ARC Book Review: It’s Always Us (The Abandoned Brothers #3) by Stacy Williams

October 3, 2024September 14, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 476 pages
Author: Stacy Williams
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 7th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

What if you give your whole heart away? Do you ever really get it back?

Lex has just been going through the motions for years, trying to let go of the one man she can’t seem to forget. When she finds herself getting ready to take on a life she’s never wanted, she realizes she’s stuck in the same place she was at sixteen—heart stolen and fully belonging to another. Now, Lex is determined to move forward and finally face reality—life without him.

But when the past returns, making declarations she’d never thought she’d hear again, will Lex take a chance to finally go after what she’s always wanted?

Mark has been living the high life…at least, that’s what the media believes. Reality is, he’s spent the last eight years thinking of the one who promised to love him always. For Mark, time has passed and damage was done, but he just can’t convince himself that her devotion wasn’t real. When time is running out—or so he thinks—he takes a shot to find out once and for all if her words were honest and true.

When the fun-loving, professional quarterback makes his play, will he find that the hope he’s held onto is everything he needed it to be? What if it’s so much more than he ever could have imagined?

It’s Always Us is a touching love story that reminds us when all hope is lost…love lasts.

This story is part of a series but if you don’t mind a few spoilers, it can be read as a stand-alone.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

THE JOURNEY.

This book made me have to stare down some things I don’t generally like when I’m reading a romance book. But the pure chaos of this journey and the up and down roller coaster had me flipping page after page never able to guess where this story would turn next. And that had it’s own wonderful quality too.

I loved how much Mark and Lex showed that soul mate level quality of connection. How when you feel like you’re hitting the end of what you can handle, love finds a way. Love creates a path. Love finds a way to fight with you.

Both characters had a lot of walls they had to hit a few times over before they found a way around. I loved the supporting cast and how they helped Mark and Lex get through their journey’s. The ending came together so sweetly and squeezed my heart strings.

This book has been a long time coming for this series and I loved all the truths it held and the satisfying conclusion it was for the all three brothers.

Overall audience notes:

Sports Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: closed door
Violence: low

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: September 2024

October 1, 2024 GoodeyReads2 Comments

How did September get here???
I made it another month without having any books in the under three star (or least favorite) category and had plenty of great books to choose from!

Favorites this month:

Sunday Supper
The Key to Deceit
Heir
Words of Radiance (reread)
Guy’s Girl
Playing it Safe
It’s Always Us
The Christmas You Found Me
A Sky Full of Dragons
An Academy for Liars
An Improper Proposal
Locked in Pursuit
The Games Gods Play

Least favorites:

NONE!

[ARC] Sunday Supper by K. Sinko
The Girl with No Reflection by Keshe Chow
[ARC] Phantasma (Wicked Games #1) by Kaylie Smith
The Key To Deceit (Electra McDonnell #2) by Ashley Weaver
Little Monsters by Kara Thomas
The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas
The Champions by Kara Thomas
[ARC] Heir (Heir Duology #1) by Sabaa Tahir
All out of Love (Boys of Riverside #3) by Gracie Graham
[ARC] The Scarlet Throne (The False Goddess #1) by Amy Leow
[ARC] Of Gold and Shadows by Michelle Griep
[Reread] Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archives #2) by Brandon Sanderson
[ARC] Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood
Guy’s Girl by Emma Noyes
Playing it Safe (Electra McDonnell #3) by Ashley Weaver
[ARC] It’s Always Us (The Abandoned Brothers #3) by Stacy Williams
Loyally, Luke (Skymar #3) by Pepper Basham
[ALC] The Christmas You Found Me (Heart of the Wilderness #1) by Sarah Morgenthaler
Cole and Laila are Just Friends by Bethany Turner
A Dawn with the Wolf Knight (Married to Magic #5) by Elise Kova
[ALC] A Sky Full of Dragons (The Wand Keepers #1) by Tiffany McDaniel
[ARC] A Queen’s Game (A Queen’s Game #1) by Katharine McGee
An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
An Improper Proposal (Improper Agreements #4) by Audra Wells
The Shadow of the Gods (Bloodsworn Saga #1) by John Gwynne
Locked in Pursuit (Electra McDonnell #4) by Ashley Weaver
A Royal Promise (Royal Hearts #4) by Amanda Schimmoeller
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Canas
On a Flight to Sydney (Love Along the Way #1) by J.A. Forde
The Cheerleaders (The Cheerleaders #1) by Kara Thomas
One Last Thing (The Seddledowne #1) by Susan Henshaw
The Games Gods Play (The Crucible #1) by Abigail Owen
Unbearably Yours (It’s Always Been You #3) by Elodie Colliard
[ARC/ALC] The Courting of Bristol Keats (The Courting of Bristol Keats #1) by Mary E. Pearson
The Heart of the World (The Isles of the Gods #2) by Amie Kaufman
[ARC] Across the Star Kissed Sea by Arlem Hawks

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ARC Book Review: Bring Me Home by Ashley Weston

September 19, 2024August 27, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 409 pages
Author: Ashley Weston
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: September 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sometimes the unexpected is just what we’re looking for…
Jasper Mason
I should have known something wasn’t right the moment I was told someone was coming to see a piece of the land. Our land.
Marlow’s Boys Ranch started as a dream, but easily became reality. That reality was as tranquil and peaceful as a sunset.
Until she got out of the car.
Mia Evans, as I live and breathe. It’s been fourteen years since I’ve seen her, and not a day has passed that I haven’t thought of her, or wished things could be different.
And now she’s here to take more than just a tiny slice of land. She’s the mom of one of our own.
The signs were there, I should have seen it. Maybe I didn’t want to. But now, I can’t have a moment of peace with her constantly around, winning over every person here.
How will I ever survive her leaving for a second time?
I can’t. I won’t. I have to keep her at arm’s length until she leaves. Then, and only then, can I go back to my peaceful life. Just the way I like it.

Mia Evans
I’m finally free of the disaster of my marriage, and ready to find the freedom for my son and myself. Question is, at what cost?
Before I dropped my boy off ten months ago, I never thought I’d be back here. It’s been since the summer before freshman year of college. The summer I fell in love. And the summer I got my heart broken for the first time.
My son is safe, and that’s all that matters to me. At least, I thought so.
When I open the car door, I know what I’ll find. I know Jasper works here and I know he’s been providing a roof over my son’s head with no explanation.
What I don’t know. . . is how I will react to being near him again after all this time. Opening up our past is the last thing I need. Though my heart is saying differently.
Bring Me Home is all about love, heartbreak, healing, and most importantly, second chances.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

GOOD BONES.

Once upon a time I DNF this author’s first book, but found myself saying yes to reading an ARC of this because I was happy to give this story a chance. I am currently in my cowboy era and was intrigued by this second chance romance. There are a lot of good bones and themes here. Of forgiveness, and the strength to carry on. Making hard choices and to let go. And even getting a chance to fall in love all over again.

I loved the ranch setting and all of the boys. Some of the dialogue choices (like “bruh” and “cap”) just didn’t feel necessary even if that’s how some teens speak today. It’s like in a book I want to disassociate from that? They were sweet guys though and I loved the idea of a boys ranch to help them find a safe space to be and grow.

There’s plenty of good swoony moments between Jasper and Mia. I loved that they got to know each other again and had the right kind of arguments and conversations to get there. It’s the kind of non-linear story I enjoy most. The touch of suspense was good and I liked how the ending brought everything together.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: low
Romance: closed door
Violence: moderate
Content Warnings: kidnapping, domestic violence (recounted; physical, emotional, verbal)

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Book Review: Off to the Races (Gold Rush Ranch #1) by Elsie Silver

September 16, 2024July 30, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 334 pages
Author: Elsie Silver
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 29th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Keeping things professional with my employees has never been an issue. Until she waltzed onto my property.

Billie is talented. She’s mouthy. And she’s so damn tempting. I can’t stop thinking about all the ways I could take her down a peg.

I can’t stop thinking about her, period.

We clash from the moment we meet. And in a small town, on an even smaller farm, it’s hard to keep your distance. It’s even harder to keep that friction from turning to fire.

But keeping my distance? That might be the biggest struggle of all. Because Billie is the whole package, whip-smart with a body I fantasize about when I’m alone, and quite possibly the only woman who can save this business—and me.

She drives me crazy. In every sense of the word. Every smart-mouthed little comment—every game we play—I end up wanting more. Wanting her closer. With me. Under me.

I try not to let her get to me, but the more time we spend together the more I crave her. Her lips. Her trust. Her heart.

I want it all.

But at what cost?

Because suddenly I don’t just want to win races, I want to win the girl.
I want it all.

But at what cost?

Because suddenly I don’t just want to win races, I want to win the girl.

I LIKED IT.

This was my first Elsie Silver book y’all. And I enjoyed it! I don’t know if continuing this series is for me though?

What I loved was the story. I thought the horse racing concept was awesome. Totally unique for me and engaging. I liked the characters and their personalities. The side characters shown well and the book truly is good.

I just think that the spice might have leaped over the plot and the second half lost its touch. I’m a slow burn girl. And needed maybe a slightly longer book to really feel that chemistry between Billie and Vaughn.

It’s fast paced, and if you’re a spice lover I think you should try it! I don’t know where I’ll land on reading another Silver book but I do get the hype.

Overall audience notes: