Tag: Book Review

Book Review: A Class of Her Own (The Thornback Society #2) by Aspen Hadley

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 216 pages
Author: Aspen Hadley
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: December 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Meredith Atwood has been described as a lot of things.

Her friends call her determined, strong, and dedicated. Her enemies, well, their words are a little less flattering. But, Meredith doesn’t have time to worry about appearances, especially not when she finds herself locked in a life or death battle with her new HOA president – a man, incidentally, who didn’t even want the job that should have been hers.

Brooks VanOrman doesn’t have a lot of time or interest in fighting battles. However, when he finds himself unwittingly in the position of HOA president, he realizes he’s going to have to start caring, and soon. To complicate matters, his neighbor – the feisty, dark-haired woman of his nightmares – refuses to follow the rules and he’s the one called in to enforce them.

It’s an instant clash of wills.

Only the more Brooks gets to know Meredith, the more he realizes that there’s a lot more to the fierce warrior than meets the eye.

A Class of Her Own is a closed-door, kissing only, sweet and clean romance with all the swoon but no explicit content.

TEARS.

Uh, this made me tear up a whole bunch at the end so I gave it five stars and this is how my logic works.

I loved this story. I will say it did lean a little more women’s fiction than I was expecting when I picked it up but there was a lot of goodness in that side of the storytelling. I loved Meredith. I could relate to her on multiple facets. I think that’s what really got me. I understood her need for control and rules and some kind of a map to feel secure.

Enter in Brooks. This man is superior. I could not get enough of the way he handled everything. There was so much respect and caring for Meredith’s feelings while also voicing his own. I like that he didn’t hold back, and still gave space when needed. I loved watching this relationship come together and would have loved having even more romance throughout.

The friend group is great, the holiday antics were fun and it’s a pretty quick book to fly through. I can’t wait to read the next story.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of loss of a mother, an absentee father

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Book Review: My Lucky Charm (Holidays With Hart #2) by Courtney Walsh

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 376 pages
Author: Courtney Walsh
Publisher: Indie Published
Release Date: February 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A humiliating break-up leads to an impulsive New Year’s Kiss with a complete stranger.
What could possibly go wrong?

It’s no secret that I love life. And Dr Pepper. But also, I love a challenge. . .

So when the coach of the Chicago Comets gives me the opportunity to help their star player, newly traded to their team, acclimate to life in Chicago, I’m all in.

I have to be. After my last job went up in flames, I have something to prove.

It turns out that the player, Grayson Hawke, is the rudest, most off-putting, reclusive guy I’ve ever met.

It also turns out that he is the beautiful stranger I kissed on New Year’s Eve.

I can do this job. I can do this job. I can do this job.

And I can. Really well.

I can make Gray’s life easier, show him all the reasons to fall in love with this city, and in the process, hopefully completely forget that the amazing kiss ever happened.

How hard can it be? We’re total opposites anyway.

I love people . . . and all their stories. Gray loves hockey . . . and nothing else.

I love to talk. Gray only stares.

I’m happy-go-lucky. Gray’s all work and no play.

There’s just one problem. The more time I spend with Grayson Hawke, the more I start to see that underneath his bristly, standoffish exterior, he’s nothing like the man everyone thinks he is.

And suddenly, all the reasons for keeping my distance, staying professional, and not falling for someone again. . .are impossible to remember.

My Lucky Charm is a grumpy/sunshine, sweet hockey romance with all of the sizzle but none of the steam. It’s the second in the Holidays with Hart series, but My Lucky Charm can be read as a stand alone.

I LOVED THIS.

I think this might be my new favorite Courtney Walsh book. I adored this entire read and found every spare moment to continue reading. I loved how Gray’s grumpy nature was portrayed and watching him sincerely work on himself and learning to let love in. Let people help, build a community and space that can motivate and support him through the ups and downs. There’s many super sweet moments too that you’ll have to read to see!!

I loved Eloise too. She spoke something to my soul about her life aspirations and where she wanted to be. I’ve often felt the same way and seeing a character with these attributions healed something in me. I thought Eloise and Gray had fantastic chemistry and some AMAZING sizzling kissing scenes. The push and pull tension had me shaking my kindle and I loved how life came together for them.

This whole book was an absolute gem. Loved the hockey content, all of the teammates, the themes and the sisterhood. An incredible read.

Overall audience notes:

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

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Book Review: The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Rachel Fordham
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: October 31st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Mere words can’t end their families’ feud, but the Campbell heir and the Bradshaw heiress plan to write a future together. Buffalo, NY, 1924 Laura Bradshaw adores stories with happily ever afters. But since her mother died seven years ago, the Bradshaw Shoe Company heiress has been as good as locked away in a tower. Her overbearing father cares little for her dreams, throwing himself instead into his tireless takedown of his competitor, the Campbell Shoe Company. However, Laura has been gifted with a a mysterious friend with whom she’s been exchanging letters. As heir to the Campbell Shoe Company, Isaac Campbell is a sought-after bachelor who has never felt an inkling of desire for the women who constantly bat their eyes at him. His thoughts are consumed by an oak tree in the Buffalo Zoo—or rather, the mystery woman he exchanges letters with courtesy of the tree. She’s been one of Isaac’s only joys in a life consumed by his father’s tireless hatred of Bradshaw. A hatred that, Isaac is coming to realize, may affect him more personally than he ever imagined. When Laura’s father orchestrates a match between her and an important business owner, she resolves to pursue her only chance at freedom. But Isaac believes their story isn’t bound for a tragic ending. He’s certain there’s more to the Bradshaw-Campbell feud than meets the eye. And he won’t stop digging until he uncovers the truth that might bridge the divide between him and the woman whose words have captured his heart. 

ADORED.

This was just SWEET y’all. That’s the best way to describe it. I was enchanted by the entire concept and loved how it played out. I seem to love hidden identity letter writing books and need to go find more of those.

I loved the time period and setting, the zoo content was this nice little addition. I loved the main characters (dual POV and dual narrators y’all!). Laura and Isaac clearly have this connection that is undeniable. I loved how they found a way to each other. There’s a subtle Romeo and Juliet vibe that played a distinct part in the plot that I enjoyed too. There’s lots of themes of forgiveness, hope and fighting for the truth.

This book took me by surprise in all the best ways. Highly recommend the audio. It is gentle and tender and brimming with all the good things.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: watching a parent die (car accident), loss of a loved one (WW1), consuming alcohol without consent

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Book Review: The Goddess Of by Randi Garner

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Urban Fantasy Romance
Length: 516 pages
Author: Randi Garner
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: April 28th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

No gods or curses will keep them from each other.

Naia, the daughter of the High Sea Goddess, is an embarrassment. She holds no title and no power but is the key to a curse placed centuries ago on her mother: Naia must form a union with a god from an opposing family.

When the day arrives for her arranged marriage, she turns to the High God of Death and Curses for help.

He assists Naia under one condition—she must accept a curse, blindly. Willing to do whatever it takes to escape her mother’s kingdom beneath the sea, Naia agrees and flees to the Mortal Land.

When she wakes up in Ronin Kahale’s childhood home, she’s greeted by the warm, welcoming twenty-eight-year-old mortal. Distrustful of Ronin and his selfless hospitality, she’s convinced there’s more to him than what he’s sharing.

However, he’s her one-way ticket into Hollow City, an ominous concrete jungle infested with witches. Somewhere among its streets lies Finnian, Naia’s younger brother and the only one capable of helping her hide from their cruel mother.

Naia desperately tries not to care for another mortal, but as her life intertwines with Ronin’s, she questions the lengths she will go to keep him safe from the gods who hunt her down—and the curse that looms over her.

With gods, though, everything comes with a price.

The Goddess Of is not intended for readers under 18 years of age. Please check content warnings as some material may be sensitive for some readers.

Thank you Book of Matches Media and the author for the gifted copy!

COVER OBSESSION.

The way I am obsessed with this cover y’all. It’s the reason I picked this book up and I found a pretty good story inside too. This was a debut where I enjoyed the writing style and endeared me enough to be curious about the next book in the series (which I believe follows a new couple).

This wasn’t a FANTASY book for me though. It’s much more urban fantasy with a lot of contemporary amenities like cars, cell phones, etc. That threw me a bit, but it worked for the story. I liked seeing Naia navigate everything and make friends and find a home with those around her. I love the way the theme came full circle of Naia finding what she’s the goddess of. It’s such a clever title and the “ah-ha” moment was fantastic. She’s a soft spot in a dark fantasy and I enjoyed that contrast.

The romance was a bit more insta-attraction than I generally enjoy, but I was endeared as the pages went on. This had a fated romance quality to it and I really liked Ronin. I loved finding out his secrets and seeing some of that world building unfold. There’s some flashback chapters that set the stage well and added to Naia’s character.

I did find a few pacing issues where I felt like the timeline kept going from short to long and lacked a little flow. I do love a dark fantasy though and this had a lot of those qualities as well. I liked the story and themes a lot and will definitely be following the author to see what’s next.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: 2ish open door; fade to black
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: verbal/physical/emotional abuse, pregnancy/childbirth, plenty of blood/gore, sexual abuse, loss of life, suicidal ideation, grief, PTSD

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