I don’t love straight away – ever since the first one I read by her I’ve been the biggest fan. She writes the most amazing books with some of the best characters ever – I love that we are now seeing the families expanding and starting to read about the next generation of the Hawke family!

I loved the prequel to this book and it got me excited to read more about the characters and as I expected it did not disappoint at all. Jack and Isaac were wonderful characters to read about. You can definitely see the family traits with Isaac!! I really liked that the relationship built between the two characters – it definitely made the anticipation of things between them more intense!

There was a lot more emotion in the story than I expected – the author definitely knows how to get the tears flowing that’s for sure!

I am looking forward for more to come from this series!

@katiem
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Sage Advice by Cori Cooper – Review by Katie Matthews

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Sage AdviceSage Advice by Cori Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a wonderful read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve read a few books by this author now and she’s got such a great writing style – her stories really engage me the whole way through.

This is a young adult romance story and it definitely transported me back to that time in my life – I think I’m certain I wouldn’t like to go through it again. I found the characters really engaging and a lot of young readers would definitely be able to relate to some of the things the main character, Pyper, is going through. There were some great secondary characters in the story too.

This is definitely a great YA romance read and I would recommend it to readers of all ages.

@katiem
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Regaining Integrity (Code of Honor Book 4) by Brooke May – Review by Katie Matthews

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Regaining IntegrityRegaining Integrity by Brooke May
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this story so much – it was an absolute pleasure to read. The characters were just amazing and everything I’ve come to expect from this author – she is a very versatile and talented author.

Angelica was a really sweet character and I really did feel for her and what she went through in High School – some people really can be mean! If I was her I wouldn’t want anything to do with Chase ever again either.

Chase is your typical ‘I’m good looking and I know it’ type of character but also he was one of those immature types that definitely didn’t think about the consequences of his actions when he was younger.

I loved when they met again – Angelica has blossomed into this strong, independent woman and I just thought that she was amazing! Chase had definitely grown in my opinion and I could see he did regret his actions when he was younger.

This was a lovely second chance romance read and I loved every second of it. Although it is part of a series it can be read as a standalone.

@katiem
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How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Katie Matthews

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How to Catch Little Boys and Eat ThemHow to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very unique retelling of Jack and The Beanstalk and the author has written this one from the Giants perspective. She has tried to bring a modern twist to the story by using modern thing like televisions and the use of media – in this case television adverts. In all honesty this isn’t my favourite of her stories that I’ve read but it would have some great follow up activities for children – they could make their own adverts for tv like the giant and jack did in this story.
The illustrations were good – bright and colourful and the story is short so it would definitely hold a child’s attention.

@katiem
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Guarding the Crease (The Playmakers Series Hockey Romances Book 9) by G.K. Brady – Review by Katie Matthews

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Guarding the Crease (The Playmakers #9)Guarding the Crease by G.K. Brady
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I haven’t read a good sports romance story for a while so when I saw this one, I grabbed it. Now it is book 9 in the series and I have only read 1 of the others from this series but they are easily read as standalones.

I really liked the characters in this story, yes, I will admit Wyatt was not one of those characters you get an instant connection with but I think I ended up liking him even more because of how much his character grew over the story and there was some great character development with him. Serena was a really nice character and I loved that this wasn’t one of those instant, one night stand kind of relationships. It was lovely to see the whole thing develop over the story.

Overall, a really great read, I definitely mist read some of the other from the series now!

@katiem
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Complicated Choices by Risa Nyman – Review by Katie Matthews

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Complicated ChoicesComplicated Choices by Risa Nyman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such an amazing read. When I first read the blurb, I wasn’t really expecting there be so much emotion in the story and for what I was reading to be so powerful. It really did feel like real lives I was reading about; I was really invested in the story and what Claire would do. Claire really was an amazing character, for her age she had such strength, care and loyalty and that really shone through. She had such difficult decisions to make that would not only impact on her life but also of that f her mother and her baby brother. There were some good twists in the story and a great character in Claire’s Uncle who you just have to hate!
This was an amazing read and definitely one that shouldn’t be missed! I 100% recommend Complicated Choices – it’s a wonderful read.

@katiem
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Notebook Mysteries ~ Parisian Intrigue (Notebook Mysteries Book 6) by Kimberly Mullins – Review by Katie Matthews

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Parisian Intrigue (Notebook Mysteries #6)Parisian Intrigue by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the 6th book in this wonderful series and again another fantastic read. The author does an amazing job of transporting me back in time and in so many different places around the world. This time Emma and her great team are in Paris. The author descriptive language was brilliant, I definitely could imagine everything that I was reading. There were soe great historical references too which shows how much research this author puts into to her stories to make them feel so real. The makes you feel really involved in the story and I felt like I was right there with Emma trying to solve the mysteries that she was confronted with.
Another great story in this series and one that I would highly recommend.

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Broken. (Green St. Girls Series) by N.D. Jackson – Review by Katie Matthews

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Broken. (Green St. Girls #2)Broken. by N.D. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Broken was a really enjoyable read. I was looking forward to reading it after reding the first book in the series. The group of girls in the stories are great to read about. This book was Indigo’s story. She was such a. Great character to read about. I love the interaction between all the characters they are very entertaining and they definitely kept me entertained with the antics and their friendship really shines through. I liked Gideon as well, he was definitely prepared to step up and protect Indigo when she needed it.
I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.

@katiem
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Cruel Start (Hidden Valley Elite) by Isla Vaughn – Review by Katie Matthews

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Cruel Start (Hidden Valley Elite #4.5)Cruel Start by Isla Vaughn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love it when authors do prequels to their next full story – it’s a great introduction to the characters and for me gives me a deeper understanding of them and also makes you want to read their full story because you need to know what is going to happen and I am so excited to read Aspen and Phoenix’s full story. This was a brilliant read and having met Phoenix in previous books I was already highly anticipating his story and this taster has made me want it even more. I really loved meeting Aspen in this book, she is a nice character who is dealing with lots of stuff at home. I thought her and Phoenix had this genuine connection and I am looking forward to seeing how this relationship develops over the next two books!

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Hole in the Rock by Rebecca Bischoff – Review by Katie Matthews

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Hole in the RockHole in the Rock by Rebecca Bischoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I first read the synopsis to this story I honestly wasn’t sure what I was about to read. I knew it was aimed at young children and it seemed like a really interesting story to read so I gave it a go. The story was really good, really not what I was expecting at all. It offers so many talking points for young children and a great way to introduce them to chapter books. Lizzie was great characters and I could see her being so relatable to young readers. I enjoyed reading about her as an adult. I loved that there were parts of the story inspired by somewhere real – great for the children reading to be able to explore and find out more about things.
Overall a really great read and one I would recommend to young readers – it was easy to read and really well written.

@katiem
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Fetching Dreams by Mary Bleckwehl – Review by Katie Matthews

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Fetching DreamsFetching Dreams by Mary Evanson Bleckwehl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fetching Dreams was a great story, it wasn’t my usual read but it was really enjoyable. The story is about 12 year old pen pals who live in completely different parts of the world and have completely different lives. It shows how through these communications the girls learn about different lives and how sometimes we think someone else has the ‘perfect’ life we can all be going through our own things in life we really wish we weren’t. This story is aimed at young readers and I think it will definitely give them some thought provoking moments.

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Grand Slam (Ground Rule Book 3) by Bree Kraemer – Review by Katie Matthews

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Grand Slam (Ground Rule Book 3)Grand Slam by Bree Kraemer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really love this author so couldn’t wait to get started in this book. It was as I hoped for a fantastic read. This author has such a wonderful writing style, her writing is easy to read and I always become completely absorbed in what I’m reading. I love the characters Grace and Heath. I think it’s safe to say that Heath is your typical alpha male sports star who comes across as arrogant and loves himself but I think that was just for show because actually deep down he was completely different. Grace had such a kind and caring nature but she isn’t afraid to stand up for herself when needed! These two definitely had great chemistry between them and I loved reading their story.

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A Match Made in Montana (The Millers of Marietta Book 2) by Elsa Winckler – Review by Katie Matthews

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A Match Made in Montana (The Millers of Marietta, #2)A Match Made in Montana by Elsa Winckler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book that I have read by this author and although it is the second book in this series I read it perfectly well as a standalone however it did leave me with some questions about the first book so I’ll definitely be reading that and would recommend the books are read in order. I really enjoyed the story, it was easy to read and I was engaged all the way through. The characters were likeable and well thought out. I liked Annie and loved her determination to make her new venture work and find time to heal from everything that has happened to her. Craig was a really nice character and I loved that he wanted to help Annie so much, they had a great amount of chemistry which was real and genuine.

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Ladies of the Links (Ladies of the Links Book 2) by Haley Rhoades – Review by Katie Matthews

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Ladies of the Links #2Ladies of the Links #2 by Haley Rhoades
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a great read and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I haven’t read the first book in the series and I would definitely like to read that one also. I like sports romance reads but never read a golf themed book before and I really was enjoyable. I liked Christy she was a lovely person and Ryan wasn’t quite was I was expecting either! They did seem to have a genuine attraction and chemistry. There were some great characters in the book and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from this author again in the future.

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Falling Again (Buckeye Falls Book 3) by Libby Kay – Review by Katie Matthews

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Falling Again: A Buckeye Falls NovelFalling Again: A Buckeye Falls Novel by Libby Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another lovely read from this author and her lovely community at Buckeye Falls. What I love about this series is the couple featured all seem real and have relatable problems. I enjoyed Anthony and Natalie’s story and it does go to show that sometimes people can seem really happy on the outside but inside things aren’t always that great. I feel like these characters were really honest and genuine people who had just lost their way a bit. I loved seeing them find their way back to each other with a little help from the residents of Buckeye Falls!

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Brutal Nights (Hidden Valley Elite Book 4) by Isla Vaughn – Review by Katie Matthews

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Brutal Nights (Hidden Valley Elite #4)Brutal Nights by Isla Vaughn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ok so Brutal Nights was everything I hoped it would be and more! Talk about angst in this book, it had it in bucket loads! I was fortunate enough that I didn’t have to wait after that cliff-hanger of the previous book and it was straight back into the action in Brutal Nights.
I really did feel for Sky, she definitely found herself caught up in the middle of something she really didn’t want to be in and all because she is such good friend and wanted to help Gia out on her quest for her senior year and unfortunately chemistry got in the way and thing didn’t go quite as planned!
This book was so easy to read and I honestly could not put it down, I was completely caught up in Sky and Damon’s story.
Brutal Days should be read prior to reading Brutal Nights – both stories were amazing read and I would highly recommend.

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