ARC Book Review: A Groom of One’s Own (Appies Series) by Emma St. Clair

March 1, 2024February 24, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 345 pages
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He always dreamed of getting married–but for love, not to avoid deportation.

Eli Hopkins has it all–almost. A hockey career with the wildly popular Appies. Teammates who are like brothers. The only thing he’s missing is someone to share it all with. Oh–and correctly filed visa paperwork. Due to administrative error, Eli is about to lose everything. Unless he can find someone to marry him in the next thirty days. And he might have the perfect woman in mind. The only problem? He’d like to marry her for real, not simply for legal purposes. Now Eli faces the challenge of winning over a wife who thinks the marriage is in name only …

A Groom of One’s Own is a closed door marriage of convenience hockey romcom with heart and humor, sizzle but NO spice. Perfect for fans of sports romance who want a little less heat. This book connects to Just Don’t Fall & Absolutely Not in Love from the Sweater Weather series, but all books can be read as standalones.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

SO TENDER.

I love the way Emma St. Clair books make me feel. They are the right balance of heart and humor that make me smile and swoon. I love the kissing scenes and the characters and the way the plot works out with each story and this was no exception.

I adored Eli and Bailey. All the stars for getting dual POV. I loooved how Eli was the best kind of golden retriever MMC. Heart on his sleeve, big feelings and all the protectiveness. Good heavens I couldn’t get enough of him. And Bailey? Loved her too. I loved her shyness but willingness to be bold and open to her relationship and situation.

With just the right level of hockey content and omg a jersey moment, y’all know I LOVE JERSEY MOMENTS. And this whole group of hockey players/friends? AH I LOVE THEM ALL. The wedding scene was sweetest, softest moment and I’m still a melted puddle of those longing looks and heated kisses. And now I’m obsessing over many other scenes and y’all just need to read this one ASAP.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Sports Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents (past), grandmother with dementia (on page), mom with chronic illness (on page)

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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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ARC Book Review: The Pocket Pair (Graham Brothers #3) by Emma St. Clair

June 9, 2023June 4, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 322 pages
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 9th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Do I have feelings for my sister’s best friend? Of course not.

That would be stupid, considering my sister once threatened to castrate me if I ever hurt Val.

Hurting her is the last thing I want to do, which is all the MORE reason I can’t have feelings for her. Val deserves the world, and I’m NOT the man who can give it to her.

But when Val announces she’s leaving town (and the country), I’m suddenly confronted with some very capital-F Feelings–ones that refuse to stay stuffed down deep where I’ve hidden them for more years than I care to admit.

Having her crash in my guest bedroom until she leaves only makes things worse.

Little by little, Val chips away at my defenses, and despite all the solid reasons I have, my resolve starts to crumble.

The thing is–none of the circumstances have changed.

Val is still planning to leave the country. And I … well, I might have gotten more in touch with my feelings, but I’m still the same man.

NOT a man who can promise things like life-long commitment. NOT a man Val can count on. NOT the good guy everyone seems to think I am.

If only I could get Val and the rest of this nosy, meddling matchmaking town to believe me–and if my own stubborn heart wasn’t trying to convince me otherwise.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

VAL & CHEVY.

This might be my new favorite in the series. I’m sure I probably say that about each book, but I just sincerely love each book that much. I love Emma St. Clair’s writing. I love the way she tells a story and the romances she creates. They are simultaneously funny and full of heart and make my day brighter when a new one drops on my kindle.

I adored Chevy. That sweet man trying to handle his daddy issues (and not doing such a great job). I loved his growth and acknowledgement of wrong doings. How he did work to be better and to be open. And OH MY GOSH he left me in a puddle with some of his moments.

“Good.” He pauses. “Because if I kiss you, it won’t go down like this. It won’t be quick. It won’t be sweet. And it won’t be with an audience. You got that?”

Val is one of the genuinely good souls type of characters. I loved her heart and mind and how good of a friend she was and everything in between. Val and Chevy have many moments that will have the angst turning up and you shouting KISS KISS KISS.

I love this small town, I love all of the glimpses of past book characters and new characters to come. I laughed, I cheered, I was giddy like a fool with the grand gesture. Another Sheet Cake winner!!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a parent, parental abandonment, physical injuries

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ARC Book Review: The Bluff (Graham Brothers #2) by Emma St. Clair

June 13, 2022February 15, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: TBD pages
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 9th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I won’t be winning any employee of the year awards. But only because my boss is the grumpy boss to end all grumpy bosses. Did I mention he doesn’t trust me to do my job?

Challenge accepted.

Not only am I going to help James launch a successful brewery, but I’m going to find out what makes him tick … and what makes him go boom.

All this has nothing to do with the fact that the man is unbearably, unfairly, unignorably (is that a word?) attractive. Or that he lost his mom when he was young, same as me.

The more he pushes me away, the more I’m pulled into his orbit. It’s a battle of stubborn wills, and I don’t plan to concede anytime soon.

Except the more time I spend around James Graham, the more I start to lose the one thing I refuse to give to any man … my heart.

The Bluff is an enemies to lovers, grumpy boss rom-com set in the fictional small town of Sheet Cake Texas. You’ll find plenty of laughs and sizzling chemistry in this closed door romantic comedy. It’s the second in a series, but can be read as a standalone.

I LOVED THIS.

Oh wow does Emma St. Clair never disappoint.

Let’s run a small list of things you can find in The Bluff:

Grump x Sunshine
One bed (but keep it sweet)
Beer conventions in Austin, TX
Taking care of someone after a nightmare
Major groveling
Dealing with loss of a parent (off page, in past)
ELEVATOR MAKE-OUTS + all the other swoony kisses

I love the way these closed door romances are written. They are sizzling while keeping the spice away. Another reason to give these types of romances a chance.

I absolutely LOVED Winnie and James. There banter was perfect. The chemistry, off the charts. And the raw way they learned to speak to one another made my heart want to burst. An undeniable connection (but with out being insta-love) from the beginning, I could NOT get enough of these two. Gimme more.

The plot moved steadily and it was filled with plenty of forced proximity, but also, necessary time apart. I liked the character growth on both sides (but especially James). I’m obsessed with anything St. Clair writes and this was another hit. My current fav of this series.

Overall audience notes: