Tag: contemporary romance

Book Review: Where We Started (Stone Riders MC #1) by Ashley Munoz

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 316 pages
Author: Ashley Munoz
Publisher: Zeta Life
Release Date: November 3rd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Usually, watching a notorious biker club mourn the loss of their beloved president would be a dangerous choice. Ten out of ten do not recommend. Unless of course, you’re family. I didn’t really consider myself part of my father’s legacy, until I found out what he left behind in his will. Property, ten acres to be exact, which included the headquarters for his beloved motorcycle club. I had no idea that by accepting the terms of my inheritance it would thrust me into a battle with the new club president. Wesley Ryan was unfathomably handsome, menacing and formidable in every way. But his derision toward me only made me cling that much tighter to my birthright. That is until he decided to play dirty. Wes didn’t just taunt me by bringing up our past, he wanted us to go all the way back to where we started. Back to when we were nine and I was just the girl next door who snuck into his treehouse. Back to when he’d fight the boys who made me cry. Back to when he first kissed me and stole my heart. I had to remember Wes wanted to claim my father’s property, not me. I walked away once, I just had to prove I was strong enough to do it again.

THIS WAS A FIRST.

I’ve never read a motorcycle romance before, but it’s been a sub genre I’ve really wanted to try. And I did! The core of this story was super good. I loved the angry tension in this second chance romance. Wesley and Callie have off the charts chemistry and I loved their dynamic. There’s a lot of great alpha guy/protective moments too. The added suspense was fantastic.

As a personal preference, this was just too much spice for me. That was the only thing that really took me out of the story because I had to skip forward often in the audiobook. I did love how gritty and dangerous this story felt. It was a nice palate cleaner type of read from the lighter romances I’m also a fan of.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: high
  • Romance: 5+ open door; high explicit
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: a teen is kidnapped temporarily, murder, gun violence

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Book Review: Let’s Make a Scene (Theo & Cynthie #2) by Laura Wood

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Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Laura Wood
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: July 1st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The companion novel to Laura Wood’s Under Your Spell follows Theo Eliott’s best friend Cynthie Taylor as she’s pulled back into a fake PR relationship with Jack Turner-Jones, the one costar she swore she’d never work with again.

When Cynthie Taylor gets her first real acting job, starring in a small British movie, she is over the moon. There is only one problem…Cynthie’s arrogant and annoyingly handsome costar Jack hates her, and the feeling is definitely mutual. While they may be at war behind the scenes, their on-screen chemistry is palpable, and the studio sees an opportunity—have the two young stars fake a romance that will charm fans and draw crowds.

Thirteen years later, Cynthie and Jack have successfully kept their promise to stay far away from one another, until a surprising offer comes to make a sequel to the cult classic that launched their careers. But there’s a catch: they must also rekindle their pretend relationship…and this time there’s a documentary crew following their every move.

Cynthie and Jack both desperately need this film to work, but can two ex-rivals ever really trust each other? And what happens when the roles they’re playing start to feel all too real?

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

HOT DANG.

I’m officially a Laura Wood fan now. Two books in and I adore the way she crafts romances. And I don’t even like celebrity romances?! Which just goes to show that the right author can change your view,

This was a hot and angsty second chance romance and I looooved all of the forced proximity filming content that brought Cynthie and Jack together again and again. The banter, pranks, tender moments, we got them all. And I didn’t mind most of the flashback chapters either because it did truly help set the scene more and understand what created the initial fallout.

I was swooning, smiling, laughing throughout. The audiobook is stellar and this book is a gem. I liked it even more than Under Your Spell.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 2-3 open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: cheating (not the main characters), strained parent relationships

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Chasing Shelter (Sparrow Falls #5) by Catherine Cowles

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 418 pages
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: The Pagesmith LLC
Release Date: July 22nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I came here seeking sanctuary, I never meant to fall for the broody single dad next door.

I’ve spent my life hiding in plain sight, burying my past beneath layers of carefully constructed lies. Moving to Sparrow Falls was supposed to be a fresh start. A place to lay low. But when I end up living next door to the single dad who just happens to be one of my brother’s best friends, everything changes.

Trace Colson sees too much, asks too many questions, and his protectiveness is as infuriating as it is alluring.

And when danger comes calling, it’s Trace who stands between me and the darkness.

But being close to him is its own kind of risk. Because with every heated glance and every stolen touch, Trace tempts me to open my heart, to dream of a life I’d long since given up on. The only problem? Trace has his own demons, and when they collide with mine, the fallout could destroy us both.

Forever.

Thank you to the author for a gifted ARC.

WHAT A STUNNER.

Ooooh this one was so fun y’all. The banter was off the charts between Ellie and Trace. I LOVED IT. It was heated and fun and really showed another side to Trace that we haven’t gotten to see yet. Add in sweet Keely and it was a beautifully blended family. The larger Colson family was heavily present in this one too through my favorite group chats and get togethers. I love this found family so dang much.

AND as per usual, the reveals are always a surprise. I liked that in Chasing Shelter you could see the obvious ones but the hidden made you shriek. It was intense and reminds me every dang time why I love CC’s suspense.

I also just adored Trace and Ellie on their own. I loved the growth they went through, finding the true meaning of chasing shelter and building something lasting together. I loved this pair and y’all better know I am FERAL for the next book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantic Suspense
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 3-4ish open door
  • Violence: moderate – high
  • Content warnings: murder, weapons violence, kidnapping, domestic abuse, attempted murder

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Book Review: Wes and Addie Had Their Chance by Bethany Turner

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Bethany Turner
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: July 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Wes left Addie at the altar two decades ago . . . and that was supposed to be the end of the story.

When her life crashes and burns in a flurry of secrets and redacted information, Addie Atwater-Elwyn hightails it home to the tiny mountain town of Adelaide Springs, Colorado–back to living with her dad, back to working a low-paying job, back to a life of disappointments. Growing up, nobody expected their local girl to become a high-ranking CIA analyst, married to a gorgeous CIA operative. But that was Addie’s life until she lost . . . well, everything.

Now she’s trying to pick up the pieces of her broken life with a little help from old friends. But there’s one old friend she knows her life is better without–Wesley Hobbes, her childhood sweetheart who left her standing at the altar when they were eighteen years old. Truth be told, Addie would be perfectly content never seeing Wes’s stupid face ever again–which makes it very inconvenient that he’s now a beloved senator and presidential frontrunner, his face everywhere she looks. But that has nothing to do with Addie personally. He might make history, but in her book, he is history.

So, when the unwelcome Wes appears back in their hometown, no one rolls out the red carpet–not Addie and not an entire town that was forced to pick sides (and unanimously chose Addie) decades ago. Senator Hobbes certainly won’t win the popular vote in Adelaide Springs.

Wes, meanwhile, is sitting on a few secrets of his own, including the political scoop of the decade: he’d seriously rather gouge his eyes out than spend another minute in politics, much less ever go anywhere near the White House. Addie knows there has to be more to the story, and her curiosity is clouding her judgment. You can take the girl out of the CIA, but it’s not so easy to shake the CIA out of the girl. Of course, it’s not just curiosity (and the acknowledgement that his face isn’t so stupid after all) that’s been reawakened inside her. But after more than two decades, it’s too late. Wes and Addie already had their chance. Right?

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Bibliolifestyle for the gifted copy.

NOT SURE.

This is definitely my least favorite of the series AND on that note, this book really can’t be read as a standalone. I feel like it falls on you knowing the secondary characters well (from their books) so having that knowledge makes the dynamic make more sense.

I steadily watched this turn into a trauma dump. It felt like one thing after another and I kept quirking my head going, why are we adding this?? I think if the focus had been dialed in more the emotional impact would have been better. The themes darted all over the place.

One of the things about reading romance books is always going, do they make it after the epilogue? And honestly I DON’T KNOW THAT THEY DO. There’s so much baggage between them and I think that Wes should have finished going after his dream *spoiler* before settling? Is that just me?

Anyways, bummed by this one but maybe a new series will work for me.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: loss of a spouse (twice, recounted), loss of a parent (recounted), alcoholism, grief

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