Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: August 2023

September 2, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Is it fall yet? We’ve made it to the end of formal summer and I really would love if the temperature would dip under 100 degrees.

Favorites of August:

What the River Knows
Check & Mate
The Jasad Heir
Bring Me Your Midnight
Realm Breaker
The Blonde Identity
Yumi and the NIghtmare Painter
Desire or Defense
How to Kiss a Movie Star
Belladonna
Babel
A Fate Inked in Blood
Just Don’t Fall
Foxglove
Garden of the Midnights
Flirtation or Faceoff
But He’s My Grumpy Neighbor
Assistant to the Villain

Least favorites:

An Empress of Air & Chaos
All’s Fair in Love and Christmas
The Invisible Hour

[ARC] What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez
[Gifted] Thief of Sorrows by Kristen M. Long
You, with a View by Jessica Joyce
[ARC] Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
An Empress of Air & Chaos (An Empress #1) by Noelle Rayne
The Jasad Heir (The Scorched Throne #1) by Sara Hashem
Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin
A City of Flames (A City of Flames #1) by Rina Vasquez
This Violent Reckoning (The Curse of the Blessed #2) by Renee Dugan
[ARC] All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon
Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker #1) by Victoria Aveyard
The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
Play Your Part by Kathryn Kincaid
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter (Cosmere) by Brandon Sanderson
[Reread] Desire or Defense (D.C. Eagles #1) by Leah Brunner
The Marriage Effect (Washington Wolves #3) by Karla Sorensen
[ARC] To Spark a Match (The Matchmakers #2) by Jen Turano
[ARC] How to Kiss a Movie Star (Hawthorne Brothers #4) by Jenny Proctor
Omen of Ice (Omen of Ice #1) by Jus Accardo
Slow Dance in Purgatory (Purgatory #1) by Amy Harmon
A Duet with the Siren Duke (Married to Magic #4) by Elise Kova
Belladonna (Belladonna #1) by Adalyn Grace
Hands Down by Mariana Zapata
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang
[ARC] A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated #1) by Danielle L. Jensen
Prom Night in Purgatory (Purgatory #2) by Amy Harmon
[ARC] Betting on You by Lynn Painter
One of Us Is Back (One Of Us Is Lying #3) by Karen M. McManus
[ARC] Just Don’t Fall (Sweater Weather #1) by Emma St. Clair
[Reread] A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab
Face the Night by Lani Forbes
Heavenly Bodies (Heavenly Bodies #1) by Imani Erriu
The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
Foxglove (Belladonna #2) by Adalyn Grace
[ARC] Garden of the Midnights by Hannah Linder
Heirs of Falcon Point (Falcon Point #0) by Traci Hunter Abramson, Sian Ann Bessey, Paige Edwards and A.L. Sowards
[ARC] Flirtation or Faceoff (D.C. Eagles Hockey #2) by Leah Brunner
Karma is a Witch (Deadlights Cove #5) by Aimee Vance and B. Perkins
House of Roots and Ruin (Sisters of the Salt #2) by Erin A. Craig
But He’s My Grumpy Neighbor (But He’s a Carter Brother #1) by Annah Conwell
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
[ARC] Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone

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ARC Book Review: Flirtation or Faceoff (D.C. Eagles Hockey #2) by Leah Bruner

September 1, 2023August 27, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 265 pages
Author: Leah Brunner
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: September 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

After getting my heart broken, I’ve sworn off athletes forever.

Then my best friend has to go and marry an NHL player, and his teammate, Colby Knight, won’t leave me alone.

Colby is a master at scoring (on and off the ice), and he’s not used to being told no. So he takes my disinterest as an invitation to pursue me even harder. I ignore him… until I realize I can use his expertise to help me get my crush’s attention.

But now that he’s my dating coach, and we’re spending so much time together, I’m growing more and more distracted. I mean, those dimples? Very enticing.

Just when I think he might be more than just a playboy hockey player, a blast from the past comes back and reminds me why I swore off athletes in the first place.

Can I trust Colby, or is he just another jerk who will break my heart?

(This is a dual POV, fade-to-black romance, and can be read as a standalone. This book contains mild language. Trigger warnings: cheating exes.)

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

CLOSED DOOR HOCKEY QUEEN.

I don’t care that we’re only three books into this series (including the prequel!), Leah Brunner is creating the best closed door hockey romance series around.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Colby was absolutely GONE for Noel from the get-go and he was so dang sweet. Good heavens. I loved how much he cared. For Noel, his friends, family and those around him. I loved his passion and commitment. I just loved HIM.

And Noel. I loved her too. I loved how incredibly intelligent and nerdy she was. I loved her character arc too and how she learned to trust and move forward with the things she wanted in life.

The chemistry between Colby and Noel was off the charts. I loved how soft it was, but also sexy. It’s a fiery combination that sets the book A FLAME. I loved the dating lessons, and protective moments. All of the family get together and the seeing my favorite D.C. Eagles again.

This book had it all. I already want to read it again.

Overall audience notes:

Sports Romance
Language: some light – moderate
Romance: heated kisses
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: brief physical altercation, cheating ex (recounted)

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ARC Book Review: Just Don’t Fall (Sweater Weather #1) by Emma St. Clair

August 31, 2023August 22, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 300 pages
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 31st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Before Logan Barnes was hockey’s hottest bad boy, he was my brother’s best friend … and my first crush. Oh, yeah–and the guy who ghosted me and broke my teenage heart.

Now Logan is back in Harvest Hollow, but not willingly. Recovering from an injury (and some bad press), he’s stuck playing for our minor league team. Which means I’ll be working with him almost daily. As the hockey team’s social media manager, it’s my job to wrangle all the guys into filming TikTok trending videos. But Logan doesn’t want to be wrangled. Turns out … neither does my heart. Because my old crush never died.

And when Logan becomes my accidental fake boyfriend, those old feelings flare hot enough to melt the ice. But this is all totally one-sided. Totally fake. Isn’t it? No matter what signals he seems to be giving me or how real things start to feel, I know Logan’s not home for good. I survived Logan leaving me once. But this time, I’m not so sure my heart will recover …

Just Don’t Fall is a small town, closed door hockey romcom with all the fake dating, brother’s best friend vibes. You’ll get smoking chemistry and characters to root for but NO spice. (Yes, you read that right–a low spice hockey romance.) Perfect for fans of sports romance who want a less heat.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

THE SWOON.

I NEED MORE closed door sports romances. Oh my goodness this was so good. Binge in a day, go to bed too late, GOOD.

First and foremost I have got to say that I read the hottest no kissing scene I have ever [potentially] read. GOOD HEAVENS. The heat, I was BURNING (I feel like I need to reiterate again that there is no spice in here, Emma St. Clair does an incredible job of writing steam without it being spicy). ANYWHO. I loved it. The slow burn, fake dating romance had me begging for the real thing and it delivered.

I adored Logan and Parker. Both on their own and separate. I loved seeing the character progression for Logan. He’s rough and protective, but also comes to a lot of realizations about his life and how he wants to move forward. And Parker is a beautifully strong woman who knows how she wants her life to look. I loved that she was flexible without compromising. And them together just brought all of the sparks and chemistry of an old unrequited crush.

There’s definitely some hockey aspects, some goofy TikTok dances and a grand gesture [or two]. It is light, filled with depth, will make you smile and bring all of the fall vibes.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Sports Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: strained parental relationships

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Book Review: Rhythm, Chord & Malykhin by Mariana Zapata

August 30, 2023September 13, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 398 pages
Author: Mariana Zapata
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 21st, 2015
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Twenty-six-year-old Gaby Barreto might be a lot of things (loyal, sarcastic, one of the guys and a pain in the butt depending on which family member you ask), but dumb isn’t one of them. When her twin brother invites her to go on tour as his band’s merch girl, she isn’t exactly screaming at the top of her lungs with joy.

With no job opportunities pounding on her door, an ex-boyfriend she would still like to castrate, and no end in sight to moving out of her parents’ house in Dallas… it would be dumb to say no to the chance of a lifetime. Two bands, three continents, one tour. Spending the next ninety-plus days with three beloved idiots and eight complete strangers shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

If only the singer of the headlining band didn’t have tattoos… a great personality… a fantastic body… and if he wasn’t so funny….

Let’s be real: Gaby never had a chance against Sacha Malykhin.

CHALLENGED.

I am trying to read through MZ’s backlist, and unfortunately realizing those aren’t hitting as well for me as her newer stuff. BUT, this book got progressively better and I didn’t mind reading it in the end.

I was turned off by the high level of crass and off-color jokes between the band. I’m sure it was trying to set the stage for how the group interacts and messes around with each other. Yet the found family vibes fell a bit flat with some of the commentary. They did take care of each other when it really counted though and I did appreciate that.

The romance hero was super different from previous books too (nothing bad, just a comment on it). Sacha is a CINNAMON ROLL. I adored how soft he was and how he and Gabby formed a friendship that blossomed into something more.

While the plot held a good forced proximity notion I think it also fell a bit flat. It was simply a band on tour. And then filler pages of random crap they did to continue the story. I do struggle to get on board with actor/musician based books and I think that became apparent here again too.

Overall audience notes: