Review: Highball Rush (Bootleg Springs Series Book 6) by Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score

Highball Rush by Claire Kingsley & Lucy Score
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What An Ending!

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This is the 6th and final book of an ongoing series. Without the previous books, you won’t understand this one. Each book features one couple but there is an overarching storyline over the whole series.

This book is about Gibson, the last Bodine standing! All his siblings have found love but he believes that he’s not suited for relationships as he’s grumpy, antisocial and has a mean temper. He forgets that he is also loyal, determined and a talented musician. With all the recent revelations regarding Callie Kendall’s disappearance, he’s still got to turn up to gigs that were booked a while ago. One of those gigs gets recorded when he performs one of his original songs and the video goes viral, which only adds to the pressure he’s under.

This book lived up to its potential. It was great finally getting to know the real Gibson and find out why he’s always kept himself so withdrawn from everyone outside his family. So much happens in this book as we finally find out what happened to Callie Kendall 13 years ago and who knew what. When things finally come to light the people of Bootleg Springs prove their mettle and work to keep everyone safe while justice is served.

This book is filled with romance, passion and mystery. Gibson may finally find his girl but he’s also got to figure out a way to unveil all the secrets and keep everyone safe whilst he does so.

I’m sad to say goodbye to Bootleg Springs, the people are fantastic, the customs are hilarious and the town chicken, Mona Lisa McNugget, deserves her own series. Maybe one day they’ll write a series about the next generation of Bodines!

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Review: Gin Fling (Bootleg Springs Series Book 5) By Lucy Score and Claire Kingsley

Gin Fling by Lucy Score & Claire Kingsley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Plot Thickens

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This is the fifth book in a continuing series and the previous books need to be read in order to understand this one. Each book deals with one couple and there is an overarching plot that links the books together.

Jonah Bodine is the illegitimate son of Jonah Bodine Sr. When his father died he became aware of his half-siblings and decided to come to Bootleg Springs to get to know them. He’s been here 12 months and still hasn’t decided if he’s staying or not, because until the disappearance of Callie Kendall is solved and the family is no longer under a cloud of suspicion he feels he can’t make an informed choice because he can’t abandon his siblings when everything is so fraught.

Jonah has a successful business as a personal trainer and has become an important part of the town’s life with the classes and training he provides. He’s just moved out of June’s house now she’s got together with George because he doesn’t want to intrude on their new relationship. Scarlett has set him up in one of her tiny rental properties, unaware that she has decided to do a little matchmaking.

Shelby is George’s little sister. She came to Bootleg Springs after she heard about how their small community ran a group of journalists out of town. She’s studying for her PhD and she wants to understand what makes the community work so well when other places don’t. When Scarlett discovered her misunderstanding of why Shelby was in town (she thought she was a journalist) she decides to matchmake and sets her up in the same house as Jonah. They don’t get off to the best of starts but carrying out Bootleg Justice together forms a bond and they begin to consider having a summer fling because neither of them knows where they are going to end up in a few months.

There’s a lot more to Shelby than first appears and she is a really interesting character who has gone through a lot. I really like how her study into why Bootleg Springs works as a tight-knit community brings her deeper into the heart of the town. She makes friends and finds supporters who help encourage others to aid with her research. She is intelligent, single-minded and independent beyond belief, she also has a huge heart and just wants to help people.

I liked how Jonah was brought more into the family and the community through his friendship with Shelby, who helps him see that he isn’t the outsider he has always considered himself.

A lot is uncovered about Callie in this book and some very interesting facts come out. Shelby even chases down some leads, which of course places her and others in danger. This book sets up things for the finale in the last book in the series. I can’t wait to find out how it all ends. I’m not even going to peek at the blurb for the final book because I want to be truly surprised at how it all shakes out.

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Review: Bourbon Bliss (Bootleg Springs Series Book 4) by Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score

Bourbon Bliss by Claire Kingsley & Lucy Score
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Genius and The Football Player

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This is the fourth book in a continuing series and you need to read the previous books in order to understand the overarching plotlines, even if each book covers one couple’s story. The previous books will also give a deeper insight into the characters, who all know each other or are related, their shared history and the history of the very quirky town in which they live. The couple gets their HEA by the end of the book, but the overarching plot continues in future books.

June Tucker is a genius. She works as an actuarial consultant and finds numbers so much easier to understand than people and their emotions. Her father is the town sheriff and her sister is a sheriff’s deputy. June is seen as ‘odd’ in a town of quite strange people. Though it doesn’t explicitly state it, there are very strong hints that June is neurodivergent. She comes across as cold and analytical and though the latter part of that statement is true, the former part is not. June feels things deeply but doesn’t know how to process those feelings or understand other people’s feelings. She asks questions when she doesn’t understand and that emphasises her ‘odd’-ness.

In a town filled with unusual characters, she is more widely accepted than she would be elsewhere, especially as her sister loves her and Cass and Scarlett, Cass’ best friend, have always included June in their social activities to the extent if she was invited, they wouldn’t go. Their loyalty has led to a widespread acceptance of June and her unusual ways amongst the townspeople. June is incredibly grateful for her acceptance and has invested heavily in Bootleg Springs, using her logical and analytical mind and high earnings to bring small businesses to the town, and help them grow.

One of June’s obsessions is sports statistics, especially football stats and has run a fantasy football league for years, alway winning because of her in depth understanding of statistics. One of her favourite players has always been George Thompson, a wide receiver. When he hurts his knee and is forced to retire she doesn’t win the league for the first time. When he walks into Bootleg Springs she is stunned and very very attracted to him, which takes her by surprise. What surprises her, even more, is that he seems to feel the same way about her.

George has had a very successful career until his knee injury and has earned enough to retire comfortably, so when his sister visits an unusual town called Bootleg Springs and tells him about it and the healing reputation of their hot springs he decides to go and visit her there and try out the benefits of the springs. When he meets June is he knocked for six by the unusual and intriguing woman and he can’t decide if he finds her intelligence or her bluntness more fascinating. As a successful and popular football player most of his life he has been targeted by the kind of women who like to have expensive things and are willing to do anything, including pretend to have feelings they don’t, to get them. He has never truly trusted a girlfriend but knows that June won’t lie about her feelings right from their initial meeting.

If you’ve read my reviews before you will know that I enjoy reading about neurodivergent people, especially those in romance novels because I know and love several people who think in this way. I really enjoyed that George accepted June exactly as she was straight away. He never believed that she should change who she was or how she saw things unless it made her unhappy. He was able to help her understand herself and her experience of life in a way no one else ever had because he accepted her and cared about her. The scene where he explained why dancing is one of his favourite activities and got her to appreciate it too is a particularly good example of why I loved his character.

George is by no means perfect and messes up a couple of times, but the people of Bootleg Springs like him enough to help him out when he’s a bit lost. He is accepted by the town really quickly because they know he appreciates the way things are in Bootleg Springs. He is embraced by the Bodine and Tucker families very quickly because of June.

As well as the romance the overarching plot regarding the missing girl from 12 years ago has a few major twists in this book. By the end of the book, you are scratching your head much more than at the start of it. It’s this aspect of the series that keeps me reading each book because I really want to know what happens next.

I really do enjoy this series and each book I read emphasises why.

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Review: Moonshine Kiss (Bootleg Springs Series Book 3) by Lucy Score and Claire Kingsley

Moonshine Kiss by Lucy Score & Claire Kingsley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Work Gets In The Way

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This is the third book in a continuing series. Each book deals with one couple within the same family/circle of friends, but there is an overarching plot told over the course of the series. There is no cliffhanger relating to the romantic aspect of the book, but the overarching plot is unresolved at the end of the book.

Cassidy Ann Tucker has loved Bowie Bodine since she was in kindergarten. Bowie is the older brother of her best friend Scarlett and they have always been a part of each others’ lives. When Cas was 19-years-old she thought she saw in Bowie the same feelings she had for him and she got her hopes up. Then he dashed those hopes when he told her to her face that he thought of her as a little sister. Ever since she has been looking for someone to love and be loved by in the same way her parents love each other.

Bowie has wanted Cass since she was 16-years-old and it was only the thought of being a creepy older guy that stopped him acting on those feelings. Just as he starts to cave and consider telling her how he feels, he decides that he isn’t good enough for her and tells her that he doesn’t think of her that way. By breaking Cass’ heart, he breaks his own. In the 8 years since the day he destroyed the idea of them as a couple, he’s never found anyone that can live up to Cass.

Cass is a deputy sheriff and her father is the sheriff of Bootleg Springs, a rather different undertaking to most small towns, as it has some very unusual town ordinances on the books, some of which were covered in the previous two books. As Cass is part of the investigation into the disappearance of a young girl 12 years earlier that got re-opened after her cardigan was found in Bowie’s deceased father’s house, they have to tread carefully around each other, because Cass doesn’t want to risk the job she’s wanted since she was a teenager not even for Scarlett and Bowie.

This book delves a great deal further into the disappearance, which is unsurprising given Cass’ job. There are police procedural elements to the book as well as the romance and family drama aspects. I really enjoyed the mystery part of this book as it really ramped up after the previous two books.

I also really enjoyed the conflict between Cass wanting to do her job well and wanting to support the people she cares about. It feels like she is forced to do a great deal of growing up mentally and emotionally through the course of this book. She has to deal with deep emotional conflicts that shake the foundations of who she is and who she wants to be.

Bowie is the vice principal at the local high school and he’s really made something of himself considering his very humble and unpleasant beginnings. However, he has to learn what is the most important thing to him, his desire to be a good guy and do the right thing or his love for Cass.

This book gives a much clearer picture of what life in Bootleg Springs is like. We also get a lot more information about the kind of life the Bodines had growing up as information about the case is uncovered and the relationship between the Bodines and the Tuckers is explored.

There are a lot of layers to this book and I enjoyed reading about each of them as they were peeled back. Reaching the end of this book has made me hungry for the next one as the investigation part of the storyline has been ramped up and as I’ve got to know the characters involved much more.

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Review: Sidecar Crush (Bootleg Spring Series Book 2) by Claire Kingsley & Lucy Score

Sidecar Crush by Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Fame Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up To Be

This is the second book in a continuing series. On the whole, each book can be read separately, however, there is an overarching storyline which only makes sense if the books are read in order. The overarching storyline is fairly well explained in this book if you really don’t want to read the first book, but it will make more sense if you read the books in order.

I read the first book in this series quite some time ago and I’d forgotten that I’d already bought the second book straight after reading the first one, Whiskey Chaser. I was reminded of the book after reading Lucy Score’s Benevolence Series and decided to dig it out.

Jameson Bodine comes from a family that’s had its share of rough times. Jameson was always accused by his father of being weak because of his gentle, shy and artistic nature. Jameson did not feel valued or loved by his father, but he sought refuge in his art made from found scrap metal materials. He’s making a living with his art but is on the verge of becoming sought after if only he can finish the biggest commission of his career.

Leah Mae Larkin grew up in Bootleg Springs until age 12 when her parents divorced and she was dragged to Florida by her mother. For the next four years, she came back for the Summer, which she adored, especially because she got to spend it with her best friend Jameson. When Leah Mae’s career in modelling took off, she stopped coming back to Bootleg Springs and she lost touch with Jameson. Now she’s back for a visit to see her Dad who has been sick and to introduce him to her fiancé. The fiancé doesn’t seem much impressed with Bootleg Springs and Bootleg Springs doesn’t rate him much either.

This story is about a woman who has wanted fame more than anything her whole life and worked so hard to get it that when it arrives and she finds out it isn’t what she expected doesn’t know quite what to do. It’s also a story of finding your own path and determining your own worth rather than letting other people do it for you.

I wasn’t sure how this book would unfold but I was impressed with how everything was handled. There is no cheating in this book and I wasn’t sure how Leah Mae was going to get her HEA with her waste of space fiancé involved. It was handled well and in a believable and relatable manner.

I like how the Bodine family are around each other. They are very loyal, but still have problems between themselves, they just won’t tolerate outsiders hurting their siblings. Their formative years shaped their identities in unique ways but also formed a tight bond that though weakened occasionally is never broken. They can go from fighting hard with each other and then in an instant take each other’s backs against someone else. It’s a very common sibling dynamic and it’s utilised deftly in this book.

Now I’ve been reminded of this series of books, I’m going to carry on reading them, because I love the craziness of a town which has a 4th July obstacle course race that ends up in a puddle of mud followed by a dip in the lake and a town chicken that is a bit of a mascot. There are so many other lovely comedic touches to this town that you can’t help but smile as you read the book. It makes the relationship growing pains all the more bittersweet in contrast. I can’t wait to see who’s story comes next.

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Review: Hands Down by Mariana Zapata

Hands Down by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I heard this book on Audible and hearing a book rather than reading it can make a difference to the experience of a novel. Bear that in mind with this review.

Mariana Zapata is the queen of the slow burn romance. She also writes incredibly good sports romances in a way that doesn’t glamourise the lives of elite athletes but reveals the sheer hard work that it takes to perform at the highest levels, including the support networks required when you live life travelling to games (in this case) and live contract to contract, praying you don’t get an injury.

We first met Zac ‘Big Texas’ Travis in The Wall of Winnipeg and Me. Though this is a standalone book, there are references to various characters from other books written by this author. The main characters from The Wall of Winnipeg and Me make a guest appearance in this book.

I’ve always loved this character and giving him his own book made me very happy. Zac has a heart of gold. He is funny, gentle and kind, unerringly polite and charming though sometimes a little prone to being overwhelmed when things go wrong. It takes him time to dig himself out of the doldrums and other people’s opinions sometimes matter a little bit too much. At age 34 he is no longer the young newcomer we met in The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, he’s a seasoned QB, though he’s had little success with the teams he’s played for. He’s currently in Houston where he’s training in the offseason, living at Trevor, his manager’s house with another of Trevor’s football player clients, CJ. Unsure of where he will be playing next season, life is unsettled and he’s trying to distract himself with a party when a blast from his past walks in.

Bianca ‘Little Texas’ Brannen, knew Zac The Snack Pack when he was a scrawny kid. It was her that named him Big Texas after he took to calling her Little Texas. They met when she was just 3 years old. Zac, though 7 years older was always kind to Bianca. He was best friends with her favourite cousin, who is more like her brother and her grandmother used to watch out for Zac when his mother was working. Up until she was 17, she was close to Zac, visiting him at college with her cousin and going to see his matches. Despite the age difference, they were good friends. Then when she was 17 Zac dropped out of her life. He carried on his friendship with her cousin but he stopped answering her calls and texts. Her heart was broken that the man she adored with all her heart was done with her.

When Zac’s grandfather becomes ill, and no one can reach him, her cousin asks Bianca to go to where he is staying to tell him what is going on, because she lives in Houston too. Hating the idea of having to face the man she crushed hard on as a teenager, she knows that she has to tell him about his grandfather. When they come face to face, 10 years after their last meeting, Zac doesn’t even recognise Bianca, but when he knows who it is he is delighted until she tells him why she’s there. But once Zac has Bianca back in his life he doesn’t seem to want to let her disappear back out of it and Bianca can’t understand it.

I liked Bianca, she has trust issues (cheating ex-boyfriend), abandonment issues (absentee parents) and self-esteem issues (see previous). However, she is determined and ambitious. She is funny, loyal, honest and loving. Her family are tremendously important to her and she is really close to her cousin and sister. Despite losing touch with Zac, she still follows him on social media and the news because she only wants what is best for him, even if he really hurt her.

In some way, most people can appreciate what it’s like to have a crush on someone older when you are a teenager, especially if they are around a lot and are friendly. Most people also know what it’s like to be hurt when rejected by your first love as a teenager. It’s devasting at the time, but you get over it. This story is at some level almost familiar and believable. Lots of people in the days of social media get back in touch with people from their past and resume friendships/relationships that ended years ago. We all know someone who has done that or have even done it ourselves. Having someone from the past who shared so much from his childhood is what Zac needs at a difficult time in his life. He knows that Bianca cared about him before he was successful and rich. He can trust her motives, whereas it’s hard to do the same with other people. This basic trust and history allows them to quickly drop back into a friendship that they both need.

I really enjoyed the slow journey these two people take towards falling in love. Each step along the path to the HEA is believable. The banter between friends and family is funny and the stories of their shared childhood are amusing as such stories normally are. Both Zac and Bianca are very loveable characters and seeing them get together is rewarding and satisfying, because the good guys should always get their HEA in a romance. Despite some mistakes, these two characters are really good guys. They deserve their happiness.

The narrators are good. Callie Dalton has narrated all (I think) of Mariana Zapata’s audiobooks. Chris Brinkley reads the parts that Zac speaks and Callie reads the rest of the book. I like this technique and the most recent books from this author are done the same. It gives conversations between the MMC and MFC much more clarity. The back and forth of dialogue doesn’t become confused like it can if it’s all done with one narrator. Both narrators bring warmth and humour to the book.

Mariana Zapata may not write ‘great works of fiction’ but she does write warm, interesting and funny books that present intriguing and believable characters that take us on a journey towards a HEA. This book is a great example of her work.

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Review: Down to my Bones (Reapers MC: Ellsberg Chapter Series Book 1) by Bijou Hunter

Down to my Bones by Bijou Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Odd One And The Outsider

This is the first book in a continuing series of standalone stories. Though this book is the first in this series, it is part of a connected group of series set in the same world. This series directly follows after the White Horse Series by the same author but is about the children of Cooper and Farah from The Damaged series.

Miranda or Rando as she likes to be called has always been labelled a bit ‘odd’. Family lore is that her uncle dropped her on her head as a baby and she’s never been right. What we learn about in this book is that Miranda is not quite as mentally deficient as people believe because that’s what she wants. Miranda has the family wrapped around her finger by behaving the way she does, plus she gets to say all the weird stuff that pops into her head whenever she feels like it without anyone questioning her ‘odd’-ness.

Quaid is nearly 10 years older than Miranda, and he’s an ex-Ranger. His family is pretty neglectful and he hasn’t heard from them in years. He got badly injured in the army and when he retired he tried working for a contractor and didn’t like it. He moved back home and ended up joining the Reapers MC in Shasta where he first saw Miranda trying to feed geese potato salad with a spoon. He was immediately smitten and followed her to Ellsberg and set up a tent in a field at Vaughn’s house (he had a book in The Damaged series too).

Their strange and delightful courtship goes well, despite her father’s general distaste for his daughters having men in their lives until someone decides that Miranda is a good target.

This is a wonderfully strange book, filled with odd conversations and internal monologues. I love Miranda. She’s what we Brits would call an ‘Eccentric’. This means they don’t care what anyone thinks about them and act accordingly. She alternates between wearing her heart on her sleeve and burying her feelings so deep no one knows what she’s thinking. This keeps everyone off balance.

Quaid is delighted by his wonderful quirky girl and jumps feet first into caring for her. He’s never felt deeply about anyone before Miranda and would do anything to keep her in his life, even living in a tent and tolerating her father’s passive-aggressive behaviour. He’s always made sure to let go of his feelings and live on the surface until he meets Miranda and gets knocked for six. He’s not stupid though and holds on tight with both hands to the person who makes his emotions sing.

I love the way these two collaborate to continue Miranda’s long con with her family. Quaid instantly speaks Miranda’s language and it’s really sweet to see. I also really enjoy their long rambling conversations. I also appreciate how Quaid is when Miranda is targeted and how he handles her panic attacks in the calmest possible way whilst plotting the painful torture and death of the perpetrator.

This is not a particularly high action or deep book. It’s sweet, funny and odd. It’s entertaining and heart warming, because everyone wants to be accepted, no matter how odd everyone thinks you are.

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Review: Junkyard Dog (White Horse Series Book 1) by Bijou Hunter

Junkyard Dog by Bijou Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Laugh Out Loud Funny

This is the first book in a series of individual books connected through the relationships of the characters. The book also makes references to characters and events in other books by this author. There is no cliffhanger. I actually wrote this review in 2019 and have subsequently posted reviews for other books in this series but must have forgotten to post this one, so here it is now!

Angus Hayes is a junkyard dog. He’s vicious, tolerates no one and is top of the heap in his small town of White Horse. No one causes him problems without regretting it. He’s also got a problem with retaining an assistant because he’s deeply unpleasant to work for.

Candy is arrogant, feisty and takes no prisoners. She has twin children with an ex-boyfriend who came from a wealthy family. Her ex was a rubbish father but Candy never loved him, just decided he’d do to provide her with the children she wanted. Her ex’s parents however are doting grandparents and have always spent time with her children. Candy has moved back to White Horse to be near her sister after she got married and had another child. She’s looking for a job when she hears about Hayes needing an assistant. She basically walks in and tells him he’s hiring her because her major life skill is dealing with a**holes. She goes on to prove herself right. She also goes on to captivate the man who doesn’t like anyone.

Despite herself Candy also finds herself falling for Hayes. In a strangely antagonistic courtship, they find themselves being drawn together despite themselves, as neither wants to fall in love and reveal their tender underbelly.

The banter between Candy and Hayes is hilarious. They are really quite insulting to each other and all it seems to do is turn each other on. They are weirdly similar in some respects. Hayes even finds himself liking her twins as they are devious and work hard at playing up the creepy twins angle.

They obviously have a few bumps in the road as they are both huge characters who don’t tolerate the mistakes of others, but on the whole their passion, banter and loyalty get them through to their HEA.

This is really enjoyable book considering how ruthless they both are, but their twisted sense of humour made me laugh a lot. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

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Review: Bumbled Love: plus-size sports romance (Clumsy Love Series Book 1) by Lila Rose

Bumbled Love: plus-size sports romance by Lila Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sweet and Funny Romance

This works as a standalone, but it does have characters from the Polished P & P series making guest appearances. There is no cliffhanger.

Lila Rose does sweet, funny and hot romances incredibly well. It’s one of the things I like about her books and this one is no exception.

Brooke is a guidance counsellor at a high school and is best friends with Reagan. Reagan introduced her to Dustin a professional football player. They get on well and as Dustin is gorgeous and charming Brooke is attracted to him. When he asks her if she’s busy one lunchtime and asks for her help because he’s got to go to a luncheon she assumes she’s invited as his date, instead he’s expecting her to babysit his 6 year old son, Benjie. Though Brooke doesn’t get her date, she does have an amazing time with Benjie, who is adorable throughout the book.

Brooke and Dustin try to find their way through the initial misunderstandings and Brooke’s reluctance to get into a relationship because of her friendship with Benjie. It’s all very sweet and gently funny and eventually quite hot.

There are a few things I really liked about this book, the first is the Brooke is bi-sexual and it’s not a big deal. She’s had girlfriends and boyfriends and just wants to find someone special and settle down and have a family. The other thing that I really liked is that Dustin is still really good friends with Benjie’s mother. She’s around through the book and she and Brooke get on really well too. It’s refreshing to not have other woman drama in a romance and to see the grown-ups behaving like adults.

The supporting characters are important to the book and again that is one of Lila Rose’s strengths. ALL her characters are well thought out and interesting, no matter what amount they appear in the book.

The plot isn’t terribly complex and there is no real big drama involved. There is simply the journey the couple takes to get from strangers to their HEA. It’s light, entertaining and sweet in a way that doesn’t make your teeth hurt.

This book is a very good way to spend an afternoon.

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Review: Luke (Texas Kings MC Series Book 15) by Cee Bowerman

Luke by Cee Bowerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Family Drama

This is the 15th book in a series of interconnected novels. There are also spin-off series that tie into this book, in particular Conner Brother’s Construction. The story stands alone but the history and personalities of the characters are explained in those previous books and that history is referred to.

Luke Evans is ex-military. He served for 14 years and got out a few years ago with a medical discharge and PTSD. He and his brother opened a gym in Rojo, where they grew up. They have another brother and a sister, and their Dad is still a big part of their lives. Luke is a member of the Texas Kings MC and they have helped him a lot since he got home.

Liberty Merida is the youngest Merida sister, at 21. Violet married Angus Conner and London, the country music star, is dating Angus’ younger brother, Tavin. She lives on the Conner Brother compound for safety and for family comfort. She writes and sells computer games and has got pretty rich off the back of it. Liberty recently had a health scare and her doctor told her to stop eating junk food, get to a gym and try and see daylight occasionally. So she made an appointment at Luke’s gym to see a dietician and start an exercise program.

When the two meet during one of Liberty’s epic klutzy moves they don’t realise that it's the start of something, especially as Luke believes though Liberty is all kinds of gorgeous she is far too young to be dealing with him and his messed up head. Liberty doesn’t agree.

It feels like a lot happens in this book. The most straightforward part is that Luke and Liberty are great together. They laugh and play and support each other in every way. They are passionate and loving and the age doesn’t make a difference. There are various difficulties that they have to deal with, some relating to them and other problems caused by other people and the plot is incredibly well written and keeps you crying with both laughter and sorrow.

This book had a lot of tension in it and characters we all know and love didn’t always behave the way we would like them to. Drama ensues and it isn’t resolved by the end of the book. The author notes before the book begins that redemption is always possible which means I hope they sort things out in the next book.

I love this author and her characters are fantastic, especially having written so many stories revolving around one town. There is lots of history and crossovers that make the world that she has created richer and deeper than can be seen in this one book. This is a great book but if you hadn’t read the others you wouldn’t experience the depth of emotions that I did because you won’t have any connection to a lot of the characters. I have given this book 4 ⭐ but if you take the series as a whole with its complex interconnected network of people and groups in Rojo it would probably be a 5 ⭐ series because the world-building is second to none.

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Review: Brick Shithouse (White Horse Series Book 4) by Bijou Hunter

Brick Shithouse by Bijou Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Giant Angel Gets His Girl

This is the fourth book in this series and though technically it could stand alone, it’s much better if you read the preceding books. Plus they’re pretty funny so you’d enjoy them.

Cap Hayes is a giant of a man. He looks mean and threatening and knows how to throw and take a punch. He’s also a really nice guy who adores his strange family. He’s the baby of the family, born when his twin siblings were 9 or 10. He’s watched them get hitched (Hayes style) and have kids and basically become happier and he knows he wants that too.

Audrey Johansson is also the baby of her family. But instead of her family being regular crime bosses, they are biker crime bosses. She’s never felt like she really fit in with her family and never had a particular ambition other than to open a hipster bookshop with her cousins. When that fell through she didn’t know what to do. Audrey’s father and Cap’s father have had business dealings for years when Audrey is invited to go on a trip to White Horse, Tennessee from her home in Ellsberg, Kentucky with her father.

When Cap and Audrey set eyes on each other it’s insta-love time, the way it’s been for the rest of the Hayes family. Audrey takes the big leap and decides that she wants to explore a relationship with Cap so she plans to move to White Horse and rent a place whilst that exploration takes place.

This story is as much about Audrey working out who she is and how she fits in to her own family as well as Cap’s, as it is about their romance. Their romance is sweet and passionate and really funny but the family interactions are just as important. They are probably more hilarious too.

It’s fun watching the baby of the family, Cap, get his chance to shine. In the previous books he was treated as the baby of the family and now he gets to step up and take his place in the family as a mature(ish) adult.

The banter, as always, in White Horse is fabulous. I sniggered most of the way through the book. Cap’s attitude towards his in-laws was pretty hilarious too.

This is a great finish to the White Horse series as we see all of Cap’s family and how they have flourished over the years because his family is one of the most important parts of Cap’s story too. When you see the next generation of Hayes’ starting with their snark you know that they will continue being the weird rulers of White Horse for decades to come. Oh, how I hope I get to read about that next generation!

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Review: Booze O'clock (White Horse Series Book 3) by Bijou Hunter

Booze O'clock by Bijou Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Chipper Finds His Girl

This is the third of a series and though you can read the book on its own, it is definitely much better if you read the previous books and get to know the history and characters of this bizarre family.

Chipper is Angus Hayes’ step-son and Cricket’s twin brother. This book is set around 4 years after the last book in the series. Chipper has always been much more laid back than both his sister and his step-father. He’s charming, arrogant and happy with his life. He’s also a pretty nice guy when he’s not scaring people into behaving the way they are supposed to his step-father’s town.

Tatum is 21 and her mother has just died. She was incredibly close to her as she was homeschooled and then worked with her in the daycare centre that was run out of their home. She didn’t really have any other friends and all her mother’s family were in a different state. She was born and raised in Florida but she’s in White Horse, Tennessee to kill her father because of how he threatened her mother when she was pregnant at age 18, causing her to run for her life and hide the rest of her life.

Chipper meets Tatum when she’s mindlessly drunk in a stinking bar in the next town over from White Horse. He’s there for a meeting when he notices her and the way she’s getting drunk, eyeing up Howler from the local MC with hatred. When he spots her gun he decides to rescue her from herself and gets her out the bar before anyone else notices. It’s definitely one of the weirdest ‘meet-cutes’ I have read.

This bizarre start to their relationship doesn’t seem to phase Chipper at all. He proceeds to take over Tatum’s life because she doesn’t know what to do with it in her grief. On one hand, it’s incredibly manipulative and on the other, he’s doing it with his eyes wide open because he knows she needs something to hang on to so she gets through the next little while until she starts to feel better about life.

In the last book, Chipper insisted that he wanted someone sweet and normal but Cricket pointed out that they had to have a high tolerance for weird behaviour and not many people fit that description. It seems Chipper managed to find someone who fits into that gap between normal and able to tolerate the weird. Tatum isn’t normal but she is sweet and tolerant enough to learn to love his weird family.

As with the previous books, this one is filled with strange antagonistic banter between family members. It’s funny and sweet with the way they all step in to take care of Tatum without being sugary sweet. There are some sad moments in the book as Tatum deals with her grief at the same time as finding happiness and the weird feelings of guilt that accompany it. The author conveys that confusion really well.

As with all other White Horse books, I really enjoyed reading this and laughed out loud many times. I don’t know why I love this weird family so much, but they have wormed their way into my twisted heart.

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Review: Bitch Slap (White Horse Series Book 2) by Bijou Hunter

Bitch Slap by Bijou Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Banter At It’s Best

This is the second book in the series and is set approximately 12 years after the first book. The book can stand alone, but you won’t get the humour as much if you don’t read the first book.

Cricket’s step-dad runs the town of White Horse with an iron fist wrapped around a tire iron. He is ruthless, vicious and doesn’t tolerate many people other than his family. Cricket may as well have been spliced from his genes despite not sharing any. She’s been helping run White Horse for a few years now, despite only being 21. On her way back from visiting her cousin she stops for the night in West Virginia, where she meets Poet, the son of the local MC’s president.

Poet is gorgeous, laid back and efficiently ruthless when necessary. He has a huge family who may just be slightly weirder than Cricket’s. When he sets eyes on Cricket he is knocked sideways. They spend the night together but know they’ll never see each other again because they live 5 hours apart. They do exchange numbers but never expect to use them until Cricket gets a positive pregnancy test result.

This is a story of passion, affection and general weirdness. Cricket is definitely odd, to say the least, and her family isn’t any better. Their love language revolves around the ‘f’ word and imaginative insults. Poet loves Cricket’s weirdness but thinks his family’s different ‘f’ word is better.

Cricket and Poet start from a place of lust and affection and try to build a relationship that’s given a leg up because of the pregnancy. It’s not an easy road for them, but it’s hilarious for us readers. This book is vastly entertaining, though not particularly challenging. It’s perfect for when you want to recharge your brain and let it rest awhile, plus you’ll laugh a lot.

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Review: Jazmyne & Lucius (Rojo, TX Series Book 3) by Cee Bowerman

Jazmyne & Lucius by Cee Bowerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Funny and Fabulous

This is the third book in a series that is interwoven with three other series, Texas Knights MC, Texas Kings MC, and Conner Brothers Construction, all based in Rojo, TX. Whilst the story is standalone, you miss out on a lot of inside jokes if you don’t read the other books before you read this one.

Both Lucius and Jazmyne have been peripheral characters in various books in the above-mentioned series. Neither are members of either the Texas Knights MC or the Texas Kings MC but Jazmyne’s brother is and she grew up around the clubs. Lucius is a police offer and the partner of Freddie who co-parents with someone in the Conner Brother’s Construction Company, along with Lucius’ cousin.

As Lucius is a police officer Jazmyne is pretty reluctant to share her involvement with him with her family who isn’t filled with the most law-abiding individuals. Over time this causes a huge strain on their relationship despite their feelings for each other. It’s only when Jazmyne is in a dangerous situation and she reaches out to Lucius do things change.

This book is, as usual, filled with witty banter and flat out hilarious interchanges. It’s also filled with affection and love throughout the very extended family and all the generations. I love how Lucius is brought into the family and the way he handles it. He is prepared to do anything to keep Jazmyne safe and happy and some of the ways that they all do that are imaginative and intriguing. This shouldn’t be a surprise when the people involved elevate pranking into an Olympic sport.

As well as being a pretty hot romance this book is filled with some twisty pieces of plotting. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book a lot. I like the way this author thinks!

I’ve never read a dull Cee Bowerman book. I don’t think I ever will. She writes warm and interesting characters who are outrageous but believable at the same time. She places them in tough situations and lets all the other fantastic characters help them out of the mess they are in. Add in the sexy times and humour and there’s little else you need for a feel-good read. Whenever I’m feeling down one of this author’s books is guaranteed to cheer me up.

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Review: Stoffer (Texas Kings MC Series Book 14) by Cee Bowerman

Stoffer: Texas Kings MC, Book 14 by Cee Bowerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hilarious and Sweet with a Touch of Violence For Spice

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This is part of a continuing series but the book can probably be read without reading the previous books in the series. However, if you don’t read the previous books you will miss a lot of the jokes and backstories of the characters.

This book is about Isabelle, Ella’s sister. She is older than Ella by 11 months and they look like twins. Isabelle has been working as a cook and nutritionist up in a drilling camp in Alaska. After a traumatic experience, she decided to move back to Rojo to be with her sister and niece and help the family when the new baby is born.

Stoffer is part of the Texas Kings MC and works as a mechanic at Daughtrey’s garage. He wound up in Rojo after quite some time wandering the US after his mother died. With the Texas Kings, he found a family that he had been lacking.

When Grady, Ella’s partner, asked Stoffer to pick up Isabelle from the airport they met and though sparks flew, Isabelle laid down the law and said they were going to be friends, which is exactly what they did. For the first time in his life, Stoffer wondered what it would be like to actually have a relationship rather than hookups.

I liked how the relationship took time to build and they had time to learn each other’s secrets. I also really liked that Isabelle became really close friends with Luke and Clem. They became almost like brothers to her and helped her when she really needed it.

Both Isabelle and Stoffer had a journey to make before they could get it right. Isabelle had to deal with her insecurities and Stoffer had a fear of losing himself to love. All the way through they were surrounded by family and friends.

There were so many funny parts to this book but I can honestly say one scene had tears streaming down my face as I was gasping for air it was so funny. I love the way Cee Bowerman looks at the world. Rojo is a wonderful place to visit and I’ll keep going there as long as this author will let me.

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Review: Don't Flirt With Demons by Grace McGinty

Don't Flirt With Demons by Grace McGinty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Funny Breathe of Fresh Air

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This novella is hilarious. It starts with a very drunken and tearful Elsie summoning a demon, Ukobach, by accident. She caught her boyfriend cheating on her with her boss and she quit her job as a result. She decided alcohol poisoning was the way forward, not realising she would be getting a delicious demon when she was too drunk to think, as a result.

Ukobach turns out to be the demon of fried foods and fireworks so they decide to go to the Texas State Fair to live large for the few days Ukobach is allowed out of hell.

This novella will have you laugh snorting, so don’t read it in public. It’s got some sexy times, but it’s mainly about the laughs and the feels as Elsie and Ukobach bond on their road trip.

This novella is the perfect bite-sized portion of fun for when you want a brief escape from reality. Highly recommended.

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Review: Second Glances (Hemlock Academy Series Book 2) by Kelsey Soliz

Second Glances by Kelsey Soliz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More Mates

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This second book is as good as the first. It’s slightly more frenetic and is full of silliness but that makes me smile all the harder. Building on from the first book, Gabby finds more mates and they are people I had my suspicions about. However, there is quite a journey to get to the point of bonding as none of them is as instant as Balfour or Cyrus. In fact, Cyrus’ problems arise after the bonding because his past comes back to bite him in the butt.

I think one of the reasons I am enjoying this academy series is that it isn’t really much of an academy series. The academy is the starting place, where Gabby starts to come into her own and where she meets her mates, but there is very little focus on the lessons etc. In other academy books quite often the world-building is done through lessons the pupils learn, in this series, we learn more from the other members of the harem, especially Cyrus and Dar as they have 100 years of age under their belts.

I really enjoy the humour in these books. Gabby has such a sense of fun, she’s a joy to read about. Her mates are pretty hilarious too. Exhibit A: Bal’s tendency to use sports commentator voices whilst having his sex high. Exhibit B: Palmer’s punching out fake cardboard people, trust me, both are hilarious.

I love how the story has built and the harem has started to bond, not just with Gabby but with each other. It sounds like this is essential as stuff is starting to get pretty dangerous!

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Review: Rason & Eliza (Rojo, TX Series Book 1) by Cee Bowerman

Rason & Eliza by Cee Bowerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More Rojo Fun

I love Cee Bowerman’s books. She writes funny, gentle stories about interesting people who lead mostly ordinary lives, except once in a while it’s strange enough to write a book about it. Most of the characters from all the series set around this town interact with each other, so you may find familiar faces popping up from Texas Knights or Texas Kings.

Eliza is actually the brother of Hank (from Texas Knights) and Mesha. She was lucky enough to be adopted as a heroine addicted baby, rather than being ‘raised’ by her drug addicted prostitute mother and abandoned by her married judge father. She had an unbelievably happy childhood, raised by loving parents who owned a bookstore, which she now owns. The siblings only found each other very recently and it’s nice to see them interact in this book as they begin to get to know each other.

Rason is half Vietnamese and half Texan. He’s built like he Dad and has his pretty green eyes, but is sweet like his mother. He also had a very happy childhood, with two siblings. He was in the army for 6 years and now works for Daughtry (another connection) as a mechanic.

When Rason and Eliza finally get the courage to go out, after eying each other up over the bookshelves since their teens, they are both nearing 30. Rason is also trying to get rid of a clingy woman whom he barely dated.

Whilst Rason and Eliza click very fast the clingy woman turns into a very dangerously unhinged one, which puts untold amounts of pressure on the fledgling relationship.

I loved all the details about Vietnamese culture in this book. It was affectionate and respectful and very educational. The way it was explained to us is partially to do with Eliza and her upbringing. She always wants to know about things and researches them assiduously. I also love that Eliza comes across to the outside world as prim and proper but inside she’s a little bit wild.

As always, the writing is funny, the characters interesting and the plot entertaining. I always enjoy these books and I can’t see that changing any time soon, based on the record so far. Definitely great escapist fiction.

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Review: Bulldozer (Tobin Tribe Series Book 6) by Caitlyn Coakley

Bulldozer by Caitlyn Coakley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun With a Side Order of Trauma

As with all these books, the author has managed to blend funny, witty banter with difficult and emotional subjects. It’s a fine line to walk but she manages it well.

Quinn is the last remaining bachelor of the five Tobin sons. He’s used to being the runner up as the second born and wants someone to put him first. The woman he loved didn’t wait for him to get his act together and married someone else and no one has ever lived up to her since. So, he has spent his life in short meaningless relationships and one night stands, exploring his kinkier side.

Nicole is Lissa’s sister. After the disappearance of her father and the alcoholism of her mother, she and Lissa were placed in foster care. They were bounced around, managing to stay together until she aged out and in the months before she was able to claim custody of Lissa, something awful happened to her. Nicole never felt worthy of happiness after that. She loved someone who didn’t know she existed and she punished herself by never allowing herself to love or be loved.

When Lissa fell in love with Shane, Quinn’s youngest brother, they decided to try and match up their siblings by forcing them together through the many long and detailed wedding plans. It seems like it works but they are both still hiding behind walls and rules and games, until someone slashes Quinn’s tyres.

I love how sex positive this series is. Even Mama Tobin, a staunch Catholic, refuses to allow any of her family to slut shame, mainly because she can’t stand hypocrisy. Nicole and Quinn are honest about their needs and desires and there is no shame. The whole series has a healthy attitude to non-vanilla sex that is appealing.

Through all the sex and banter there is a strong thread of emotion and need for connection that is subtly woven throughout, and keeps the book from being too predictable. This emotional content and the appealing characters are the reason I will keep reading this author, because she always entertains without forcing me to switch off my brain.

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Review: Straight Arrow (Tobin Tribe Series Book 5) by Caitlyn Coakley

Straight Arrow by Caitlyn Coakley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Lost Child Is Found

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

Knox Tobin is pretty miserable and has been for the last 5 years. He was last happy on the day he planned to propose to his high school sweetheart, after his final exam. When he got to her house she was gone. No one would tell him where she was and she wouldn't answer her phone. It was the ultimate ghosting and he hasn’t been happy since, endlessly searching for someone to take the pain away.

Five years ago Charlie was forced to make the toughest decision of her life. She was forced to leave the US and hide from the man she loved in order to keep him and their unborn son safe. The only happiness she’s had since has been from their son.

Then one day their son is in an accident and the rare blood condition to which every Tobin male seems susceptible means that he needs his father’s frozen blood supply and Knox finally discovers the truth of his son’s existence.

I enjoyed learning about the mysterious past that broke Knox, that has been referred to all through the rest of the series. Having it explained helped soothe an aching curiosity. Finding out helps the reader to understand Knox and the gaping hole in his heart.

I also liked learning more about the QRK Internet News Station that had been referred to in previous books and about the rivalries between the Clausens and the Tobins.

I felt like a lot of foreshadowing was tied off in this book, which is always satisfying and probably part of what I enjoyed about it. I also enjoyed the way Knox and Charlie interacted with both of them terribly wounded by each other and failing to communicate properly whilst family and friends stood by wringing their hands unable to help mend their loved one’s hearts.

The plot was well paced and there was plenty of room for the emotional growth of the characters. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series which comes out in a couple of weeks. I don’t know what will happen when the author runs out of Tobins!

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