Tag: Book blog

ARC Book Review: Mail Order Baroness (Lords of the Rockies #2) by Misty M. Beller

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 262 pages
Author: Misty M. Beller
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: February 10th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Five sons of an English duke, all raised in the Rocky Mountains…

James Balfour, the charming middle son of an English duke, is determined to prove he’s capable of taking leadership of his family’s Montana ranch as the next deadly winter approaches. With the household stretched to its limits, James crafts a clever plan to hire Rose Prescott—his childhood best friend—and to right an old wrong.

Rose’s remarkable singing voice was meant to be her gift, but in Virginia City, it’s become her curse. Forced by her stepfather to perform nightly shows, she dreams of escape and a life free from his control. When a newspaper ad for a housekeeper offers her a way out, she risks everything and flees, hoping her stepfather can’t find her. She never expected to return to the Balfour ranch, nor to see James again, whose charm now reminds her too much of the men who’ve betrayed her before.

James’s desire to protect Rose is shaken when his old friend treats him like an enemy. Winning her trust becomes his greatest challenge yet. As tensions rise on the ranch, old secrets and new dangers threaten everything James and his family have built.

With enemies closing in, Rose must decide whom she can trust—and whether she’s willing to fight for the freedom and love she’s always longed for.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a royal family saga featuring a mail-order bride, a second chance romance, and an aristocratic marriage of convenience…all set in the rugged Montana Territory.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

SOFT & PROTECTIVE.

I love a hero who knows what he wants. And goes out of his way to ensure the safety of those he loves. This was another good installment in the series that brought the same charm from the previous book.

I enjoy these characters and the whole family dynamic. While there are some more intense moments you always know things will work out which makes the whole book feel low stakes. And sometimes what you need is a low stakes book to bring the hope and light.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: murder, kidnapping, loss of a parent

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Book Review: Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend (Catching Feelings #1) by Kate Watson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 378 pages
Author: Kate Watson
Publisher: Little Biks Creative
Release Date: July 22nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s not about the wedding, it’s about the marriage…license.

Sean

When my ex cheated and begged me to take her back, I made a rash, too-public vow: the next woman I kiss will be my wife. It seemed like a good idea at the time—anything to stop being everyone’s second choice. The ultimate fallback guy.

Then the Kayla Carville walks into my bar, all bold and stunning. When she hears my ex tearing me apart, she kisses me to shut her up. And when she learns about my stupid promise, she offers me a way to save face: we’ll claim we’re engaged.

The thing is, this isn’t about some stupid vow anymore. It’s about finding the courage to stop being the backup goalie and finally go for what I really want.

If I can.

Kayla

My ex is the worst, so my dad bought me a baseball team.

Classic billionaire-dad move.

Now I’m living in a small Southern town that hates me, trying to convince everyone I’m an absolute delight, not some generic “Boss Babe.”

They’re not buying it.

Except for Sean O’Shannan, the hot hometown hockey hero and bar owner who gave me the courage to break up with my fiancé months ago. He’s the kind of guy who remembers my smoothie order, saves a seat for me at the church potluck…and proposes when he discovers I don’t meet the team’s “ownership residency requirement.”

Saying yes is easy.

The hard part?

Not falling for my husband.

THIS WAS SWEET.

Y’all know I am a big fan of marriage of convenience. If I see that as a potential part of the book I AM SO THERE. I thought this was a really sweet way to bring Sean and Kayla together. It was a simple situation between them. I do think it led to lacking in some sort of push/pull. They were super smitten from the get-go and while they absolutely led to some great moments I think I needed more of a slow burn in that department.

I adored all of the hockey and baseball content. As a big sports girlie having both MC’s connected to sports in some way was awesome. And I loved how Kayla supported (and lovingly pushed) Sean to pursue his dreams and reminded him of how much he mattered.

I could always do with less ex related drama but it’s alright. If you’re needing a soft closed door romance, Kate Watson is slowly becoming an easy go-to author.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: closed door between a married couple
  • Violence: low

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Book Review: Mourner for Hire by Caitlin Moss

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 370 pages
Author: Caitlin Moss
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: September 9th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A romantic comedy about death, forgotten pasts, and unfinished business.

Vada Daughtry is a professional mourner. For a fee, she’ll cry at your funeral, whisper invented memories, and spin tales of heartbreak. It’s a job that keeps her moving—and keeps her past buried.

But when a wrong turn leads her to a roadside bar and a mojito-soaked night with bartender Dominic Dunne, something shifts. Then she vanishes, like she always does.

Nearly a year later, Vada shows up at a funeral… and realizes the deceased is Dominic’s mother.

Now he’s grieving, furious, and stunned to learn Vada’s been left a generous piece of his mother’s estate. He knows what she does for a living. He thinks it’s all a con. Vada wants to slip away quietly—again—but the late Annabelle Dunne has other plans: haunting Vada until she completes a list of posthumous demands, starting with renovating her crumbling seaside cottage.

Drawn back to the coastal town of Shellport, Vada and Dominic are forced to confront the truth—about the past, about each other, and about a ghost of a woman who isn’t done pulling strings.

Perfect for fans of enemies-to-lovers tension, slow burns, and ghost stories with bite.

TURNED OUT TO BE A BANGER.

Y’all should know I have some high levels of death anxiety and I usually don’t foray into a book where that’s basically the entire premise. But I do love Caitlin Moss (and we spell our names the same so it’s only right) and wanted to give it a go anyways.

I loved how this balanced the heaviness that comes with losing a loved one and the hope and lightness of a life lived and a future that can still be what you want it to be. There’s a small mystery and a paranormal aspect to the story that works so well!! It matched the vibe of the plot and only enhanced the book.

If you’re looking for some enemies banter, look no further. This gets grouchy and maybe a touch mean as grief is navigated and truth is released. I loved that this created a genuine slow burn between Dominic and Vada though. They really grew from strangers to lovers and helped carry each other’s burdens.

The side characters are awesome, the beachside setting is lovely and those last reveals you can see coming bring the heart of this story to life. I devoured this book on a road trip and can’t wait for more CM books.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 2-3ish open door
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: thematically the book involves a lot of death conversation, loss of a parent, retrograde amnesia, cancer

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Book Review: A Forbidden Fate (The Forbidden Fate #1) by Kaven Hirning

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 414 pages
Author: Kaven Hirning
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 6th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A centuries long war, an enchanted wood, and a curse.
Idalia leaves her castle to marry the new king of the Deep, certain that this union will be the final step in saving her kingdom. She must travel through the Florian Wood, a mysterious place shrouded in legend and myth. Things go awry when the Princess is captured by a band of thieves, and they soon discover that the stories of the Wood weren’t just stories afterall. To make matters worse, she is stranded in this nightmare with her rival; A shameless bandit who likes to talk and drink too much. Despite the dangers of the Wood, there is a threat far graver to the both of them–each other. Apart from their warring lands, they have also been cursed by the gods. They can never touch, or they will die and their entire kingdoms with them. Join Idalia and a group of misfits on this harrowing journey. One full of sorrow, terror, forbidden love … and plenty of drinks.

Thank you to LibroFM for the gifted audiobook.

I’LL READ BOOK TWO.

This book went on and off my TBR for a long time and when I saw an audio copy I snagged it and here we are. I thought the concept was good and I liked that they couldn’t touch each other. It added a level of tension that built in a nice slow burn over the book.

I didn’t have any big issues with pacing (which could be due to audiobook speed that kept things moving). It’s a travel plot with many diversions throughout a haunted wood. Some of the side quests seemed forced, but in the end it worked out well.

I loved the romantic aspects and getting those necessary flashback chapters to understand the character dynamics and how everything began when the curse tore them apart. The found family was SO GOOD. I loooved the banter and the respect and care that went into every relationship. I’m curious what will happen next!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: one open door
  • Violence: moderate

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