Tag: books

ARC Book Review: The Bodyguard’s Fall (Falling for Autumn) by Cindy Steel

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Rmance
Length: 354 pages
Author: Cindy Steel
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: August 12th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Her stalker is getting closer. So is her bodyguard.

I know how to write murder mysteries.
Dead bodies? Great. Blood and gore? Even better.

Romance? Absolutely not.

Unfortunately for me, my production company disagrees. After years of writing cozy crime dramas, I’m suddenly being forced to write a flannel and cider romantic screenplay filled with pumpkin patches, maple festivals, and happily-ever-afters I don’t actually believe in.

Especially not after months of terrifying messages from a stalker who seems to know way too much about me.

Which is how I end up back in my hometown of Autumn Ridge, under the protection of Tate Walker—my older brother’s best friend, a cop, and the same overprotective pain in my neck who spent most of my teenage years telling me what I could and couldn’t do.

Tate is temporarily off-duty and back home recovering from a dangerous undercover operation that left him injured and drowning in guilt. And somehow protecting me has become his newest assignment.

Now I’m living on his family’s hay farm while police attempt to catch my stalker. Between boxing lessons, tractor rides, and cozy autumn outings that feel suspiciously like dates, I start finding inspiration for my romantic screenplay in the one place I never expected:

My bodyguard.

But as the threats escalate and my stalker gets closer, so do Tate and I. And falling for the man assigned to protect me might be the most dangerous plot twist of all.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

THIS BOOK Y’ALL.

Cindy Steel does not miss. I was in love with this book from the opening chapter and that obsession only grew. I loved the banter and tension between Tate and Liv. It was sexy and swoony and every touch and glance had me kicking my feet and grinning. They were a couple that was an obvious match from the get go and I loved seeing Tate fall HARD. I love a well used brother best friend’s trope.

This book had allll of the autumn vibes. The setting was magical and made me crave all things pumpkin and cozy. I loved the ranch setting (hello tractor) and the small town fall moments too. I also loved the family and friend relationships too. I really like having a family on page that looks after and teases each other all in the same moment.

The suspense elements were woven in perfectly and only added to the book. I liked feeling slightly on edge wondering when Liv’s stalker was going to pop up again. I liked that it didn’t overwhelm the love story and ended in a satisfying way too.

This book is everything fall and romantic and all things Cindy Steel wrapped in a new book to love.

AND PLEASE JUST TRUST ME YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO PICK IT UP OKAY???

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: stalker (main plot point), mentions of gun violence (recounted)

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Book Review: The Fast Track by Angelica Cheng

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Sports Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Angelica Cheng
Publisher: Simon Teen
Release Date: August 4th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An ambitious racer who dreams of becoming the first female F1 champion finds her plans going off track when she catches feelings for her biggest competition in this dishy, delicious contemporary romance for fans of love, Lynn Painter, and Lewis Hamilton.

Justine Kwong has always dreamed of becoming a Formula 1 champion. There’s just one problem: no female driver has ever done it before. So when she’s offered a coveted chance to race in Formula 3, she leaps at the opportunity. Sure, half the fans think she’s just there to fill a diversity quota, and her teammate—the infuriatingly cute Cameron Evans—mistakes her for an intern, but Justine knows her talent will leave them all in the dust.

But driving well isn’t the only prerequisite to getting noticed, and Justine’s forced to fend for herself in a sea of prejudice, paparazzi, and petty backstabbing. There’s a lot riding on her ability to navigate the complicated trackside hierarchy—like the open F2 seat that could be her ticket to the big leagues.

Except…when Justine and Cameron’s bickering gives way to unexpected chemistry, the boy she’s falling for may be the one person standing in the way of her dreams—because while they may be teammates, they are also each other’s biggest competitor. And with her only shot at glory on the line, this race could break more than just hearts.

Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook and Simon Teen for the gifted book.

A GOOD YA.

Y’all know I love when a young adult novel is actually meant for young adults. And this one was! It’s also the first F1 romance I’ve read that I have genuinely liked so good things all around. It’s a fast paced and short novel that you could read in an afternoon kind of thing.

Justine can be a bit frustrating but in that I’m an adult with a fully formed front cortex reading vs. actually bothersome. I liked her overall character arc and the way she worked through issues and moved forward when life threw her backwards. Combining that with a sweet rivals to lovers-esque romance and it made for a wonderful read. I really liked Justine and Cameron together and the push and pull as they figured out how to communicate with each other.

🎧: Great audiobook! I loved the narrator and can’t recommend this format enough.

Overall audience notes:

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

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: July 2026

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How are we halfway through the year?

Here’s my thirty six books for the month of July! I feel like this month went super well reading wise. I loved many of these books. Reviews are out now or coming soon!

  • [ARC/ALC] Our Wicked Gifts by Kathryn Foxfield
  • The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden
  • Spies, Lies, & Alibis by Natalie Walters
  • The Stranger I Wed (The Doves of New York #1)
  • [ARC] To Have and To Fold (Love Stories in Sheet Cake #5) by Emma St. Clair
  • [ALC] A Forsaken Prophecy (The Artisan Trilogy #2) by Stacey McEwan
  • Crown of Blood and Ruin (The Broken Kingdoms #3) by L.J. Andrews
  • Out of the Woods (The Mountains Are Calling #3) by Madison Wright
  • The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee
  • Strange Familiars (The Seamere College Duology #1) by Keshe Chow
  • [Reread] A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas
  • The Scattered Bones by Nicole Scarano
  • [Graphic Novel] Dungeon Crawler Carl Vol. 1 by Matt Dinniman
  • Chase Me If You Can by Heather Frances
  • Home Safe by Tracy Baack
  • Songs of the Dead (The Strata Wars #1) by Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian
  • [Graphic Novel] To Dance the Moon and Stars by Tasia M.S. and Barbara Perez Marquez
  • Eliza and the Duke (The Doves of New York #2) by Harper St. George
  • [ARC] A Lass Beloved (The Earls of Cairnfell #2) by Nichole Van
  • [ARC/ALC] Armor for Liars by S.E. Grove
  • All Hail Chaos (Time of Iron #2) by Sarah Reese Brennan
  • Ice Shy (Ottawa Otters Legends #1) by K.M. Gillis
  • [Reread] A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas4
  • [ARC] To Dance with Death (The Edge of Glass #2) by Brittney Arena
  • [ARC/ALC] Fire to the Stars by Morgan J. Watchorn
  • The Name Game by Beth O’Leary
  • In Stormy Weather by Chelsea Curto
  • North Country by K.A. Tucker
  • [ARC/ALC] The Fast Track by Angelica Cheng
  • Echoes of Emerald Isle (McLaughlins #1) by Ashley Weston
  • [ARC/ALC] Lost and Found (Spunes, OR #3) by Tarah DeWitt
  • The Gate of the Feral Gods (Dungeon Crawler Carl #4) by Matt Dinniman
  • Here for the Cake Serendipity & Shenanigans #1) by Jennifer Millikin
  • Not That Kind of Proposal by Victoria Lavine
  • Light Wielder (Fire & Metal #2) by Rachel Schneider
  • This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum

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Book Review: Fever Dream (Emerald Lake #1) by Elsie Silver

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Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Cowboy Romance
Length: 448 pages
Author: Elsie Silver
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: May 19th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Elsie Silver comes a small-town, forbidden, rivals-to-lovers romance, the first book in the brand-new Western romance series Emerald Lake.

Professional bull rider Emmett Bush is not looking for love. He’s looking for a paycheck to save his family’s farm from bankruptcy. So, when he agrees to be the leading man on a hot new reality dating show, Romance Ranch, he’s already decided it’s all one big performance.

Until Julia Silva walks onto his property. Smart, snarky, beautiful, and off-limits in more ways than one. As the location consultant on set and the little sister of his most bitter professional rival, she’s the last woman who should pique his interest.

Julia has been warned about Emmett. She knows better than to fall for his cocky swagger, broad shoulders, and smoldering good looks. Plus, she’s sworn off relationships.

But as Julia and Emmett work together, mutual distaste grows into an unexpected connection and then… something more.

Soon, they find themselves searching for excuses to spend time together and out of reach of the cameras. Knowing glances. Stolen kisses. Secret rendezvous.

Still, Emmett signed up to play the role of an eligible bachelor searching for the one. His family’s land and legacy depend on him completing the show.

The problem is, he’s already fallen in love.

Just not with a contestant.

WELL HERE WE GO.

Alright, it might surprise many of y’all that I’ve only read one Elsie Silver book. But I ended up listening to my sister when she said to go read it and it’s DUET NARRATION so like, of course I had to??? And yes, I do plan on continuing!! I just really love a cowboy romance y’all.

My nitpicky thing is that I don’t love bachelor-esque plots. I kept getting frustrated over the TV drama and the awful people and wanted to keep going back to Julia and Emmett.

And wow did I love Julia and Emmett. I’ve read multiple books recently where the guy is tearful about something and these emotions are everything??? ILOVEITSO. Emmett is incredibly stoic until he isn’t and I’m here for his head over heels fall for Julia. The forbidden vibes did work for me at least. These two were hella magnetic.

Minus the TV show the setting was stellar. Give me all of the ranch settings with amazing side characters who are a cheering section for the leads. This a small town I can’t wait to see more of and the future pairs too!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Cowboy romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 4ish open door
  • Violence: mildish
  • Content warnings; mentions of attempted SA through drugging of a drink, attempted blackmail, illegal surveillance

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