Tag: indie author

Book Review: A Deal with the Devil (The Devils #1) by Elizabeth O’Roark

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 314 pages
Author: Elizabeth O’Roark
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: August 10th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He might not be the devil, but working under him for six weeks is my idea of hell.

Hayes Flynn is an arrogant jerk known best for his scotch habit and the way he spreads his British “charm” all over Hollywood, never with the same woman twice.

He’s the last person I want to work for, except he has a face I can’t look away from, and the longer we’re together, the harder he is to hate. Because under that smug exterior is a heart he doesn’t want to show—one that was badly broken a decade earlier.

A part of me wants to fix it for him before I leave…but can I do it without breaking my own in the process?

AN INTERESTING HOT MESS.

I feel conflicted by this book (which is how I felt about book two in this series before coming back to this one).

One on side, we have a SUPER sweet grump x sunshine; boss x assistant; slow burn romance. I really liked the chemistry between Hayes and Tali. Fantastic banter and soooo many sub tropes in romances that I flat out adore. The protective alpha vibes totally worked for me and every time Hayes opened up more I was a puddle. Great hero.

Aaaaand the other side was this weird amalgamation of plot things that felt like it was trying too hard. Each side character had to have some intense thing happening in their lives, & I HATED how the Mom thing with Tali was handled. There’s quite a few off-color jokes that did not land well whatsoever and made me cringe. The addition of book stuff from what Tali was writing? And just stuff like that?

Hayes truly carries this entire book and is the only reason it held its four star status. I’m undecided on reading book three at this point as the wild plot seems to be a theme.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: multiple open; med-high explicit + medium innuendo
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: cheating recounted, parent with alcoholism, suicide mentioned, death of a parent recounted

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ARC Book Review: The Golden Goal (More Than a Game #1) by Annah Conwell

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 258 pages
Author: Annah Conwell
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: January 4th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Shaw Daniels is the bane of my existence.

Always has been. Always will be.

When we were kids, he annoyed me to no end by being good at everything. He didn’t have to study or really even try. Meanwhile, I tried too much and still lost to him.

Then when we were teenagers, our rivalry became twisted. He started sabotaging all my relationships. I retaliated by doing the same to him.

Now, we’re adults and we should be able to move on. But when I become a physical therapist for his professional hockey team, it seems as though we can’t let go of our rival tendencies.

Suddenly, our teasing starts to border on flirting. Bets are made and lines are crossed. The kind of lines that once crossed … you can never go back to the way things were before.

The Golden Goal is an enemies to lovers, brother’s best-friend hockey romcom for fans of sports romance. It has all the sizzling chemistry you love, without any explicit scenes. Check out the first book in the More Than a Game series, an interconnected standalone series based around four men in four different sports.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

SHAW Y’ALL.

If you know anything about my romance reading preferences, y’all would know, HE FALLS FIRST is one of my favorites. And dang did Shaw fall HARD Y’ALL. I can’t even with him. The entire book turned me into a puddle. I am goo. Shaw was thoughtful, intense, silly and endearing in all the ways.

And I really loved Sutton too! Both of these main characters were written beautifully. While I wouldn’t call this enemies to lovers, I did love the snarky banter between Sutton and Shaw. I found myself smiling like a fool because of the well placed quips. It had a fantastic level of heat without the spice and those kissing scenes were FIRE.

I thought the plot was fast paced and easy to fly through. There were so many good stand out moments I could list (but you should go read and love on them so we can flail together). And there was actual hockey content in here so I can without a doubt say THIS is a sports romance.

And one you should read ASAP.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Sports Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of parents with alcohol and substance abuse

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: December 2023

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We have made it! It was a fantastic year with so many good books and reaching new highs I didn’t think I would get to. Excited to see 2024 and what books it’ll hold.

Favorites this month:

  • The Christmas Letters
  • The Last Love Note
  • The Duet
  • House of Earth and Blood
  • Even If It Breaks Your Heart
  • The Letter Tree
  • The Golden Goal
  • Powerless
  • An Heir of Frost
  • Bride
  • Emma M. Lion Vol. 4
  • The Catch
  • The Christmas Guest
  • Fate Calls the Elf Queen
  • Divine Rivals
  • Ruthless Vows

Least favorites:

  • Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White
  • Daughter of the Sun (The Mothmar Trilogy #1) by Amanda Auler
  • [ARC] The Christmas Letters by Jenny Proctor
  • The Last Love Note by Emma Grey
  • Love on Deck (Arcadia Creek #1) by Kasey Stockton
  • The Duet (Falling for Franklin #3) by Hailey Gardiner
  • Peaches & Honey: These Immortal Truths by R. Raeta
  • [ALC] Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White (Song of the Last Kingdom #2) by Amelie Wen Zhao
  • Technically Yours by Denise Williams
  • [ARC] The Breakup Tour by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka
  • This Cursed Light (The Last Finestra #2) by Emily Thiede
  • [Reread] House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [ARC] Falling for Your Brother’s Best Friend (Love Cliches #3.5) by Emma St. Clair
  • Censorshipped (Getting Shipped! #4) by Savannah Scott
  • [ARC] Even If It Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn
  • [ALC/ARC] The Lily of Ludgate Hill (The Belles of London #3) by Mimi Matthews
  • [ALC] Courting War (Vicious Gods #1) by Hazel St. Lewis
  • Long Live (The Elementals of Iona #1) by V.B. Lacey
  • The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham
  • [ARC] The Golden Goal (More Than a Game #1) by Annah Conwell
  • Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy #1) by Lauren Roberts
  • [ARC] An Heir of Frost (A Trial of Sorcerers #4) by Elise Kova
  • [ARC] Bride by Ali Hazelwood
  • A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
  • [ALC] Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce
  • The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol. 4 by Beth Brower
  • [ARC] The Catch (The Influencer #3) by Amy Lea
  • The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson
  • The Book That Wouldn’t Burn (The Library Trilogy #1) by Mark Lawrence
  • This Cruel Dawn (The Curse of the Blessed #3) by Renee Dugan
  • Fate Calls the Elf Queen (The Elf Queen #3) by J.M. Kearl
  • A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat
  • In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Reputation (Halifax Hellions #1) by Alexandra Vasti
  • [Reread] Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment #1) by Rebecca Ross
  • Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment #2) by Rebecca Ross

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