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By Your Side (Willowbrook Lake Series) by Ashley Erin – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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By Your Side (Willowbrook Lake, #1)By Your Side by Ashley Erin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Usually I go for different type of romances and rom-com’s, but every now and then I like to get into a comfortable, small town, heart warming romance. By Your Side was a really good one. Adeline and Owen fit the narrative beautifully and they had great chemistry. Adeline is a widow who is trying to overcome losing the love of her life and Owen is a grumpy, short on words handy man at her house. Although neither person is looking for love they begin to realize that the chemistry between them cannot be ignored. The emotions in By Your Side pulled at my heartstrings, and felt real, but the characters held onto hope that they could come out stronger on the other side when they least expected it.

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Ten Little Sea Turtles (A Counting Collection) by Kim Ann – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Ten Little Sea TurtlesTen Little Sea Turtles by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Of course, as an adult I can already count to ten, but when you have some cute little sea turtles to aid you, that makes it so much better. This was an adorable, well illustrated children’s book, and the sea turtles were just the cutest. At the end the author listed different facts about sea turtles, added a song, and little activities to make reading it more fun and kid friendly. I thought this was a nice little touch.

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Stout of My League (Love on Tap Series) by Sylvie Stewart – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Stout of My League (Love on Tap #4)Stout of My League by Sylvie Stewart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is another wonderful addition to a great series! Stout of my League had me captivated, I ended up finishing it in two days, I didn’t want to put it down. Joey and Lynn had some serious chemistry from the get go, despite her overbearing brothers, but not only is this a romance with a fair amount of spice, it has mystery elements as well. There many times I found myself laughing out loud and sometimes my heart was breaking for Joey, he was such a genuine guy, and even for Lynn and her mom at times. Do yourself a favor if you’re looking for a great story and give this series a try.

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Bad Enough (The Deadman’s Tribe Series Book 2) by Nicole Craig – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Bad Enough (The Deadman's Tribe, #2)Bad Enough by Nicole Craig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bad Enough is book number two in The Deadman’s Tribe. In Bad Enough the main characters could not be anymore different than an author who writes paranormal romances, but wants to get into more heavier novels like BDSM, and a alpha, military, bad boy who participates in kidnappings, interrogations, and making people disappear. Sylvan and TB had great chemistry. It was a spicy, unfiltered, well written romantic suspense novel, with characters that were super interesting, and a storyline that I couldn’t get enough of.

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The Puppy Adventures of Porter and Midge: Out and About (Porter and Midge Children’s Book Series) by Jennie Chen and Giselle Nevada – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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The Puppy Adventures of Porter and Midge: Out and AboutThe Puppy Adventures of Porter and Midge: Out and About by Giselle Nevada
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Out and About was a very informative, entertaining, and engaging children’s book. The author introduced the pups, explained that they needed proper training, and proper care, then had their kids/owners put them in many situations to show what a benefit all of it was. The information was presented in a friendly, easy to understand way, and would be a great starting point for any kiddos thinking about getting a dog.

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Salt Love by Marika Ray – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Salt Love: A Summer Romantic ComedySalt Love: A Summer Romantic Comedy by Marika Ray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Salt Love was such a fun, enjoyable read. Marika Ray’s writing is up there with Tessa Bailey, Megan Quinn, and Abby Jimenez. I loved Dec, Kenna, and the cast of quirky characters that live in Sunshine Key. It was laugh out loud funny in some places, serious, and spicy in others, but everything was well written, cohesive, and flowed so well. I would love to read more set in Sunshine Key with other characters, but it has definitely enticed me to check out Marika’s other novels. If you’re looking for a spicy, romantic comedy, perfect summer read definitely give this one a try.

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Fire Meets Fire (Wretched Soulz MC #2) by Manda Mellet – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Fire Meets Fire: Wretched Soulz MCFire Meets Fire: Wretched Soulz MC by Manda Mellett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Who doesn’t love Manda’s MC romances? I always do. There’s usually some undercurrent of trauma, strife, and the usual MC shenanigans, but I was wholly unprepared for the emotion behind Helo’s character in this novel. Chaz was your typical overprotective, alpha, MC member but he totally changed his whole persona to make him seem less threatening and easier for Helo to come to terms with her PTSD while realizing she still had so much life left to live, with him he hoped. I finished in just a few days because I didn’t want to stop reading it. You also get a little glimpse into other characters previous stories as well, for example Storyteller, I really liked his story as well, and what happened after their book ended. Overall a very enjoyable, emotional, quick read.

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Make Me Want To Love You (Love in Emerald Creek) by N.D. Jackson – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Make Me Want To Love You: Love in Emerald CreekMake Me Want To Love You: Love in Emerald Creek by N.D. Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I didn’t realize when I first picked up this book, but I’ve read, and enjoyed books by N.D Jackson previously. Make Me Want To Love You was along the same vein as the others, really enjoyable! This was an incredibly cute, small town romance, involving a single mother with two kids from a previous marriage, and a rich, single, friend of a friend/business partner. Burke was an amazing MMC, caring, and selfless, while Shayna was jaded, but a great FMC, but I think Burke was my favorite character, and Dre, she reminded me a lot of myself. The characters had a ton of chemistry, fun banter between them, and it gets hot and heavy pretty quickly, but I didn’t think it was too graphic. As always I loved getting chapters from both characters point of view. If this sounds like your thing you should definitely give this book a try. I’ll be going back to read book one so I can catch up.

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Oscar and Emmy Weather a Hurricane (Oscar and Emmy Series) by Terri Sabol – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Oscar and Emmy Weather a HurricaneOscar and Emmy Weather a Hurricane by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oscar and Emmy Weather a Hurricane was a great addition to the Oscar and Emmy Series, all of them have been great so far. This children’s book was super important, and so very informative. It stressed the importance of having an emergency box for each member of the house and making sure that when a storm is on its way you should get them out, updated, and ready. It also stressed the need to evacuate if told to do so. It had wonderful illustrations throughout, information about Hurricane Harvey, lots of fun, useful information, and resources told in a fun, easy to understand way.

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Toasted (Love Burns Series Book 1) by Isobel Reed – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Toasted (Love Burns #1)Toasted by Isobel Reed
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As someone who has read Reed’s Bluestone series and really enjoyed it when I saw she had another book, about hot fire fighters no less, coming out I jumped at the chance to read it as soon as I could. I was NOT disappointed, there were so many things to unpack in Toasted and I enjoyed every minute of it. I look forward to reading more from her in this series. There was insta-love from both main characters but with Libby’s trauma she experienced at the hands of her mother she was so reserved and at first was not able to label things like Zach was able to do so easily. It was a wonderful thing watching them grow together.

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Come Home to Death by Marilyn Levinson – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Come Home to DeathCome Home to Death by Marilyn Levinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When you commit your life to someone, and decide to accept their marriage proposal, how well do you really know your spouse, or could they be hiding things? Horrible things that could potentially cause your demise? That is the case with Come Home to Death by Marilyn Levinson. Her husband is always disappearing on ‘business trips’ and one day two thugs appear on her doorstep claiming he owed them money. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone. This was a fast paced novel that kept you on the edge of your seat, wondering what was going to happen next. Lots of twists and unexpected turns that will keep you turning pages. I don’t think anyone could be disappointed in picking up this one.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loris opens up his heart by Dagmara Sitek was a precious, meaningful, heartwarming, important children’s story. The story focuses on Loris, who is a foster child, who doesn’t want to open up to his new family because he doesn’t feel like he belongs even though they invite him to participate and include him in their fun. It’s not until his foster brother is having trouble finishing a race to raise money for a sick young girls treatment that he uncovers himself, opens up his heart, and finishes the race for everyone. This is definitely an emotional story and could also potentially be a triggering one, but it shows the importance of acceptance, forgiveness, and new beginnings. The illustrations throughout the book were wonderfully done as well. There were a few instances that the dialogue sounded disjointed as if maybe the authors first language was something other than English, but it wasn’t a big deal. Wonderful book.

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Breaking Apart (Finnerty and Liccione Mystery Series) by Wanda Venters, MD and Mary Rae, MD – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Breaking Apart (A Finnerty and Liccione Mystery, #2)Breaking Apart by Wanda J. Venters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Breaking Apart is book 2 of 2 in a series written by an author duo, Wanda and Mary Rae, they are uniquely knowledgeable/equipped to write in a genre such as this. Medical Thriller/Murder Mystery is kind of a new genre for me that I don’t usually pick up, but the premise of this book is what really pulled me into it. We start this book off with a veteran suicide, or was it really? PTSD, veteran suicide, addiction, etc, can all be triggering subject matter to some people, but nevertheless is a very real issue. I felt like the authors handled it very well and went on to write a gripping novel. I enjoyed this much more than I thought. Im interested in reading more novels written by this duo.

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The Strategist (WaterFyre Rising Book 5) by Nadia Han – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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The Strategist (WaterFyre Rising, #5)The Strategist by Nadia Han
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve had my eye on this series for a while but have never taken the leap to read it until now. Why I started with book 5 I couldn’t tell you. I guess I’m just random like that. I realized that they can be read as standalone novels but by starting from the beginning you gain more from the series and have all your questions answered if you read the series in order. Arrow and Vivian are a power couple once they get together, but in the mean time they do surely take their time getting there. She’s an independent, fierce self defense teacher/dentist, and Arrow is a morally gray retired Navy seal who has an interest in wine. Their chemistry was great, the novel was intense, and meaningful. I’m so glad I gave this novel a chance. I am looking forward to going back to start this series from the beginning.

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The Better Man (A Silver Buckle Romance Series) by Laurie Lewis – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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The Better Man (Silver Buckle Brides, #2)The Better Man by Laurie L.C. Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Better Man is book two in the Silver Buckle Brides Romance series. I was worried about starting in the middle of a series but quickly found that these books can be read as standalone novels. This was a sweet, feel good, squeaky clean romance that very closely resembled real life, and real life struggles, woven through with fun banter, and good humor despite those aforementioned struggles. These characters became friends, and with this authors writing the characters come to life throughout this novel. I loved seeing how much progress the characters made, how the characters grew, and came into their own. Laramee and Jamie definitely ran away with my heart. A wonderful novel about overcoming fears, obstacles, and redemption.

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4 R’s: Roped, Risked, Rescued, and Romanced (4 R’s Series) by Julie Castle – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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4 R's: Roped, Rescued, Risked, Romanced4 R’s: Roped, Rescued, Risked, Romanced by Julie Castle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The four R’s is a group of four different novels by Julie Castle. These were quick, engaging reads that I very much enjoyed reading. I have never read anything by this author before but typically when I step out of my comfort zone I’m pleasantly surprised. I liked that getting the box set, such as this one, allows the reader to just jump straight into the next story without having to stop at all which was nice as they were hard to put down. Castle writes real, intense, relatable characters, strong, independent female leads, and alpha, but sensitive when it matters male leads which are my favorite. Overall I would definitely recommend giving these a try.

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Drag Me Down (Full Throttle Cyborgs Series) by Landra Graf – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Drag Me Down (Full Throttle Cyborgs, #4)Drag Me Down by Landra Graf
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Drag me Down is the fourth book in the Full Throttle Cyborgs Series but it’s the first book in the series that I have read. This was a totally unfamiliar world for me, but I found that I really enjoyed this book. I did not feel like there was anything that I would have missed, and I did not feel lost while reading Drag and Bridget’s story, so I can say this would be ok read as a standalone. Drag and Bridget were together once before, but they split when she betrayed him, so when she comes to him for help it brings up lots of still existing feelings that he doesn’t want to experience. It’s a great redemption, second chance at love, super interesting universe, and a well told story.

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Texas Winds by Dana Wayne – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Texas WindsTexas Winds by Dana Wayne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An emotionally closed off cowboy due to his past with his wife, her infidelity, and not knowing if the child she was pregnant with was in fact his. He’s not willing to open up and risk his heart again, but enter Lexie, who after suffering terrible heartbreak, and being left at the altar by a man she’s really not sure she loved, has decided to start fresh after a move. I really enjoyed Dana’s take on these characters. They felt real, relatable, and their chemistry was off the charts. You felt the emotions as the characters experienced them. I always appreciate the dual narrative point of views for this very reason. Neither Jake nor Lexie can deny the attraction that they are experiencing despite everything they’ve been through. Dana Wayne has written a lovely heartwarming, second chance romance, slow-burn, emotional rollercoaster of a novel, set in Texas

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Fay’s Kindness Parade (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Fay's Kindness Parade (The Adventures of Cray)Fay’s Kindness Parade by G Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fay’s Kindness parade is another book in the Adventures of Cray Children’s book series. Each of the animals are getting their own books and I think they are all such precious stories. I loved how Fay was taking Cray with her on her migration to warmer waters and how even though it was important that they be on their way they didn’t hesitate to stop and help friends along the way. This is a wonderful addition to a great series not to mention informational. The illustrations were colorful and well done. We enjoyed Fay’s Kindness Parade along with the other books in this series.

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Charlotte’s Control (The Control Series) by Maggie Sims – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Charlotte's Control (The Control Series)Charlotte’s Control by Maggie Sims
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m always looking to ‘shake things up’ in my reading because I have a bad habit of getting stuck in only a few genres or tropes until I read so much of them I throw myself straight into a reading slump. Maggie Sims is a new to me author and while I love Historical Fiction I haven’t delved much into Historical Romance. This sounded interesting so I gave it a try and I wasn’t disappointed. She may be a new to me author but I will continue to read her novels. Charlottes Control was a well balanced, well written, engaging novel that contained some fresh ‘tropes’ if you will, ones that aren’t populating every single popular romance novel lately. Charlotte and William had great chemistry and the spice, including a little BDSM element, was great between the two characters. I was invested. I can’t wait to pick up another novel by Maggie Sims.

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Porter and Midge: Paws and Responsibilities (A Kids Guide to Welcoming a New Dog) (Porter and Midge Childrens Book Series) by Jennie Chen and Giselle Nevada – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Porter and Midge: Paws and Responsibilities: A Kid's Guide to Welcoming a New Dog (Porter and Midge Children’s Book Series)Porter and Midge: Paws and Responsibilities: A Kid’s Guide to Welcoming a New Dog by Giselle Nevada
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fun, well-illustrated, entertaining children’s book to help kids understand what it takes before getting a dog and everything in between. The information contained within is vital, easy to read, flows well, and is written in a rhyming pattern which I think makes the information stick in your mind better. There is also a little parent’s guide on one of the last few pages that breaks down everything kiddos can learn inside this story. I’ve enjoyed all of the Porter and Midge stories thus far and I look forward to reading any others.

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Detective Dylan and the Hunt for Home Plate (A Young Sleuths Chapter Book) by MJ Murray – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Detective Dylan and the Hunt for Home Plate (A Youth Sleuths Chapter Book Series, #2)Detective Dylan and the Hunt for Home Plate by M.J. Murray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Detective Dylan and The Hunt for Home Plate was a super adorable children’s chapter book. It’s the second book in The Young Sleuths children’s book series. It would be perfect for children who know how to read but are beginners at reading chapter books. There are only ten short chapters. Dylan, his sister Emily, and their pup Theodore arrive at the baseball field to find that home plate and the rest of the bases are missing. They luckily have Dylan’s detective kit to help solve the mystery. I think children would find themselves caught up and immersed in the book with MJ Murray’s engaging writing until reaching the satisfying ending.

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Sugar and Spice (Spicetopia Series) by Phoebe Alexander – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Sugar & Spice (Spicetopia #1)Sugar & Spice by Phoebe Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This being my first book from this author and it having such an interesting premise I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect, but it did deliver. Sugar and Spice gets all of the originality points because I haven’t heard of an adult theme park with cosplay. I mean the adult, incredibly spicy, version of Disney World what an idea. The author wrote her characters so real and they had depth. I think it would be the perfect rainy day, or beach read book.

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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While not my first Wickstrom children’s book I enjoyed it as if it was. Lois always manages to captivate children with her tales, and wonderful illustrations, while always managing to teach them something at the same time. In this case, this being the fifth book in the series, Loretta takes us back to her garden to take us full circle in the life of fireflies. We enjoyed this one.

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Touched: Elemental Passions Book One by Skye Turner, Sloane Nicole, April D. Berry, C.J. Pinard, Danielle Jamie, Darlene Tallman, Julie Morgan, Livell James, Machelle Hanleigh, and Melissa MacKinnon – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Touched (Elemental Passions #1)Touched by Skye Turner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn’t realize at the time of starting this novel that many authors came together to write this alluring, steamy, romance novel, and they all did a fantastic job. A love at first sight trope, fae, fantasy, and romance this novel had it all. It was a light, fun read that I’m glad to have read.

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The Closer (The Hustlers Trilogy) by Rowan Rossler – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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The Closer: An enemies to lovers dark romance (The Hustlers Series Book 3)The Closer: An enemies to lovers dark romance by Rowan Rossler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Closer is the third, and last book in The Hustlers Trilogy, but the second book I’ve read in this series. All of the books are standalone novels that have different tropes. The Closer is an enemies to lovers, dark, romance novel about Dallas, June, and second chance romance. This book was very much like book one in that there was drama, action, spice, chemistry, and secrets. I loved the setting, characters, and the witty banter. Although a little slow to get going it picks up and gets more interesting. Rowan Rossler has a well written, richly detailed, fascinating series on her hands.

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The Complete Echo Series: A Heartfelt Romance Collection (The Echo Series) by C.R. Alam – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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The Complete Echo Series (Echo #1-4)The Complete Echo Series by C.R. Alam
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Echo series was a wonderful set of romance books. I appreciated having the box set because it allowed me to read one after the other without stopping to buy the next one. Each of these can be read as a standalone as they concern different couples but there are always those little bits that make reading them in order worthwhile. While this is my first time reading anything from this author I really liked their ability to bring the characters to life, make them seem real, and experience real life strife. The character growth was great. You will definitely find yourself be absorbed wholly into these novels. They are pretty quick reads but once you get started you won’t want to stop reading. I would definitely recommend giving these a shot.

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Managing Mischief (Shattered Embrace Series) by Alyndra Quinn – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Managing Mischief (Shattered Embrace #2)Managing Mischief by Alyndra Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Managing Mischief is the second book in the Shattered Embrace Series and is a continuation of the couple Zachary and Ashton in book one. The author says it can be read as a standalone, and there is enough details, clues, and context added that would allow you to read it as a standalone, but I always love to read in order as it makes the whole relationship between the two deeper and helps me understand what’s what. Book two focuses on the relationship dynamics, more ‘real life’ over ‘club life’, between the two rather than the club dynamics of the two as book one did, but it was as equally entertaining as book 1. The chemistry between the two was still high, and there was some spice. I loved the point of view being from them both. Overall this was a great follow up and I am excited to see where book three takes us.

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Give Us Bad Boys & Billionaires by L.M. Mountford – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Give Us Bad Boys and BillionairesGive Us Bad Boys and Billionaires by L.M. Mountford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have never heard of “The Lord of Lust” before but when I had the opportunity to pick up this book it definitely sounded intriguing. Give Us Bad Boys and Billionaires is a large tome that includes a little bit of everything, literally, it’s a combination of novellas, and even some novel sized stories, and they cover topics anywhere from Alphas, best friends dad, bossholes, Bad Boys, Bullies, Saviors, and independent Alpha women. You might want to check your triggers before diving into this, as the spicy scenes vary greatly. I can say that while the smut is high there isn’t much plot. It is literally just that but at the same time I can see this being a guilty pleasure read that includes a little bit of everything.

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Shadowed Deception: A Psychological Suspense Thriller (Shadow Defense Security Series) by Mavery Ellscott – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Shadowed Deception: A Psychological Suspense Thriller (Shadow Defense Security Book 3)Shadowed Deception: A Psychological Suspense Thriller by Mavery Ellscott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Shadowed Deception being book three in the Shadow Defense Security Series we get to read about more of the guys at this agency finding their one and only. The series continues to keep me on the edge of my seat. Shadowed deception had this series typical drama, action, angst, enemies that become lovers that is par for the course in these books. There is Drake and Finlay, an investigative journalist who is undercover, in very deep into a sex trafficking ring. The character development was very strong and I enjoyed how the novel unfolded. Another great addition to the series.

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