Book Review: Out With the Tide (Never Harbor #2) by Julie Olivia

April 3, 2026April 5, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 353 pages
Author: Julie Olivia
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 28th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

This isn’t her idea of home, but she’s quickly becoming mine.

I’m Never Harbor’s neighborhood best friend. Along with being the middle child in a loud family of seven, I’m accustomed to being everything to everyone. But after moving into my new townhouse by the sea, my world has suddenly grown too quiet.

But then she moves back to town.

Marina Starkey is my landlord’s daughter with nowhere to go. She needs a place to stay for the summer, and thankfully I’m just the kind of guy to offer.

Hello there, new roommate.

She’s gorgeous and cheeky with a stubbornness that matches my own. (Don’t get me started on the shared bed situation.) Summer days pass in soft touches and afternoon swims, and my heart sinks deeper with every stroke.

I’m not a temporary fling kind of guy, and Marina has no intention of staying past the summer.

She doesn’t want to fall in love with her hometown, and I’m basically Mr. Never Harbor himself.

But my home is quickly becoming wherever I’m with her.

THIS AIN’T IT.

After really enjoying the first book in this series I have no idea why this one fell completely off the rails??? I wanted to love it and there were definitely some good and charming scenes but the extreme lack of character and plot consistency ruined this for me.

Cassidy is an absolute sweetheart and made me smile throughout the book. I liked his optimistic nature and the way that he took little notes on the people he loves to remember their favorite things. It was kind and heartfelt.

Marina on the other hand couldn’t decide what she wanted to be. She hid unnecessary information, ran away instead of having one conversation and seemed clueless at times when her education would have led me to believe otherwise.

And then the whole relationship was very physically focused. It kind of became the only thing about them. Add in a plot that never made sense and this one lost me.

I’m hoping book three is better???

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: strong
Romance: 4+ open door
Violence: low

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: March 2026

April 1, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Oh it’s so nice to be outside more before it gets way too hot to do so. I read many books, check them out!

The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin
[ALC] In Time with You by Kristin Dwyer
The Mirror Game (The Blood and Water Saga #5) by Cassidy Clarke
An Accidental Marriage (The Gentlemen’s Gamble) by Deborah M. Hathaway
Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl #1) by Matt Dinniman
Her Hidden Fire (Her Hidden Fire #1) by Cliodhna O’Sullivan
In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde
The Determined by Rachel Rueckert
Meet Me Under the Lights by Cassie Miller
Heart of Mischief (Soul of Shadows #2) by Emma Noyes
We Danced Among Shadows (Meadowbrook Ranch #2) by Ashley Dill
First Down and Forever to Go (River Foxes #1) by Leah Dobrinska
[ARC/ALC] This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying #1) by Ilona Andrews
[ARC] Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen
Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (Dungeon Crawler Carl #2) by Matt Dinniman
[Reread] Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas
[ARC] Could’ve Fooled Me (Georgia Jaguars #1) by Jenny Proctor
Heir of Illusion (Verran Isles #1) by Madeline Taylor
[Novella] Everybody’s Favorite Guy by Katherine Center
The Housemaid (The Housemaid #1) by Freida McFadden
[Non-Fiction] Spark by John J. Ratey, MD
Dawn of the North (The Ashen #3) by Demi Winters
What Echoes in the Dark (What Bloom from Death #2) by S.M. Gaither
[ARC/ALC] The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst
[Reread] Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas
[ARC] We Are Never Getting Together by Janette Rallison
Drive Me Crazy by Lizzy Dent
[Novella] When Fate is Cruel by LJ Andrews
The Night We Met (Say You’ll Remember Me #2) by Abby Jimenez
Drop Shot (The Off Court #1) by Vai Denton
Scars Beneath a Serpent’s Scales (The Fatesworn Saga #1) by Nicole Platania
How to Write a Love Story by Catherine Walsh
[ARC] Until Next Summer by Allison Ashley

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Book Review: Debt of My Soul by K.P. Haven

March 25, 2026April 3, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 433 pages
Author: K.P. Haven
Publisher: Self Publishd
Release Date: December 17th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Fleur
Nine years. That’s how long I spent in a relationship wasted on my ex.

When my world crumbles apart in front of me, I make a desperate escape. Only now, I’m stuck in a tiny Mississippi town with a dilapidated farmhouse I don’t know how to fix.

Enter Adam, the town’s contractor. Finding solace in his expertise and kindness, he might just be the one to help me rebuild more than just my home. But beneath the town’s quaint facade lies a darkness: an untouchable drug lord whose operation has poisoned the very place I now call home.

Then there’s him—a man who commands attention with his rugged allure and infuriating motorcycle. Our encounters are surprising, hinting at something beyond his dangerous exterior and intriguing me in ways I can’t ignore.

Riddled in debt and drugs, the sanctuary I sought for safety may very well be the ruin of me. One thing’s for certain: running away was only the beginning.

Debt of My Soul is a small town, organized crime novel with a signature slow burn, closed-door/fade-to-black romance. Please read TW/CW.

WELL.

I’ll start off saying that I do think this was written well and I would be interested in other books by this author. I just struggled with some plot points in this one.

Alright, first and foremost. The romance didn’t even start until halfway through the book?? It felt like a lot of lolly gagging and “we can’t tell you, just stay away” from everybody in town and I got tired of the repetitive nature. The pacing would have been better had this been tightened up. It was clear from the beginning where things were going so waiting for a long time became frustrating.

I liked Fleur…sort of. A lot of things happened to her but she didn’t do much herself? I didn’t need her to take down the organized crime ring or anything, I was looking for something more though. Liam was nice, I liked his personality and saw where he was coming from. I love a protective, broody sort which made all of those scenes even better.

There’s a few other things that had some roller coaster vibes for me and that’s how I landed at a 3.25. I would recommend it?? But also not?? I don’t know. It is low spice which is generally hard to find in this kind of plot dynamic which is a definite plus in the pros column.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: fade to black/vague open door
Violence: high
Content Warnings: kidnapping, murder, torture, drug abuse, organized crime, self harm, attempted SA

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Book Review: Off the Hook (Never Harbor #1) by Julie Olivia

March 23, 2026March 27, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 411 pages
Author: Julie Olivia
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 26th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I need a nanny, but I may need her more.

I know about my reputation as Never Harbor’s secluded single dad. But I have everything I need: my imaginative son, my dog, and our remodeled cottage by the sea.

That is, until my nanny quits.

My brother’s ex-fiancee, Wendy Darling, is an elementary school teacher with a free summer. The last thing I need is to get tangled in his mess, but my family thinks she’s a perfect fit for the job. Turns out, she fits in better than I could have imagined.

Wendy is nothing like I expected. She’s kind and adventurous, with a beautiful laugh that washes my worst nightmares away. She pushes past my silence and sees more of my true self than anyone has in years. And my six-year-old son is falling for her just as quickly.

Being with Wendy can never happen. Not when my younger brother is her ex-fiance. Not when she’s so close to our family. Not when our small coastal town gossips the way that it does.

But after so long in the dark, Wendy makes me feel something. Falling for her feels a lot like flying instead.

I know happy endings only belong in fairy tales, but I’m close to stealing one for myself.

I WAS HOOKED.

Julie Olivia is an author I often sleep on but at the behest of a buddy read I jumped right in and adored this book so much.

Jasper is the SOFTEST GRUMP EVER. I loved him so much. There was moment after moment that showed how deeply he cared and his desire to prove himself worthy of being with Wendy. He was the best single dad in a rough situation and I could not get enough of him.

And I liked Wendy too. She was soft and feminine with a strong will that showed up at just the right times. Her loyalty roots ran deep and I thought there was an undeniable chemistry between her and Jasper.

As someone who’s only seen Peter Pan maybe once in my life, even I was able to notice the retelling aspects and how expertly woven those pieces were. I had friends who noticed even more and it was fun seeing all of things come together.

I do wish there was a little bit less ex-relationship talk. But that was the only thing that really bugged me. I can’t wait for book two!

Overall audience notes: