Tag: indie author

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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Book Review: Things We Left Behind (Knockemout #3) by Lucy Score

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 650 pages
Author: Lucy Score
Publisher: That’s What She Said Publishing
Release Date: September 5th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

There was only one woman who could set me free. But I would rather set myself on fire than ask Sloane Walton for anything.

Lucian Rollins is a lean, mean vengeance-seeking mogul. On a quest to erase his father’s mark on the family name, he spends every waking minute pulling strings and building an indestructible empire. The more money and power he amasses, the safer he is from threats.

Except when it comes to the feisty small-town librarian that keeps him up at night…

Sloane Walton is a spitfire determined to carry on her father’s quest for justice. She’ll do that just as soon as she figures out exactly what the man she hates did to—or for—her family. Bonded by an old, dark secret from the past and the dislike they now share for each other, Sloane trusts Lucian about as far as she can throw his designer-suited body.

When bickering accidentally turns to foreplay, these two find themselves not quite regretting their steamy one-night stand. Once those flames are fanned, it seems impossible to put them out again. But with Sloane ready to start a family and Lucian refusing to even consider the idea of marriage and kids, these enemies-to-lovers are stuck at an impasse.

Broken men break women. It’s what Lucian believes, what he’s witnessed, and he’s not going to take that chance with Sloane. He’d rather live a life of solitude than put her in danger. But he learns the hard way that leaving her means leaving her unprotected from other threats.

It’s the second time he’s ruthlessly cut her out of his life. There’s no way she’s going to give him a third chance. He’s just going to have to make one for himself.

WORTH THE WAIT.

I know we have been all waiting for this story and for me, IT ABSOLUTELY WAS EVERYTHING I COULD HOPE FOR. Oh my gosh I was in love with Lucian and Sloane from the beginning and I loved how this wrapped up everything.

They have the perfect contemporary enemies to lovers banter. You actually felt the hatred, but also the passion and intensity in the emotions both of them are trying to hide. I loved watching them battle it out and also let go. And some of those second half scenes?? Where everything was finally being laid out?? I AM A PUDDLE NOW. I love endearing moments. I also love possessive moments. This had both. ALL THE MOMENTS.

I love this small town and all of the characters. I loved getting to see everyone from previous books again. I was laughing, swooning and on the edge of my seat throughout the story. 650 pages blew by before I could even blink because this is an addictive read.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance + Suspense
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 4+ open
  • Violence: moderate-high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: domestic abuse, gun violence, murder, attempted murder

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