Review: Beyond the Bases (Out of Reach Series Book 1) by Kaylee Ryan

Beyond the Bases by Kaylee Ryan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sweet Single Mother Romance

I’d probably give this book 3.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This is the first book of a series, but the story stands alone and there are no cliffhangers.

Larissa is a young single mother, whose husband died in the line of duty before his daughter was born. Larissa is trying to raise her daughter, Paisley, with the aid of her mother, whilst trying to earn enough to survive and finish an accountancy degree. She’s stretched thin but is determined to make life better for her and her 4-year-old daughter.

Easton is a successful baseball player who loves his family and has reached a time in his life to be sick of the kind of women he can pick up easily because of his profession. He grew up around other famous baseball players and has seen the pros and cons of fame and wants what his parents and their friends had with close and loving relationships.

When Larissa is persuaded by her girlfriend to go out for drinks they end up in the bar that the baseball team often go to because they are protected there by the owner. As soon as Easton sees her he is smitten. However, Larissa doesn’t want to get involved with anyone because of the pressure she’s under on a daily basis, plus she has her daughter to consider.

Easton doesn’t know why Larissa is reluctant when she is so attracted to him so he pursues her, until he finally meets her with her daughter by accident and he is great with Paisley.

This is an incredibly predictable book. It doesn’t surprise me to learn this was written as a novella because there isn’t anything particularly complicated to work out in terms of plot. It progresses from A to B in straight forward and orderly manner providing sweetness and cute kid stories.

I see this book as something to read as a palate cleanser after reading something a bit dark or heavy going. It’s not challenging and makes you smile, which is something you sometimes need.

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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: 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: The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata

The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This standalone book has ties to other books by Mariana Zapata, but you’ll only notice if you’ve read them. Perfect all by itself, it has no cliffhanger.

I listened to this book on Audible and this colours my experience of the book and is included in this review. Sometimes the experience of listening to a book rather than reading it can affect how you engage with it, so bear that in mind whilst reading this review.

Lenny DeMaio is a world champion, a national champion and a pan-American champion Judoka. She never actually got as far as the opening ceremony for the Olympics because of injuries, but she’s beaten everyone that won that’s still fighting. But she gave it all up in a heartbeat for the love of her daughter, Mo. Now managing her family’s martial arts gym, whilst her grandfather, the man who raised her, looks after Mo, she’s finally on an even keel again after 8 months of being a single mother.

The last thing she expects is the father of her daughter to turn up after dropping all contact for 17 months. Jonah Collins is huge, not to mention gorgeous. He’s a world-famous rugby player from New Zealand, who turns heads wherever he goes. He and Lenny met in Paris where he was playing rugby and Lenny was teaching judo after an injury. They bonded over a museum tour and soon became inseparable. Then Jonah was injured and disappeared. Now he’s back and Lenny has no idea what he wants.

This, like all Marian Zapata books, is a wonderful romance story. The characters are rich, deep and complex. The plot is straightforward and compelling but above all, it’s the storytelling that wraps itself around you. Lenny is a great character. She’s blunt, forceful and determined. She’s honest and sarcastic and loyal above all else. She adores her grandfather with everything in her and they are partners in crime, along with Peter, the other man who helped raise her. She and her grandfather Gus are two peas in a pod and I love how she refers to him as a vampire. In some ways, this is a love letter to Gus. He’s almost as important as the two main characters. He’s funny, sarcastic, loyal and loving. He’s a world champion boxer who owns a martial arts gym, who raised a son and then a granddaughter on his own. He plays pick up games of basketball and poker with his friends. He makes puréed baby food for his great-granddaughter and reads romance novels. He’s a man’s man, with a soft buttery centre and I adored him. Without Grandpa Gus there would be so much less heart to this story, not to mention less wit.

Jonah is a really sweet and flawed hero. He made some massive mistakes but as we get to know him through the story we can begin to understand why he made the mistakes because of who is. He also owns up to those mistakes and vows never to repeat them. He’s shy and funny in an understated way and falls head over heels in love with his daughter. He’s calm and accepting, but he’s not a pushover when it comes to the people he cares about.

This author is fantastic at creating backstories for her characters. They have complex histories that are mentioned in passing that have an impact on who they are today. They don’t necessarily dwell on the past but they are fully developed and I think this is one of the reasons why this author’s characters are so complex and feel so real. There are so many layers to who they are before we reach the end of the first chapter.

The two narrators do a wonderful job of conveying the characters. I really like that Calum Gittins read all of Jonah’s speech. Actually from New Zealand, he was convincing in the role and his light and musical voice was perfect for the part of Jonah. All narration and other characters were read by Callie Dalton. Callie Dalton’s effort at the New Zealand accent wasn’t great when she read the parts of Jonah’s mother and sister and I’m really glad they decided that Jonah should be read by someone with the right accent. There is nothing more distracting than a narrator reading a main character’s speech poorly. Other than her New Zealand accents, Callie Dalton did a great job with the narration and was convincing as Lenny. Between them, these two narrators sucked me in and the book disappeared in no time at all.

This book made me laugh, smile with heart warming moments and sob out loud. It’s a fantastic book about a really difficult situation where two great people work their way through it with the help of good friends and wonderful family. I love this author and I’ve yet to be disappointed by her. I can’t wait to see what comes from her next.

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Review: Only One Kiss (Only One Series Book 1) by Natasha Madison

Only One Kiss by Natasha Madison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Social Media Consultant And The Single Dad

I’d probably give this book a 3.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This is the first book in a continuing series, however, the book stands alone. There is no cliffhanger.

Candace’s brother is an NHL player and when he first started out he was so bad at doing his social media she took over for him. Several years later she doing social media for 50 hockey players and has a waiting list for clients. She’s generally an all-around lovely person who everyone likes, her family adores her, especially her three-year-old niece who has her own room at her aunt’s house so she can lure her family to stay with her when they visit.

Ralph is an NHL player who had to take most of the last season off. His wife died giving birth to their daughter and the first time he tried to get back on the ice after his daughter, Ari, was born he managed to get a concussion that wiped him out for months. Now his daughter is a few months old and he’s trying to get back to training, he hires a babysitter and his agent tells him he needs to hire Candace because his social media presence is nil and he needs to have a presence if he wants to get sponsorship deals.

When Candace and Ralph meet at a party there is an instant attraction that sets them both immediately on the back foot and they have to try and make sense of their feelings.

I enjoyed this book even if it was a smidge predictable, plus Candace was too perfect. Ralph was wonderfully endearing and had enough faults to make him human and I think we can all empathise with his lack of ability with social media photos. Both Ralph and Candace had wonderful interactions with Ari and I have to say she was the star of the book along with Candace’s niece Zoey.

There were plenty of sex scenes to spice things up, but I did feel the plot was a little lacking in interest and the emotions didn’t feel that deep or real to me. However, it was an entertaining book and I enjoyed reading it. I just don’t know if I’d buy the rest of the series after reading this freebie, but if it was in KU, I probably would.

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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: Puck Drop (Utah Fury Hockey Series Book 1) by Bittney Mulliner

Puck Drop by Brittney Mulliner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Clean Sweet Hockey Romance

I’d probably give this book 3.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This is the first in a series of standalone novels that relate to the same ice hockey team. There is cross over of characters and shared history, but each story is complete by the last page.

Chloe is the digital marketing manager for Utah Fury and her twin brother is one of its star players. They share a fancy apartment and Chloe’s life revolves around the team and her brother.

Reese is a last-minute trade to Utah Fury and he was not expecting to leave the team he’d been with for years. He’s quite grumpy when he arrives and he puts his foot in it with both Chloe and her brother.

Both Chloe and Reese are attracted to each other, but they don’t want to jeopardise the team harmony, so they have to make some tough choices.

This book is entirely too predictable for my taste, however it’s well written, the characters are interesting and it’s very sweet. This is a clean romance and I’m not really a big fan of those, but I know that a lot of people really enjoy them. I probably won’t read the rest of the series because of that, but if you like a sweet romance this a good one.

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Review: Always Only You (Bergman Brothers Series Book 2) by Chloe Liese

Always Only You by Chloe Liese
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Inclusionary Romance Done Well

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

I’ll start off by saying I am very impressed with how well this author wrote about disability. As a woman who became disabled in my 20s I can understand the FMC, Frankie, and how she views living with an invisible illness and how people view her. I also love several neurodivergent people and seeing how well this author described living with having a different view of the world and how it affects themselves and those around them I was elated. This book reveals so well how people whose bodies and brains work differently from the norm are whole and worthy of love.

On top of all that, the disability isn’t the star of the show. The FMC has let how people have treated her in the past alter the way she views people who may have the power to hurt her in the future, but we all do that to a certain extent. The way her brain works differently also affects the way she approaches relationships because she’s unable to comprehend the more nuanced expressions of other people’s emotions.

Setting these facts aside, this is actually a really sweet love story. Frankie is smart and resourceful. She’s always on point with her job, which she adores, and though she only has a couple of close friends, she loves them fiercely. I love her brilliant mind and her determination to work through her body’s limitations.

The MMC, Ren, is a star ice hockey player, for the team that Frankie does the social media for. He’s always smiling, he’s kind, incredibly professional,, adores his huge Swedish-American family and has has an unrequited crush on Frankie since he met her 3 years ago, but his professionalism prevents him from making a move on her.

When Frankie gets the opportunity to leave her job to go to law school things shift. Things happen to make her see Ren in a slightly different light and Ren finally sees his opportunity to make a move.

I adored Ren, he’s an amazing character. He’s sweet, funny, kind and patient. He’s this fantastic blend of a physically powerful and competent hockey player, with a shy sweet nerd who loves Shakespeare.

Both these characters are utterly unique and I loved them both. When you love characters this much the plot almost doesn’t matter, but I like the way this book was paced. This was completely about their feelings for one another and working their way together. There were no big dramas with exes or families, no huge misunderstandings, just two people working through their emotions and history to reach each other.

This book reminds me a little of Mariana Zapata’s work. It’s a little spicier than Zapata’s work, but it has the same deft hand at character building and emotional layering.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I will be reading more.

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Review: Damaged Dreams (The Council Series Book 1) by Kris Butler

Damaged Dreams by Kris Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emotions Based New Adult Reverse Harem

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

Sariah has been in hiding for the last 5 years. When she was 15 she was on the cusp of great success, heading for the Olympics, at a rapid pace with her next-door neighbour, Henry, as her Pairs Ice Dancing partner and and who she hoped was about to become her boyfriend. Then everything changed in the space of 24 hours. She was suddenly on the run with her parents after hearing she was adopted and her parents weren’t who she thought they were. When deciding to run for it they were forced off the road into an accident in which she barely escaped with her life and lost both parents.

Now known as Sawyer Sullivan, she is ready to follow up on finding out who she really is and she is heading for a new job as an Instructor at TAS, the Elite Winter Sports Academy where her parents told her it all began. Due to her new name she was placed in a shared house with male instructors and decides to stay after being told there were very limited options for alternative housing. This is the set up for meeting all the men.

This is a good-sized book and the author spends a lot of time building up the characters. We get to know Sawyer quite well through her own and other’s eyes. There are multiple POV in this book, which helps us get to know the other characters, and not just from Sawyer’s point of view, but from others in the house.

At the end of the book, in the ‘About The Author’ section Kris Butler confirms that she has worked in the mental health field and this book definitely shows that background. The characters are well rounded, with many hidden depths. I like that the male characters have a well developed history with each other and their interactions are as important as those with Sawyer. There are quite a few heated scenes which include MM as well as MFM interactions. The MM interactions are not just physical but also romantic.

Because of the slow build-up of the characters, the creation of the RH situation is believable and sweet as well as hot. I also like that not everyone is automatically included in the RH. The relationships that Sawyer has with each man in the house is very different and they build at different rates. The mystery aspect of the story is put on hold in the middle of the book as we get to know all the characters. There is also some bullying, but it isn’t a focus of the story, and it doesn’t seem to bother Sawyer that much.

I like that though this is set at an academy, the characters are instructors rather than students. I have grown a bit weary of 17 year olds having the sex life of a very adventurous and experienced 30 year old. I know that academies are convenient for placing a group of disparate people together in an enclosed environment but I’ve read sooooo many of these stories that I’ve grown bored of the trope. This twist somehow magically makes it all a bit better. I think because they are adults and are free to do what they want without being bound by ‘academy rules’.

Some people might find this a little slow in places, but for people who enjoy the psychological aspect of the building of a harem, this is a great read and I can’t wait to read the next book when it comes out.

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Review: Just for Now (Escape to New Zealand Series Book 3) by Rosalind James

Just for Now by Rosalind James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sweet Single Dad Romance

This book took a little while to get going, but the slow build worked well for the plot and the characters.

Jenna in an American living in New Zealand with her husband, working as a teacher, when she comes home to find her husband in bed with someone else. After she leaves him she travels around New Zealand looking for somewhere different to settle and ends up in Auckland with a friend. She decides that she wants to stay there and applies for a nanny job to tide her over until the new school year starts.

The new job is with Finn, who happens to be an All Black rugby player and a widower with two children. Jenna and the kids click instantly and she’s a great nanny who also happens to be a good cook too. Finn also notices she’s pretty. This is the part of the book that is the slow build, and some people may not have the patience for it, but it is a sweet and believable part of the romance.

I liked all the characters, and particularly enjoyed Jenna’s rapport with the kids. I also enjoyed the casual way in which New Zealand life was shared, and the slang that is incomprehensible to the rest of the world. I felt like I learnt a lot about rugby and the life that the players could lead.

I haven’t read the rest of the books in this series, but I may do so after reading this book.

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Review: Until It Fades by K A Tucker

Until It Fades by K.A. Tucker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sweet Romance With Some Grit

Catherine is a single mother, aged 24 and a truck stop waitress. She also becomes a hero overnight, when she saves a man from a burning car, and he happens to be a huge celebrity. She tries avoid the limelight because she has a sordid past in her home town and has no desire to relive it in front of millions of viewers.

This is a nicely written romance, with good pacing and poignant emotions. Catherine’s character is well developed and her experiences are slowly revealed throughout the book and some of those experiences are a little surprising. Brett is kind, gentle and understanding. For a man raised in the limelight he has a down to earth attitude. His situation is difficult but all he wants to do is protect Catherine to the best of his ability.

I love the relationship Catherine has with her family, it’s fraught and difficult and at the same time supportive and loving, though it took a long time to get there. For those of us with difficult teenage years we can understand how easy it is to fall out with our parents, but then slowly find your way back to them, even if it’s not smooth sailing.

Though this is about an improbable story, it still manages to feel real and believable.

A very enjoyable read.

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Review: Light the Lamp (Portland Storm Series Book 3) by Catherine Gayle

Light the Lamp by Catherine Gayle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sweetly Unusual Hockey Romance

This hockey romance is a little different from usual. Hockey is an aggressive, fast paced and violent sport and this story was none of those things. This story was slow, sweet and tender.

Liam is a Swedish hockey player who lost his wife 18 months ago to a drink driver. He lost his scoring ability when she died and was traded to the Portland Storm, where they wanted him for his age and experience as much as his old scoring ability.

Noelle is a young, sweet and empathic woman, who’s parent died when she was 19 leaving her to drop out of college and care of her teenage brothers. Due to losing her job and not wanting her brothers to drop out of college, she lost their house and was living in a car. When her car broke down at the side of the road, Liam spotted her and took her away whilst they waiting for the radiator to cool down. Then her car was totalled.

This story was about two people who have had horrible things happen and how they differed in the ways in which they handled them. It was about learning to communicate pain and fear as well as love and compassion.

I got sucked into the story, enjoying the characters a lot and desperate to see what would happen next. I enjoyed it a lot.

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Review: Change of Hart by M E Carter

Change of Hart by M.E. Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really Sweet Football Romance

The link to this book was in an email I got this week, and as it was free I thought I’d download it. I have never heard of ME Carter before and I have to say the book was really good.

The book is told from the point of view of Jason, a successful American football player. He’s a die hard bachelor because he loves football so much and it takes so much of his attention and commitment he just felt he had nothing left over to have a relationship. He was pretty happy with his life.

Then doing a favour for an old friend he met a little boy, Jaxon, a 7 year old who just lost his Dad a few months earlier. He clicked with this little boy and felt like he wanted to help him out and show him some support, as he too lost his father at a similar age.

When he arranged to take Jaxon around the Stadium he was very surprised when he met Addison, Jaxon’s mother, and was knocked out by her.

This very sweet story had some very tender and poignant moments in it. I liked that Jason and Jaxon’s relationship was a separate entity from his attraction to Addison. I also like that he respected Addison so much that he wanted to ensure she was comfortable with the situation at all times. I also like that he was human and did screw up occasionally.

I loved the scenes with Deuce, Jason’s best friend, who was an hilarious character. Their relationship was brilliant, so funny, supportive and of course borderline insulting!

All the friendships in the book were really great. Both Jason and Addison had supportive people in their lives that looked out for them. Most of all I loved Jaxon, who was this funny, energetic and sweet kid.

All in all it was a funny and sweet romance. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for other books by this author.

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Review: From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata

From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is based on listening to an audio book from Audible, rather than reading the written word. This changes the experience and this review should be considered from that point of view.

Mariana Zapata has a brilliant ability to write truly enthralling stories. She creates characters that live and breathe for the reader. I become so engrossed in what I’m listening to, the time disappears, because I just want to keep listening. Callie Dalton has narrated a lot, if not most of the Mariana Zapata books I’ve listened to on audio and she manages to transform herself into the different characters each time. I liked having Teddy Hamilton read the parts spoken by Ivan quite a lot. I wasn’t sure I would, because I thought it might break up the flow and Callie Dalton has always done a decent job of narrating a male character. I really shouldn’t have worried because he did a great job and it actually made his character better, because he had a unique voice that contrasted with the way Jasmine perceived the rest of the story.

The story itself was excellent, and used a subject matter that all readers of the author would recognise, that of a sports person. In this case it was both the MFC and the MMC who were ice skaters. Both Ivan and Jasmine have been skating since childhood, and as adults moved into pairs skating. Jasmine had been a singles skater but nerves got the better of her, so she moved into pairs. She’s skated for 3 years with Paul, who then ditched her a year before the story started, without warning, for another partner. She couldn’t find another partner because she has always been perceived as having a bad attitude, something she’d never defended herself against, because she didn’t care what anyone else thought.

Jasmine is friends with Ivan’s sister, so has known his family for years, and as his parents own the ice centre where she trains, his parents had always subsidised her rink fees. However, she and Ivan clashed, a lot. They never said anything nice to each other and Ivan was successful, whilst Jasmine was not. The year she spent partner-less she’d continued to train, without a coach, but still going to the rink every day to practice just in case she ever got an opportunity to skate competitively again. She’d almost come to the conclusion that she may as well give up hope, when Ivan and his coach offered her an opportunity to partner with him for the next year. After some consideration, she took him up on the offer and they started to train.

This story isn’t really about them winning medals or prizes, this about them and their relationship. It’s about how two very socially awkward people who don’t care what others think, who are rude and confrontational, start to find a way to work together.

I loved Jasmine. She was obnoxious, bad tempered and determined, to the detriment of everything else, to skate. Her relationship with her family was much improved after her year out and she was determined to keep hold of that even whilst starting a ridiculously intense training regime. She was also fiercely loyal to her family and would pummel anyone who hurt them into the ground.

Her family are brilliant characters and their banter at family get together’s is hilarious. I love how this author is able to sketch out supporting characters so fully and quickly that we immediately understand them and their relationship to the main characters. It’s a definite gift.

Ivan is at first unknowable. He hides behind a strangely blended mask of professionalism and insults. It’s hard to understand his motives because we only see him from Jasmine’s point of view. I love how slowly our perceptions of him change as Jasmine starts to see him more clearly.

This is a funny, sad and uplifting story. It’s about family, a passionate drive for success, and it’s about friendship and love. It’s a great story and I know I’ll listen to it again at some point. You can’t go wrong with this author.

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Review: The Fallen One (Fated Wings Series Book 2.5) by CR Jane

The Fallen One by C.R. Jane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Damon’s Backstory

I'd probably give this 3.5 stars if I could.

This novella tell of the important facts of Damon’s Falling. In the first book in the series he thinks about someone called Camilla, and the name is never mentioned again. This story is about who she is and why Damon felt guilty about her.

The book also tells a little about Damon meeting Eva and their early days together from his point of view.

The book doesn’t progress the story at all, but it does give important information. It probably could have been included in the previous two books, but having it in one place means the time line is less disrupted in the series.

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Review: First Impressions (Fated Wings Series Book 1) by CR Jane

First Impressions by C.R. Jane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Intriguing Start To The Series

This is an intriguing book. It’s definitely about supernatural beings, but there is very little discussion of how they are supernatural and their abilities. There are just enough hints to draw you along, waiting for the next tidbit to drop.

Eva has spent the last four years trapped in an attic by her foster parents. The husband is drawn to her and the wife beats her for being attractive. She is homeschooled and somehow she finds a letter accepting her to a university she didn’t apply to along with a full scholarship. When the time finally comes she escapes by stealing some money and gets a bus to New York where her life changes drastically.

One thing Eva doesn’t understand is why men are so drawn to her that she feels uncomfortable, and why so many women hate her on sight. Then she meets Damon, a college football playing superstar who also acts in films with his friend Beckham and sings on stage occasionally with his friend Mason who’s in a rock band.

All three men share an unearthly beauty that has people falling at their feet. It appears that there is something very different about these men.

I like that there is a slow build up to Eva discovering things about herself. It’s more believable that someone with special abilities wouldn’t really know about them until they tried them out and why would they try them without something prompting them into doing something unusual?

I’m interested to see where this series goes next, because I want to know what she is, and why everyone wants her.

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Review: Refusing Kendall (White Trash Trilogy Series Book 2) by Brandy Slaven

Refusing Kendall by Brandy Slaven
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tough Times At College

Kendall and her guys are now well into their Freshman year at college. The house they rented near Kendall’s campus and 30 mins from the guys’ is mainly occupied by a solitary occupant. What they didn’t realise is that whilst football season was ongoing, freshman football players have a 10pm on weeknights curfew and have to stay in dorm rooms on campus. This means that during the week Kendall is alone and also when the guys are playing an away game at the weekend.

Being alone so often in the big house has made Kendall really jumpy, and she swears the place is haunted because there are strange little occurrences, such as picture frames moved and doors closed that shouldn’t be. She doesn’t want to complain and is determined to handle her fears on her own. Apart from being lonely, it appears that they have a stalker, as Kendall keeps getting silent phone messages.

Being away from the nastiness of High School should have made things easier for Kendall, but things don’t seem to be heading that way. There are fractures that form in the group and it might take something terrible to heal them.

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Review: Hissy Fit (The Southern Gentleman Series Book 1) by Lani Lynn Vale

Hissy Fit by Lani Lynn Vale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Funny and Sweet

I’d give this book 3.5 stars if I could.

This book is the first in a new series. Raleigh is a teacher, who is renowned throughout the town as the clumsiest person to ever walk it’s streets. She has had an unrequited crush on Coach Ezra McDuff since high school. He doesn’t know she exists because she is quiet and shy, and always has been.

Ezra finally notices Raleigh when she falls over a box of wrapping paper, taking out himself and three others. On his way to the floor the giant box of condoms, he bought for his nephew, smacks her in the face giving her a bloody nose. Not the best way to get someone’s notice!

After Ezra finally notices Raleigh he can’t stop thinking about her. Since she has an enormous crush, it doesn’t take much to persuade her to go out with him. There doesn’t seem to be much challenge in the relationship, all their problems come from outside sources.

There were a couple of instances when Ezra’s behaviour was a bit lacking, that were just brushed over, which annoyed me somewhat. It also seemed a little idealistic that a relationship based on a lifetime’s crush would have such a smooth transition from imagination and longing to actually being together.

Another review stated that Raleigh was a bit of a caricature of the naive, clumsy, virginal teacher, and I have to agree with that somewhat. However, there were a few things that counterbalance that view point. She really cares about her students, despite her fear of the very large senior football players. Her relationship with her family is solid as is her friendship with Camryn. She has experienced loss and pain which gives her some depth.

Basically this, like most books by the author, is a fairly easy read, filled with sweet romance and humour. It’s an unchallenging read, but it is pretty entertaining.

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Review: Reviving Kendall (White Trash Trilogy Book 1) by Brandy Slaven

Reviving Kendall by Brandy Slaven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emotional New Adult Reverse Harem

Kendall is an 18 year old high school senior who has lead a very difficult life. She lives in a trailer park with her grandfather who has terminal cancer. The boys she loved died two years ago in a car accident and she has been bullied ever since.

At school Kendall doesn’t have any friends and she suffers from depression. She works incredibly hard to help pay the bills and doesn’t have much in the way of material possessions. One day her isolation begins to change when she meets Maverick, Goose, Lucas and Teague at work. These guys are football stars at a nearby private school and at first Kendall doesn’t trust their interest. However, after they show her kindness, she begins to accept their friendship, along with Teague’s sister Ryleigh.

This book is packed full of emotional trauma. But the trauma doesn’t feel overdone. It feels real and deep. I also like how this reverse harem grows from friendship and they all experience doubts before changing the relationship.

Though there are sex scenes in the book, they are not too graphic in nature and feel a natural part of the story. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good spicy read, but it wouldn’t have fit with this particular book.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was written sensitively and realistically and the characters were interesting. I wish there had been more about the guys’ history, because this book really focused on everything from Kendall’s point of view, but as this is a series I hope that more will be explained in future books.

I will be reading the next book in the series, because even with a HFN ending, I know there is much more to come.

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Review: Beast Behaving Badly (The Pride Series Book 5) by Shelly Laurenston

Beast Behaving Badly by Shelly Laurenston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve always wanted to read the story of Bo Novikov and Blayne, ever since I read the Badgered books. The idea of a hybrid with sabre-toothed fangs appealed and the fact that he is grumpy and aggressive whilst Blayne is perky and kind just always made me wonder what their story was.

I’m so glad this book lived up to my expectations. Bo is a hybrid Asian lion and polar bear. He is also an extremely successful ice hockey player in the shifter league and has made a fortune. However, he’s not very popular and pretty much feared by everyone. 10 years ago he caught a glimpse of a teenage Blayne and was captivated. When he visited New York for a meeting about coming there to play he saw her again and took the deal despite it not being the best one.

Blayne is terrified of Bo, ever since he stared at her and chased after her 10 years ago, she worked on the assumption he was a serial killer. When he comes to New York and gives her the same stare she is petrified.

It is some very sleek story telling that gets them to the end of their HEA from this very rocky start. The author, as always, has a deft hand with plots as well as characters. I also fell in love with Ursus County in the Winter, the descriptions were so beautiful.

The back drop of the hybrid hunters from the last few books continued and added extra drama to the exceptional romance and I found it really hard to step away from the book once I started reading it.

Once again, a great book. You won’t be disappointed.

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