Author: GoodeyReads

Book Review: Loyally, Luke (Skymar #3) by Pepper Basham

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Pepper Basham
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: May 14th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sometimes love means embracing the good, the bad . . . and even the impossible.

Dear Reader,

My name is Luke Edgewood, and there are few things in life that I require. Mainly black coffee. And flannel. And lots of solitude. And my dogs, Chewy and Indie. What I don’t need is romance, so I have no plans to change my thirty-year-old bachelor status anytime soon.

But my youngest sister thinks that by accepting a short-term construction job in the small European country of Skymar, I’m going to follow along in her footsteps and discover my own romantic adventure. Nope. Bah humbug. The End. This time, her rom-com-movie senses are totally wrong.

Or maybe not. Because I’ve met a Grace Kelly look-alike who is annoying . . . until she isn’t. But she is impossible. As in, nothing can happen between us because she is a literal princess. Even though that’s easy to forget when we’re working together to restore a castle-like orphanage in a secluded mountain town and “forced proximity” includes a small closet, a secret one-hundred-year-old journal, and the tactile memory of an off-limits royal in my arms.

Basically, the whole situation has turned into an ooey gooey magical snow globe of romantic tropes complete with cute kids and an actual ball. Now, even my sentences are starting to sound like mush. Ugh. Send high levels of testosterone my way—I’m going to need it.

Loyally,
Luke

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for the gifted copy.

MUCH BETTER.

After having a lot of mixed feelings about book two in this series, I’m happy to see I easily enjoyed this one much more. It was a sweet romance. I loved the hidden identities and all of the renovation work. The audiobook did these characters justice and blessed be that there were a loooot less texting/email conversations. I still didn’t find those necessary to the story, and I really liked when it was just Luke and the princess.

There’s good banter and that edge of forbidden romance. The setting has castles and beautiful country sides. The light faith elements didn’t overwhelm the story and I liked how the ending came together and where this couple ended up. It’s light and charming and I look forward to trying another Pepper Basham book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low

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Book Review: A Churn in the Virtual Society (Into the Churn #3.5) by Hayley Reese Chow

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Sci-Fi Romance Novella
Length: 238 pages
Author: Hayley Reese Chow
Publisher: Whimsical Publishing
Release Date: September 16th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Virtual Society is blowing up. (Figuratively.)

When Micah Belanger saw the word “disputed” pop up after her beloved Belethea Race Royale team won the biggest race in ’verse, all of VSoc heard her shriek. Add in four attempted murders, and she’s on a (virtual) warpath to set the record straight—as any true fangirl would.

Lowell Coppen, of The Royaler Review, is also concerned with the murderous rumors behind the latest BRR, especially with warnings of a system-wide war rippling through VSoc. Determined to shed light on the truth, Lowell, a self-proclaimed objective voice, forges a begrudging alliance with Belethea’s most manic fangirl. If their secret arrangement comes to light, it’ll ruin them both, but if they don’t get the story right, the lies could bring Belethea to its knees.

And falling in love isn’t helping at all.

Thank you to Whimsical Publishing for the gifted audiobook.

I’LL MISS THIS SERIES.

I have loved every book in this series from Hayley Reese Chow and have been excited to read this final installment (please make sure you have read all of the other books to understand everything in here!!).

I loved this look into Micah and Lowell’s lives and seeing the entire trilogy from their perspective in short bursts. There romance is really sweet and this was an easy read to listen and enjoy (I also thought the dash of sound effects were perfect for this type of book!).

I will definitely be reading whatever HRC writes next.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Sci-Fi Romance Novella
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: The Blonde Who Came in Form the Cold (Blonde Identity #2) by Ally Carter

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: August 5th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ten years ago, they joined the CIA.

Six years ago, he left the game.

Five years ago, they fell in love.

One year ago, she ran out into the cold with absolutely no intention of ever coming back.

And two minutes ago, they woke up, bloody and bruised and handcuffed together in the dark.

They don’t know where they are. They don’t know how they got there. And they have absolutely no idea who is after them or what this nameless, faceless villain wants.

The only thing that’s clear is that, after ten years of covers and chemistry, secrets and lies, these two rival spies have been sucked into their greatest mission yet, and now they’re going to have to team up to stay alive. (If they don’t kill each other first.)

Thank you to Avon Books for the ARC and LibroFM for the gifted audiobook.

OH I WAS OBSESSED.

OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. Frankly that’s all you need. ALL THE DANG STARS GO PICK IT UP.

I am such a puddle for a man SO DOWN BAD. The MMC (who gets his own narration!!!!) was incredible. I love him. I love him. I love him. I could give you a list of scenes that had me swooning non-stop and obsessing over his every move. And I adored the FMC too. The banter was off the charts and you could feel their chemistry from the first moment. These flashbacks were AMAZING. I’m not a flashback chapter fan and appreciated that these only added and shaped the story.

It’s fast paced, full of action, heat, romance and allllll the things. I loved the audiobook. I loved the book. I LOVED IT ALL.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance Mystery
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate

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ARC Book Review: An Echo of the Grave (Fallow Creek #4) by Claudia Cain

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Paranormal Horror
Length: 440 pages
Author: Claudia Cain
Publisher: Black Sheep Books
Release Date: September 19th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

There is always another monster.

After weeks of terror, Cass has stopped an immortal killer, made peace with the Fae, and is enjoying some well-deserved happiness with her Warden, Merich. But a betrayal from within her own family cuts that happiness short, and leaves them exposed to a new threat.

This enemy is different than the others. Worse. Hungrier. And as winter descends, bringing a new kind of darkness, Cass is no longer simply defending her position as the Witch, but fighting for her sanity and life.

If she wants to save her family, it’s a fight she has no choice but to win.

But everything has a price. And the cost of victory might be too high.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

GOOD CONCLUSION.

I have really enjoyed this series and I liked how everything was wrapped up and thought it was satisfying for all of the characters (and honestly I can see a spin-off??).

The complicated and dramatic family was quirky and intense as always. I still can’t stand Pen, but everyone else is great! I loved that the romance was turned up a notch too because I have loved Merich from day one. The FMC, Cass, is someone you want to cheer on and I continually love her soft tenacity to do the next right thing.

If you enjoy books that will give you the CREEPS. You have to pick up this series. I’m not usually a fan of that dynamic so that goes to show you how expertly this is written. I love that I get the heebie-jeebies and feel like I need a light on but that I also have to keep going to know what happens next. This is an awesome series if you’re looking to switch up genres or try something new.

Overall audience notes:

  • Horror paranormal
  • Language: mild+
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: high

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