Tag: indie author

Book Review: I’ll Paint You a Sunset Someday by Bex Alexander

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Dystopian/Contemporary Romance
Length: 396 pages
Author: Bex Alexander
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: January 27th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

There’s nothing worse than being alone, in Hallee’s humble opinion. Extremely ironic, considering The Gift of Forgetting forces a fresh start every New Year’s Day, rendering it nearly impossible to get attached to anyone. Surely the promised “wild and free” life wasn’t supposed to include Hallee’s obsessive hyperfixation on questioning her purpose—right? After all…what purpose would that serve?

Unfortunately, drowning herself in copious amounts of vanilla lattes doesn’t medicate her growing anxiety. (What a surprise!) So when Dean, a true gentleman with galaxy eyes and a kind heart, offers an escape from her ever-present intrusive thoughts, getting attached doesn’t seem like such a challenge.

Hallee and Dean are better together. They’re a cup of coffee while watching the sunrise, the first flower after a long winter, and a desperate wish on a shooting star. But as New Year’s Day quickly approaches, they’re forced to face the ultimate question…are people permanently marked by the experiences of their lives? Can the great love of Hallee and Dean prove that hearts remember—even if minds do not?

In the end, love conquers all…doesn’t it?

CONFUSED & BORED.

The cover does not match the book and that left me befuddled. The summary does give you a hint at what’s coming and the more I read the more it felt dystopian more than anything else. Especially since the two years used were 2046 & 2095.

While I totally see what theme the author was going for and the message she was trying to convey (and I do think it was a good message) the execution lacked. I just kept waiting for more? More plot? Definitely needed less insta-love (though I guess it made sense? But something felt off about it). I mean, as you can see, this book left me going up and down on my thoughts.

I don’t think I’ll read another book by this author unless it doesn’t have a dystopian-esque element to it.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary/Dystopian Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: make-outs

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ARC Book Review: Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes by Shelbey Kendall

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Rating: ★★★★.5
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 332 pages
Author: Shelbey Kendall
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: June 1st, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sadie Summers has spent her entire life being exactly who everyone expects her to be.

Responsible. Reliable. Rooted in Dusty Hollow, Texas.

But somewhere between checking boxes, keeping the peace, and making sure everyone else is taken care of, she forgot what it feels like to choose herself.

When she stumbles upon a list titled Try Something You’ve Never Done Before, Sadie begins to wonder what it might look like to step outside her carefully ordered world—to want more than what’s safe and familiar. What she doesn’t expect is for the list to lead her straight back to Milo Carter.

Milo was her first love. The one who left town—and the one who never really left her heart. Now he’s back, older, steadier, and certain about what he wants. And what he wants is Sadie.

As they begin checking off the list together, Sadie finds herself laughing more, hesitating less, and facing the one question she can’t avoid who is she when she stops living for everyone else?

A heartfelt, small-town romance about faith, freedom, first love, and finding the courage to live a life that finally feels like your own.

Thank you to the author and Happily Ever Readers for the gifted PR Box.

WHAT A GREAT READ.

This came across my DM’s and I took a chance on a new to me author that absolutely delivered. I think it found me at just the right time.

Our lovely FMC was highly relatable in all of her people pleasing, eldest daughter ways. I was drawn to Sadie and I loved her character arc. Growing and changing and finding her way and what was genuinely going to make her happy. I loved that this had some traveling aspects to it and the courage it took to adventure.

The romance is super sweet. It’s low angst and tension and has the feel of a quiet Sunday morning watching the sunrise. I loved Sadie and Milo together. Milo is still very much down bad and works hard to communicate and show Sadie that they are forever. The genuine feel of this romance really sold me.

I do have to insert a grumble about the third act because I will stand on my soap box that it wasn’t necessary for this book, BUT I DIGRESS.

An absolutely lovely romance that has me definitely wanting to pick up the next book in the series.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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Book Review: Caught Stealing (Southern Sports Sweethearts #1) by M.J. Padgett

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Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 270 pages
Author: M.J. Padgett
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Charlotte Clarke’s life revolves around numbers and facts. But when life throws her a curveball, will she rely on her brain or her heart to guide her?

Love is the last thing on Charlotte’s mind. She’s too busy teaching uninterested high school students mathematics to make time for dating, despite her best friends’ protests that she needs a man. They seem to forget that the breakup with her long-time boyfriend shattered her heart.

When Charlotte’s friends discover a new dating app, they sign her up, surprising her with a list of men interested in stealing her heart. Not wanting to disappoint them, Charlotte chooses the first name on the list, preparing herself for utter humiliation and rejection. What she doesn’t know is the app is a cover for athletes looking for serious love. And one thing Charlotte doesn’t need is another athlete breaking her heart.

Andrew Rossi is sitting out with his second injury of the season. At his age, he’s beginning to worry his career with the Savannah Sharks might be coming to a close. What’s worse is he has no one to share the rest of his life with. Sick of superficial dating and flimsy relationships, Andrew decides to sign up on an elite, super secret athlete dating app. The second his eyes land on a gorgeous, brainy redhead with a deep love for dogs, his heart leaps in with cautious optimism.

The only problem? His sunshiny, sweet date despises athletes.

Keeping his athletic stardom a secret gives Andrew the chance to get to know Charlotte. As the two grow closer, he knows it’s only a matter of time before he has to come clean. But how do you tell a woman you’re falling for that you’re the one thing she hates?

Caught Stealing is a sweet, secret identity baseball romance with light faith elements, a side of comedy, and two show-stealing pups!

This is the first book in the Southern Sports Sweethearts series and the first in the Savannah Sharks baseball mini-series! The books in this series can be read in any order, mixed and matched, and moved around!

THIS DID NOT WORK FOR ME.

I was initially enjoying this one. I’ve been looking for some more baseball romances and was excited to try a new author out. Buuuut, this ended up not clicking on many fronts.

One of my main issues was that the whole plot felt centered around Lottie’s ex. Why the broke up, why she has a hard time trusting, why she STILL has a hard time trusting, him trying to win her back, him trying to win her back AGAIN, and so on and so forth.

And while there were some sweet scenes with Andrew in there and some of the dates were cute, it felt very ordinary. It was missing swoon and heat (even though I admit Andrew had some quotable lines).

I thought the writing was fine and I know this will work for others. I don’t know that I would try another book by this author.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Content warnings: cheating (previous relationship)

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Book Review: Drop Shot (The Off Court #1) by Vai Denton

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Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 302 pages
Author: Vai Denton
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 9th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Delilah Anderson is no stranger to sacrifice where her siblings are concerned. Who needs to go to college when you have three hungry mouths to feed and pro tennis money in your sights? Except it’s not that simple. No matter how hard she works, the bills are piling up ad infinitum. When her doubles partner decides to start focusing on singles, she knows the margins are going to be razor thin.

So when Matteo Corsi, three-time Grand Slam winner and a friend of a friend, offers to play mixed doubles with her, it should be a no-brainer. She doesn’t believe he’s as hateful as the media claims, and with her new endorsement deal, teaming up with him could give her the financial breathing room she needs. But after years of carrying her family on her back, accepting help isn’t Delilah’s strong suit.

When circumstances force her hand, Delilah reluctantly agrees. As the days blur together with drills, practice matches, and lighthearted teasing, she realizes there’s more to Matteo than she ever could have imagined—not to mention what getting him to reluctantly smile or seeing him shirtless does to her.

Matteo is a distraction she can’t afford, but one she’ll have to navigate to keep her (im)perfectly constructed life from falling apart.

I HAVE THOUGHTS.

There are very few people who could convince me to drop what I’m reading and pick a book up, my sister is one of those people. This was not on my radar until she told me I might like it, and I did like it! 3.5 stars might seem otherwise, but I’m still on board to read the second book in the series so I consider that a positive.

This might be my first tennis romance?? And I may be a sports girlie but tennis is not at the forefront of that knowledge base. I liked learning about the tournaments and how playing singles/doubles worked and that there’s big facilities for all of training.

I liked the grump x sunshine trope between Matteo and Delilah. I thought they were a sweet couple and the spice wasn’t superfluous. I do think there was a quality to the relationship that seemed, superficial? While some deeper topics were explored I think the shortness of the story left something to be desired. There were MANY paragraphs dedicated to listing out random things that did not build the setting or story in anyway (to show my work: one long paragraph detailed every piece of art on Del’s bedroom walls and I just don’t think that was necessary). A little more show vs. tell would go a long way.

And I am grumpy over the third act. While short (hallelujah), I’m tired of FMC’s being angry over the love interest being helpful? Especially when it’s not vindictive, came from a place of love, and wasn’t a genuine over step. The resulting “fight” was silly.

All of this to say, I liked the side characters. I do think Delilah showed high levels of resilience of hope even when she’s had to hold things together for so long. I loved seeing the soft side of Matteo and I will forever love a man down bad.

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports romance
  • Langauge: mild
  • Romance: 2 open door scenes
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: driving after drinking (side character, no one is injured), alcoholism/addiction, absent parent, loss of a parent (recounted)

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