Book Review: Enchanted Kingdom (The Enchanted Kingdom #1) by Tricia Wentworth

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 434 pages
Author: Tricia Wentworth
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 22nd, 2022
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BOOK SUMMARY:

Some women in Wylan had dreamt of this day. Some pined and planned for it their entire lives.

Chosen for the Assemblages of Consorts, Jorah Demir will have the opportunity to vie for the twin crown princes’ affections. Though no one knows which prince will eventually rule, they are two of the most powerful Enchanted in all the kingdom.

Not only is a chance for a crown at stake, but also a small drop of the royal bloodline’s magic. Jorah isn’t interested in either. Both princes are Enchanted, the very type of people responsible for her father’s murder.

From the lowest level of the kingdom and without magic, she is forced to go above the walls of Wylan and into the castle itself. She only has one goal: to avoid the crown princes and not, under any circumstances, form an attachment with either one of them.

Surrounded by Enchanted at every turn, she soon learns not all are as evil as she assumed. And when the king’s magic doesn’t affect her, everything Jorah thought she knew is called into question

PREDICTABLE.

And while that’s not always a bad thing I don’t think I’m the audience for this book. I’ve read a lot of fantasy books and this didn’t give me anything new to hold on to. From the first chapter I could tell you where things were going and the romance and characters didn’t bring the swoon I wanted.

Now granted I will say that it is a series so I fully expect some of those aspects to change. But I’m tired of pushing to a second book when I didn’t feel fully invested by the end of book one and that’s the case here. There will be plenty of people who will enjoy this one.

I am not that person.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild

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Book Review: First Down and Forever to Go by (River Foxes #1) by Leah Dobrinska

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Football Romance
Length: 285 pages
Author: Leah Dobrinska
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: January 20th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Can a pair of opposites come together to heal from past wounds, lay their secrets bare, and pave the way for a future full of laughter and love? Or is this Cinderella story destined for an unhappily ever after?

TJ Wilson, the outgoing star running back for the Green Bay River Foxes, swears he’ll never fall in love again…not after losing his college girlfriend. He’s content with a life of football and carefree dating. Nothing serious. No strings. No matter how much his teammates rib him for it. When a stunning, secretive woman all but begs him to show her a good time at his team’s charity ball, he’s the man for the job. If the shoe fits, after all.

One heart-to-heart and an almost-kiss later, TJ finds himself enamored with the bashful but brazen mystery Cinderella, and, against his better judgement, longing for more than the one night she’s offered him.

One night. Lucy Dupree, a secret author and media personality-turned-social pariah, promises her literary agent she’ll come out of hiding for one night. Just long enough to get inspired, overcome her writer’s block, and finish her manuscript by the deadline. With the help of her fairy-godmother landlord and a vintage wedding gown, Lucy attends the Green Bay River Foxes Gala where she meets TJ, a walking, talking prince charming.

The masquerade theme allows Lucy to conceal her identity, and TJ provides her with enough content to write ten romance novels. A win-win. She got what she came for, and that’s enough. It has to be. Because when the clock strikes midnight, the fairytale ends. Or is it just beginning?

First Down and Forever To Go is a soft and sweet closed door romance with kissing only and no implied intimacy, perfect for fans of the opposites attract and friends to more tropes. This is the first book in the River Foxes Football Romance series. All titles can be read as standalones.

SWEET START.

I’m a big fan of Leah Dobrinska’s sports romances. They hit the spot and she rights some of the best closed door kissing scenes around. Even the *almost* scenes had my kindle heating up. I looooove it.

And this was such a good story. I adored TJ’s cocky nature with a soft cinnamon roll interior. The amount of times he just *adored* upon Lucy were some of the sweetest and I couldn’t get enough. I really liked the dynamic between them and the chemistry they couldn’t deny.

I did like Lucy for the most part. I understood the struggle and the time it takes to step back out, but I did get a bit frustrated with how the third act was handled. Some of it was fine? But for the most part I had hoped her growth had hit its climax before that point.

But a genuinely great start to the series and I’m looking forward to seeing the romances for the other players on the team!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: loss of a partner (recounted)

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ARC Book Review: Rival Season (Hockey Boys of Loft 3B #2) by Leah Brunner and Katie Bailey

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: NA Sports Romance
Length: 309 pages
Author: Leah Brunner and Katie Bailey
Publisher: Eleventh Avenue
Release Date: May 14th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He’s trying to outrun his past…

Penn Matthews is living beyond his wildest dreams. He’s made it to the NHL, shares a swanky loft with his teammates, and best of all, he’s able to support his little sister. Life is good, and his rocky past is finally behind him.

Until Hazel Palmer shows up at his door.

His downstairs neighbor is as feisty as she is gorgeous, and the type of woman he’d be very interested in–if he hadn’t sworn off falling in love years ago. But when Penn finds out Hazel just got her heart broken by his longtime rival, he steps in to help.

…She wants revenge on her cheating ex

Hazel should be writing her dissertation, but it’s difficult to focus while dealing with betrayal, a breakup, and the constant distractions from her rowdy upstairs neighbor.

At first, she’s convinced the tattooed hockey player in 3B is just another idiot playboy, but when Penn comes to her defense one night, the feuding neighbors realize they share a common enemy–and decide to get payback.

The plan is simple: fake date to make her ex jealous, and get the jerk out of both their lives for good.

But when fake kisses turn into real connection and Penn’s past threatens to catch up to him, what started out as sweet revenge soon escalates to risking everything…

Thank you to the authors for a gifted eARC.

THAT’S HOT.

Am I still thinking about what was possibly the hottest kiss I’ve ever read? YOUBETCHA. That should convince you to pick up this book without even reading the rest of the review. BUT FINE, I’ll give you more.

I am obsessed with Penn and Hazel. They had the perfect blend of chemistry and undeniable attraction and for someone who hasn’t been loving fake dating lately I could NOT GET ENOUGHHHH of these two pretending they weren’t already madly in love. My favorite romance books are ones where each scene feels like it serves the plot of the romance and RIVAL SEASON DOES JUST THAT. I loved how every moment, big and small, created this beautiful relationship. Penn is a walking green flag. Hazel is my favorite kind of feisty and genuinely kind FMC.

Not to even mention all of the hockey content, and seeing Noah and Ally??? AND FISHER???? Let me tell y’all. I love this crew so much!! It really does provide the New Girl vibes that I love. I don’t often stay up late for books anymore and this one had me reading past my bed time and I REGRET NOTHING.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Sports Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: hot kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: cheating (not b/t the mains obvs), strained parent relationships

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Book Review: All We Lost Was Everything by Sloan Harlow

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: New Adult Romantic Suspense
Length: 352 pages
Author: Sloan Harlow
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s
Release Date: May 6th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A sexy, dark romantic thriller—with a shocking twist—by the author of Everything We Never Said.

River Santos is stuck—in her job at the diner, in her dead-end town, in her grief. Her father died in a house fire just a few months ago, her mother has been MIA for nearly a year, and the only people she can count on are the aunt she lives with and her best friend Tawny. 

Things feel like they’re turning around when Logan—the hot guy at the diner who’s always ignored her—seems interested. It’s complicated by her ex-boyfriend Noah, who she really needs closure with, and the fact that Tawny doesn’t think either of them is good enough for River… but the tension between River and Logan can’t be denied.

But love takes a backseat when new information surfaces about the fire. After all these months trying to move forward, River is forced to rethink everything… including the idea that maybe it wasn’t an accident after all. But who would commit this deadly act? And why?

River isn’t sure who to trust or who to turn to, but she needs to figure it out, fast. Because someone has more than love on their mind. They want revenge.

GOOD TWIST.

That was probably the saving grace for this book for me. I thought the twist was good and I felt like I should have seen it coming but the redirection throughout kept my mind going in different directions and I love that because mysteries and I historically don’t get along.

This book brings the DRAMA and suspense. Every time I turned there was new information, characters coming out of the wood work and some romance too. Though I will say the romance felt out of place? Or at least the spice did. I was rooting for them as a couple, but thought some of the scenes (there were 3-4) were unnecessary for the plot.

And while I River a lot and felt she was truly trying to do her best I was also wanted to shake her a few times. Things wrap up well in a twisted sort of way. I do think I got the answers I needed to close the book with satisfaction at least. It’s got a pretty decent pace and the audiobook is solid.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Romantic suspense
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 3-4ish open door; vague/low explicit
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: murder, loss of life, near death experiences, alcoholism

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