ARC Book Review: How to Kiss Your Grumpy Boss (Hawthorne Brothers #2) by Jenny Proctor

November 1, 2022November 1, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 337 pages
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Perry Hawthorne is my boss. Only my boss. And I do NOT have a crush.

When one of THE Hawthorne brothers—known by their chiseled jawlines and their family-run farm and event center—hires me to be his virtual assistant, I do everything I can to keep him firmly in the work zone.

His grumpy demeanor helps.

His smoking hot profile picture does not.

But even if I do have a crush (a very tiny one), I can’t catch real feelings for a million different reasons.

Besides the whole business part of our relationship, I’m a single mom. I have to think about what’s best for my son, Jack. And my grumpy, divorced, humorless boss isn’t exactly giving me “ready to be a stepdad” vibes.

When Perry upgrades me from virtual to in-person assistant, I wonder if I’ve gotten him all wrong. He’s actually pretty great with Jack. And with me? Let’s just say the chemistry crackling between us might vaporize all my reasons for keeping my distance.

Trouble is, after his messy divorce, I’m not sure Perry’s ready to bet on a new relationship. But it isn’t just my heart that’s on the line. It’s Jack’s, too. And after everything we went through before my husband died, I’m not sure that’s a gamble I’m ready to take, no matter how desperate Jack is for a daddy.

How to Kiss Your Best Friend is a sweet romantic comedy with all the sizzling kisses you want in a closed-door romance but no explicit scenes.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

APPLE-SOLUTELY LOVED.

LOVED THIS ONE Y’ALL. It was so sweet and full of all the apple based puns I didn’t know I needed.

I loved Perry’s growth and his character arc as he worked through a lot of new things. He was sincere and swoony and just the right amount of grump. Everything felt so perfectly attuned to life and that made me feel all the more. I can’t imagine the thought process through deciding to become an instant Dad and I liked that there was an up and down to his journey. The ex-wife didn’t overshadow anything and I appreciate she was in the story just enough to understand the past and see the bright future ahead.

Lila & Jack were amazing too. I loved them and how Lila worked hard to be the best Mom she could be for Jack and also realize it was okay to find happiness for herself. Lila was full of confidence I wish I had. The body image conversations also hit my heart too. I liked the way this was approached and handled throughout. Jack was the perfect little side character. Sometimes kids can be hit/miss in a read, but he was GREAT. Incredibly sweet, full of love to give, and very much like a 5-year old.

I loooove this family and the support (and laughs) they provide for one another. The farm is a wonderful setting as always. Fantastic kissing scenes, all the honest moments and all the feels.

Worth staying up past my bedtime for this one!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: divorce, loss of a spouse (prior but recounted)

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: October 2022

October 31, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Happy Halloween! Hope y’all have had an enjoyable reading month. I got to 42 books and some new favorites.

Favorites
– A Game of Hearts
– Foul Lady Fortune
– Nightwing
– Thank You for Listening
– Yours Truly
– It Starts With Us
– Faking Christmas
– How to Kiss Your Grumpy Boss

Least Favorites
– Dark Night Golden Dawn
– Kingdom of the Feared
– Wishtress
– So This is Christmas

[ARC] The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford
[Novella] Second Chance for Christmas by Anne Kemp
The Kiss Curse (Ex Hex #2) by Erin Sterling
A Crime of Passion Fruit (A Bakeshop Mystery #6) by Ellie Alexander
[ARC] Five Survive by Holly Jackson
From the Fields of Porthlenn (Cornish Romance #5) by Deborah M. Hathaway
Dark Night Golden Dawn (The Immortal Orders #1) by Allison Carr Waechter
Lux (Texas Reckoners #1) by Brandon Sanderson and Steven Michael Bohls
[ARC] A Game of Hearts by Joanna Barker
[ARC] The Empress of Time (The Keeper of the Night #2) by Kylie Lee Baker
House of Beating Wings (The Kingdom of Crows #1) by Olivia Wildenstein
Foul Lady Fortune (Foul Lady Fortune #1) by Chloe Gong
Smoke Show (Deadlights Cove #1) by B. Perkins and Aimee Vance
Kingdom of the Feared (Kingdom of the Wicked #3) by Kerri Maniscalco
Nightwing (The Starchaser Saga #3) by Renee Dugan
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
[Novella] Mr. October by Bethany Weaver
Where Oceans Burn (Where Oceans Burn #1) by Casey L. Bond
Sky Without Stars (System Divine #1) by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell
[ARC] Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle
Shattered Sea (Tattered & Torn #4) by Catherine Cowles
Wild About Denali (Wild About Alaska #1) by Sara Blackard
It Starts With Us (It Ends With Us #2) by Colleen Hoover
An Heir Comes to Rise (An Heir Comes to Rise #1) by C.C. Penaranda
The Lost Letter by Mimi Matthews
Court of Blood and Bindings (Fae Isles #1) by Lisette Marshall
[ARC] Merry Ex-Mas by Courtney Walsh
Christmas Baggage (Christmas Escapes #1) by Deborah M. Hathaway
Wishtress by Nadine Brandes
The Make-Up (Falling for Franklin #2) by Hailey Gardiner
[ARC] The Call of the Sea by Sian Bessey
So This is Christmas (A Princess for Christmas #3) by Jenny Holiday
Legacy (Keeper of the Lost Cities #8) by Shannon Messenger
Host for the Holidays (Christmas Escapes #2) by Martha Keyes
[ARC] A Very Merry Bromance (Bromance Book Club #5) by Lyssa Kay Adams
Deja Brew (Deadlights Cove #2) by Aimee Vance and B. Perkins
A Queen Comes to Power (An Heir Comes to Rise #2) by C.C. Penaranda
[ARC] Faking Christmas (Christmas Escape #3) by Cindy Steel
[ARC] How to Kiss Your Grumpy Boss by Jenny Proctor
One Dark Window (The Shepherd King #1) by Rachel Gillig

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Book Review: Smoke Show (Deadlights Cove #1) by B. Perkins and Aimee Vance

October 31, 2022October 13, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Paranormal Romance
Length: 346 pages
Author: B. Perkins & Aimee Vance
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: July 19th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When the dean of Bishop College in Boston threatened to close Petra Ambrose’s Pre-Revolutionary American History department, she could feel all of her work towards her dream career slipping through her fingers. To her dismay, students weren’t interested in American Puritanical culture and the status of women in their time, not unless it involved trendy witches glamourized in modern society.

In a last hope to save her job, Petra was tasked with finding something new and exciting to draw in more students. Not exactly sure where to start, she headed up the coast to explore sites other than cliche and touristy Salem.

Small-town Maine had her imagining a quaint village straight out of a romance novel on the water. To some extent, she found it, with the quirky, nosy neighbors, but Deadlights Cove was entirely too dingy to be run by its no-nonsense mayor. Plus, everyone in town seemed to be in on some joke at her expense, none more so than the mischievous and overly friendly bartender, Blaze. Far too handsome for his own good, the man had the unfair ability to irritate her more than anyone else ever had while simultaneously setting her heart racing.

With obstacles popping up at every turn, Petra was ready to throw her hands up and go back to the drawing board for a new strategy until she wound up at the center of a murder investigation.

Nothing was as it seemed in Deadlights Cove, and Petra could have just unearthed more than she’d ever imagined. But was discovering the truth about this town worth giving up everything she’d worked so hard for?

Follow Petra and Blaze’s story, along with the quirky band of local misfits, through the Deadlights Cove series, beginning with book one, Smoke Show.

GREAT FOR THE SEASON.

Read this on a whim (and from a friend’s recommendation) and it hit the spot. This is a hidden gem for the paranormal romance genre!

I loved this small town and all of the characters. There’s all sorts of mythical types (demons, angels, shifters, witches, etc.) and they all fit into the story perfectly. Great autumn vibes for the setting that set the mood.

Petra was a great FMC. Had no major complaints and just enjoyed watching her explore Deadlights Cove and coming to terms with the new world surrounding her. Blaze was a swoony cinnamon roll. I loved their connection and build. It’s a bit insta-y for me, but over time I thought it all worked out just fine. There were a lot of good communication moments and I loved the way the third act was handled.

This leans on the lighter side and absolutely made me laugh out loud a few times. I can’t wait to read book two.

Overall audience notes:

Paranormal Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: two open; low-med explicit
Violence: medium
Trigger/Content Warnings: murder

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Book Review: Accidentally Amy by Lynn Painter

October 30, 2022September 22, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Lynn Painter
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: September 6th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

IT STARTED WITH A CUP…

Isabella Shay is usually a very honest person.

But when she’s running late for her first day at a dream job and the barista yells for “Amy” 3x with no answer, she does the unthinkable.

Izzy takes that PSL.

It’s the exact drink she ordered and paid for, only waaaay further ahead in the line, so she mutters “I’m Amy” and grabs the cup.

But when she turns around and runs directly into the most attractive man she’s ever seen, spilling the drink all over his GQ shirt and tie, she ends up having the ultimate meet-cute. Sparks fly and things feel beyond promising until he says the words, “See you tomorrow, Amy.”

Uh, oh – she’ll definitely have to straighten him out the following day.

Only when she gets to her new office and meets the VP of her department, it is none other than Blake Phillips – the hottie from Starbucks. And the man might’ve been charming to “Amy,” but he is an arrogant grump to Izzy, an arrogant grump who dos not find her explanation funny at all.

MEET CUTE + GRUMPY/SUNSHINE + FRIENDS-TO-LOVERS = ACCIDENTALLY AMY

NO PLOT, ALL FUN.

This is a book to go into with low expectations of a major plot or storyline or anything like that. It is a cathartic palate cleanser read that brought some joy to my life for a day.

I got many laughs out of this. Izzy and Blake are a hoot. All of the random games and get-to-know you activities were inventive. The meet-cute office romance was adorable and I loooved the dual POV. This book is pure fun in those regards. Painter somehow made me enjoy an insta-love romance and I am here for this change in pace to one of my lowest favorite tropes.

There’s some cringe with the spice and whatnot, it’s fine. I skipped a bit and cheered this wild couple on. If you’re looking for something to mix it up with, this would be a great read for the fall!

Overall audience notes: