Tag: contemporary romance

ARC Book Review: To Have and To Fold (Love Stories in Sheet Cake, Texas #5) by Emma St. Clair

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: July 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Single dad and former football star Tank Graham has watched his children find love in the town of Sheet Cake, Texas. Now, it’s his turn.

Theodore “Tank” Graham has spent the years since his wife died investing fully in raising his children and helping them find their happiness. And, more recently, buying and revitalizing the town of Sheet Cake, Texas.

Now, it’s time to find his own happiness.

But turning his focus to himself is easier said than done when he’s spent so long putting others first.

That is until a building issue leaves Rose Roberts, the newest baker in Sheet Cake, without a kitchen or a place to sleep.

Tank steps in to help–but only because as the owner of the building where she lives and works, it’s his duty.

But duty isn’t why he finds himself giving up his own loft for her or buying every baking supply Rose could possibly need while her commercial kitchen is out of commission.

Tank finds himself lingering in her presence, prolonging conversations, and thinking about her far more often than he should. Especially when he has a new grandbaby to fuss over, a collapsing house to renovate, and Wolf Waters to support in his mayoral race.

Still–the pull toward Rose becomes hard to resist. And why should he? For the first time since he lost his wife, Tank is feeling something big.

It’s been literal decades since he’s been in a relationship, but Tank has always lived by a go big or don’t even think about going home philosophy.

And now … the idea of home doesn’t sound complete. Not without Rose.

To Have and To Fold is a later in life love story that concludes the Love Stories in Sheet Cake series. You’ll get strong family vibes, all the charm and quirk of a small town, laugh out loud humor, and tender moments with plenty of sizzle but no spice. It is a closed door romance with kissing only and no explicit language.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

DARLIN’.

I am going to miss the Graham family y’all! I had the best time with this book. It’s soft, there’s not really any tension and there doesn’t need to be. Emma mentioned this kind of feeling like an extended epilogue and that is the vibe (complimentary). I didn’t know how I felt about Tank getting a romantic story line but never fear, I quickly fell in love with him and Rose.

I thought the quick pacing was just right. I liked all of the moments they got together. I’m obsessed with this entire family and their dynamics. I loved the swoony and sweet moments. And there were some pull on your heartstrings tender moments too.

Not to mention Wolf??? I could have 1000% read a full novel about that guy. I loved that he was included and got his own little sub story too. This town is full of all the small town charm and shenanigans you can ask for.

Loved the themes and sentiments and the way everything was approached and communicated. A beautiful book from start to finish.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: arson, discussions surrounding grief & loss of a spouse

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Book Review: The Roommate Rule by Georgia Stone

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Georgia Stone
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Release Date: July 7th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When two polar opposites find themselves sharing a cabin for the summer, they lay down some ground rules to keep the peace—only to discover that one of those rules might be impossible to keep in this steamy new novel from the author of The Friendship Fling.

Dylan is the kind of person who is always fifteen minutes early and never leaves things to chance—so she can’t believe she’s about to spend six weeks on a last-minute trip to Wales that she didn’t plan, living in a cabin with a man she’s only met once.

Max always goes with the flow, and after his plus-one drops out of his all-expenses-paid travel influencer trip, he’s happy for his sister’s friend to take the spot. After all, from what he remembers of their brief meeting a year ago, Dylan is the kind of woman he’d be more than happy to spend some alone time with.

Not that anything is going to happen between them, because Dylan knows getting involved with this reckless, irrepressible flirt is the last thing she needs. So she makes a house they are roommates only, and under no circumstances can anything . . . untoward . . . happen between them.

But as the days go by, Max starts to realize how much he enjoys chipping away at the walls Dylan hides herself behind, while Dylan begins to admit to herself that there may be more to Max than she first assumed. And before she knows it, she finds herself wondering if their “roommate rule” might be one rule she actually wants to break…

NOT ALL I HOPED FOR.

I adored Georgia Stone’s debut so I’ve been super excited to get my hands on this book and it ended up on KU months early??? So here we are!

I loved the concept. The setting felt absolutely gorgeous and all of the traveling and activities were fun too. Two relative strangers stuck together for six weeks?? What could happen ya know??

The first half of the book was okay. I honestly wasn’t feeling the chemistry all that much between Dylan and Max. I do think the second half got better and there was a little more romance but some of the spice overshadowed that too.

Thematically the discussions around living life and taking chances amidst not knowing if tomorrow is coming were all good. I liked the conversations and the walls coming down as Max learned to let Dylan in. Dylan was rather stubborn on her *taking care of everyone ways* but I understood and liked that she also started to let things go too.

Not a total downfall, and it is a fairly easy read, just not what I was hoping for. Maybe the next book??

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 3-4ish open door
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: discussions around cancer and hospitalizations (theme throughout)

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Off Base by Haley Warren

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Rating: ★★★.75
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 324 pages
Author: Haley Warren
Publisher: Simon Maverick
Release Date: June 2nd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He’s trying to find a way out.

She’s trying to find herself.

Miller Colson-Burke has only ever been good at three things: flirting his way out of anything, being the best shortstop in the league, and playing baseball side by side with his best friend, Matt.

Until an accident takes Matt from him forever, leaving him haunted by a memorial banner and a sport he used to love. The only things he’s really interested in being good at now are avoiding the press and figuring out how to run away from a rumour he can’t seem to escape.

Ren Jacobs has spent the last four years building a new life and trying to remember all the reasons to love the person she used to be. But when someone from her past comes along and steals her dream job, she finds it hard to love anything about herself at all.

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

IT GREW ON ME?

I immediately had to have this book because *dinosaurs*. Little did I know there was almost too much dinosaur content? As if the author was trying to make sure I knew that Ren was paleontologist. DON’T WORRY. I got it. She loves dinosaurs. The museum content was good though and I loved how the musuem and baseball team were working together.

Matt, I adored. He was a man broken by grief trying to find pockets of joy. There’s a soft fake dating angle to this that kept sending Matt and Ren into each other’s orbit and I think that worked well. I did like that banter and converations between them too. They were definitely a match.

Buuuut. The third act made me cranky. Which wouldn’t surprise anyone that has read this too. Not to mention there was way too much ex related content. I hate when the ex takes up too much time and overshadows the main romance. Just go away.

This was my first book from Haley Warren and I would read another!

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports romance
  • Language: mild – moderate
  • Romance: 3ish open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: loss of a friend, grief depiction, absent parent, gaslighting ex

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Book Review: Pros Don’t (Fall in Love #4) by Leah Dobrinska

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 327 pages
Author: Leah Dobrinska
Publisher: Self Publishing
Release Date: April 8th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Who says reality TV romance isn’t real?

Holland Bradley is the golf world’s golden boy. Confident and charismatic, when his agent lands him the starring role on Most Eligible Mister, the nation’s longest running reality TV dating show, he doesn’t hesitate. A chance to find love by dating twenty beautiful women and bringing more attention to the sport he loves, while also curing him of the tiny crush he has on his coach? Sounds like a hole in one.

A woman in a male-dominated field, golf coach Mallory Walsh doesn’t have the luxury of sharing Holland’s cavalier attitude. But she’s a pro, so she can set her personal disdain for him aside and keep coaching Holland to tournament victories. The more he wins, the more she’s paid, and the more she can help her parents with their mounting medical bills. Holland’s role on Most Eligible Mister is a distraction he—and she—can’t afford…until one of the show’s producers offers Mallory good money to sign on as a contestant.

Holland and Mallory are whisked away to Cashmere Cove, where a scheming, hometown community is intent on “helping” them fall in love and fame-hungry contestants are determined to keep them apart. The player and coach pair make a pact to keep things professional, but soon the pressure cooker situation has them teaming up to survive. As Holland relies on Mallory for support in dealing with past trauma, and Mallory discovers a good listener and fierce advocate beneath Holland’s flashy façade, everything changes. Can the pair come out on top, or is any real relationship between them as unlikely as an albatross?

Because pros don’t fall in love…do they?

THIS WAS SWEET.

Y’all have heard it before. One of my favorite tropes/situations is a man down BAD. There’s something about Holland pining after Mallory that just hits every time. I loved all of the little sweet moments they got to be together without the crowds and how hard Holland worked to show Mallory he’s different from the first time they met.

The only thing I wasn’t totally into was the bachelor-esque plot line. I have never watched the show for a reason and fought the catty drama to be a bit eye rolling. I wish that Mallory and Holland had a different chance to come together rather than the show being at the fore front. It was a big suspension of reality that he would do that as a pro golfer.

But I will admit that I loved the grand gesture at the end. That’s the kind of sporty ending that makes me loooove sport romances. And this is my second golf romance that overall has been a hit. It’s sweet and heated and swoony. I have loved this series!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Content warnings: bullying (recounted, for a stutter and weight as a child), a parent with a debilitating disease

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