Tag: Book blog

Book Review: Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Jeff Zentner
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: April 30th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Colton Gentry is riding high. His first hit in nearly a decade has caught fire, he’s opening for country megastar Brant Lucas, and he’s married to one of the hottest acts in the country. But he’s hurting. Only a few weeks earlier, his best friend, Duane, was murdered onstage by a mass shooter at a country music festival. One night, with his trauma festering and Jim Beam flowing through his veins, Colton stands before a sold-out arena crowd of country music fans and offers his unfiltered opinion on guns. It goes over poorly.
 
Immediately, his career and marriage implode. Left with few choices or funds, he retreats to his rural Kentucky hometown. He’s resigned himself to has-been-dom, until a chance encounter at his town’s new farm-to-table restaurant gives him a second shot at a job working in the kitchen with Luann, his first love, who has undergone her own reinvention. Told through perspectives alternating between his senior year of high school, his time coming up with Duane as hungry musicians in Nashville, and the present, COLTON GENTRY’S THIRD ACT is a story of coming home, undoing past heartbreaks, and navigating grief, and is a reminder that there are next acts in life, no matter how unlikely they may seem. 

WHAT A STORY.

I fell in love with Colton Gentry. I loved this redemption story of a fan who really has been brought to a deep valley and found a way back out again. I appreciated that it wasn’t linear and that mistakes were still made. Colton always remained a character to root for and someone you wanted to see succeed.

The second chance romance was executed perfectly too. I liked having the flashback chapters that showed just how much Luann and Colton were in love with each other. Full of young mistakes and wanting to repair those bridges and boundaries. I loved how they reconnected and how they had this soulmate kind of vibe about them.

I loved this audiobook and I think that this is such an underrated contemporary romance book!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: low explicit open door
  • Violence: low-moderate
  • Content Warnings: MC struggles with alcoholism, mass shooting discussed, grief and loss depiction, death of a friend and parent

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ARC Book Review: If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: August 5th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this enemies-to-lovers romance, school nurse Josie and her brother’s best friend–hockey player Wyatt Jacobs–are tricked into spending a summer together that’s anything but smooth sailing.

When Josie’s brother sends her to a random address for their (sometimes) annual Super Summer Sibling Extravaganza, she finds neither siblings nor extravaganzas. Instead, ends up at a run-down cottage on the Northern Neck of Virginia occupied by a hockey player she knows and loathes.

A hockey player who isn’t just one of her sports agent brother’s clients. He’s also his best friend. And Josie’s sworn enemy.

Oh–and her brother wants Josie to help Wyatt recover from his injury.

Dragging grumpy hockey players to physical therapy is a far cry from bandaging skinned knees, but for the price her brother offers to pay, Josie is willing to try.

Even if it means sharing what she dubs the quaint little murder cottage with Wyatt.

Begrudgingly, Josie starts to see a little more of the man behind the grumpy exterior. And when she finds out he was supposed to sail the Intracoastal Waterway south to Savannah scattering his uncle’s ashes, Josie surprises even herself by offering to be Wyatt’s first mate.

Smooth sailing is nowhere to be found, and Josie begins to wonder if they’ll be able to make it home without killing–or kissing?–each other.

And yet, the longer they share cramped quarters and canned food, the more of Wyatt’s layers she peels back until Josie realizes she misunderstood him, their shared history, and perhaps herself as well.

Thank you to Emma St. Clair for the gifted ARC.

OH HOW SOFT.

You know what we all need sometimes? A soft and sweet summer romance that just gives you the warm fuzzies. I adored this story. It was an easy read and I loved watching these two souls who were so oblivious to their love work it out sailing together. And did I mention that Wyatt is down bad? BECAUSE HE IS AND I LOVE IT. There were so many small moments that truly added to their love story. I love the quiet actions. Those always speak the loudest and make my heart burst.

I loved the few cameos from some of my favorite Appies and the growth that Wyatt showed throughout. I love watching grumpy characters soften and have some core realizations about their life. Josie was steadfast in taking care of Wyatt and I can’t tell y’all how many scenes I was giddy over. Your friendly reminder that closed door romances can bring the heat.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: grief depiction, loss of a loved one (recounted)

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Book Review: Beautifully Broken Spirit (Sutter Lake #3) by Catherine Cowles

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 336 pages
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 22nd, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s always been his safe place to land.

Jensen has shared a special bond with Tuck for as long as she can remember, their friendship a language that never needed words. But as life threw her one curveball after another, that secret language turned to stony silence.

He’s always been her protector.

Tuck has looked out for Jensen since the day she was born. As his best friend’s little sister, he’s tried to keep her firmly in the friend category. But she’s always been more.

All it takes is one moment of weakness to send Tuck’s fiercely guarded walls crumbling to the ground. As a new fire burns between them, someone watches. Someone who doesn’t like the new life Jensen’s building for herself.

And they’ll stop at nothing to keep her in the dark.

ANOTHER GOOD ONE.

My quest to finish Catherine Cowles backlist continues with this gem! I liked this book a lot. It was another one I could binge in a day and I loved diving back into this world. I loved all of the horse content, the small town vibes, and all of these characters.

The one little thing I struggled with was the MMC calling martyr on their relationship. It’s one of my least favorite ways to handle a third act.

I did like the suspense of this one and watching Jensen continually battle back through tough circumstances. I loved the single mom and childhood friends to lovers tropes. It was executed so well. Lots of swoon and romantic tension. I’m excited to continue this series!

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantic Suspense
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 3 open door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content Warnings: murder of animals, attempted murder, near death experiences, gun violence, kidnapping, extortion

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Book Review: The Splendor of Fire (The Hebridean Shield #2) by Ashley Worrell

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Christian Romance
Length: 376 pages
Author: Ashley Worrell
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: October 22nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Left without a voice after being lost at sea, and unable to communicate except with the man she calls Father, Moira Allen has spent her life running wild among the treetops on the Isle of Skye. Observing and sketching everything around her, and assisting Father with the care of “prestigious guests” inside the walls of Cràdh Prison, Moira’s untamed heart and sharp instincts have made her uniquely positioned to change the course of history.

Imprisoned by his brother Niall for disgracing his family and killing his sister Elspeth, Léo MacKinnon has known nothing but a life of loss. First the murder of his parents, then his abandonment in France by his brothers, his wife’s tragic death, and now his imprisonment and separation from his only child. Tragedies all spurred by Léo’s darkest and most painful secret. The secret that no one can ever know, yet it is the secret God will not let him forget.

As the Wolf and the MacKinnons tighten their hold on the Isle of Skye and the Kingdom of the Isles, Léo’s survival lays in the hands of a most unlikely champion—a mute and vibrant beauty who will slip into the heart of his captor, risking her safety, her virtue, and her life, all to ensure the freedom of the man she loves.

A GOOD SEQUEL.

(Though I don’t think you HAVE to read these in order, I would recommend it).

I find these books so intriguing. The stories pull you in with the intensity of the moment and the chaos of not knowing where things will go next. The need to know everyone makes it out alive and that the leads get their HEA. It’s easy to follow and read and highly engaging.

The instant love was a little meh to me. I thought things got off a little too quickly. There were some good gaps that helped but I think they argued about the same thing one too many times. I did love Leo and Moira though. They were both fantastic characters with a lot of strength and perseverance. The faith elements were woven in naturally and I look forward to continuing this series.

Overall audience notes:

  • Christian historical romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: attempted sexual assault, kidnapping, near death experiences, loss of life

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