Tag: indie author

Book Review: On the Slopes of Tahoe (Love Along the Way #2) by J.A. Forde

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 383 pages
Author: J.A. Forde
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: February 28th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Wanting each other is easy…
It’s everything else that’s hard.

Breck Kylie’s perfect life unravels in a squall of betrayal, leaving him and his seven-year-old daughter reeling. Choosing to retreat from the sunny shores of Sydney, Australia, they embark on an extended vacation to Lake Tahoe in hopes they’ll find a new ‘normal’ on the snowy slopes.

Rory Anderson had big dreams once, but years of living in a blizzard of impossible expectations has beaten her down. Stuck in a cycle of fear and self-doubt, she’s living a life she’s unsure she truly wants. So, when her brother asks her to help his best friend get settled in Tahoe, she agrees with a renewed sense of purpose.

When Breck’s personal hurricane meets Rory’s frozen fears, they find themselves in the eye of the storm—a quiet place where connection and clarity finally break through. For Rory, it’s a chance to focus on her own dreams. For Breck, it’s a glimpse of the future he thought was shattered.

Finding solace in each other is supposed to be a short-lived thing, but what happens when they find themselves feeling more than they bargained for?

Will they walk away, or will they fight to hold onto the peace they’ve only ever found in each other?

I LIKED IT WELL ENOUGH.

I expected to have some mixed thoughts on this one and I do but y’all know I appreciated a third act handled well (or that reasonably makes sense to the situation at hand) and I felt like this book did that. There were some genuinely big hurdles to think about and decide upon and the time and discussions actually moved the relationship forward.

What bugged me though is that this had a let’s just sleep together vibe. And I do not like those vibes. Especially since this was closed door I just don’t think it matched the energy of the story. It wasn’t necessary and the relationship could have been further without that point.

I did enjoy that it was dual POV and that both Breck and Rory stood up to those in their lives that they needed to. I love seeing relationships mended when it works best AND when relationships are severed when it’s best. This is a great winter book with all of the snow content (which cracks me up that I read it sitting at a pool).

I’ll definitely continue to read J.A. Forde’s books.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: closed door/fade to black
  • Content warnings: parental abandonment

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: May 2026

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

What time is it?
SUMMERTIME.

  • Daggermouth (The Heart #1) by H.M. Wolfe
  • Beast Becomes Her by Crystal Seitz
  • [ALC] Seek the Traitor’s Son (The Burning Empire #1) by Veronica Roth
  • Into a Golden Era (Timeless #7) by Gabrielle Meyer
  • [ARC] Magic at Midnight by Courtney Millecam
  • Honey in Her Veins by Ruth McKell
  • [ARC] Rival Season (Hockey Boys of Loft 3B #2) by Rival Season
  • Release Me (Shatter Me: The New Republic #2) by Tahereh Mafi
  • [ARC] Stars, Stripes & Summer Nights by Celeste Dador
  • The Sea Spinner (Reign of Remnants #2) by Julie Johnson
  • Smoke in the Mirrors (Slanted London #2) by Jessica Scarlett
  • [ARC/ALC] Rebel Heiress (The Diamonds #3) by Amalie Howard
  • Annie Knows Everything by Rachel Wood
  • [Reread] Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [ARC] Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes by Shelbey Kendall
  • Beneath the Wreckage (Wrecked #5) by Catherine Cowles
  • [ARC] Every Beat After by Sara B. Larson
  • The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn
  • An Honorable Love (The Gentlemen’s Gamble) by Audra Wells
  • The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
  • [ARC/ALC] Shadow Reaper (Shadow Reaper #1) by Lynette Noni
  • Unsteady (The Undone #1) by Peyton Corinne
  • Cross Court (The Off Court #2) by Vai Denton
  • His Face is the Sun (Throne of Khetara #1) by Michelle Jabes Corpora
  • [ARC/ALC] Hard to Love (The Lost Girls #1) by Stacy Williams
  • [Novella] S’more of You (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Tessa Bailey
  • [Novella] Girls Just Wanna Have Sun (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Rachel Lacey
  • [Novella] One Hot Summer Wedding (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Falon Ballard
  • [Novella] Save a Horse, Keep a Cowboy (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Jessica Peterson
  • [Novella] Summer Staycation (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
  • [Novella] Summer Thaw (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Rebecca Jenshak
  • The Gravewood (The Gravewood #1) by Kelly Andrew
  • [Reread] Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) by Sarah J. Maas
  • Fever Dream (Emerald Lake #1) by Elsie Silver
  • Made for Mayhem (Mayhem Hockey Club #2) by Aimee Vance
  • The Roommate Rule by Georgie Stone
  • Fury Bound (The Wolves of Ruin #2) by Sable Sorensen
  • [ARC] Hopeless Necromantic (The Catseye Chronicles #1) by Shiloh Briar
  • Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

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

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

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

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

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

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

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

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph