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ARC Book Review: Romancing the Grump (Appies) by Jenny Proctor

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 358 pages
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He’s a grump and happy to stay that way. But can her sunshine melt the ice around his heart?

Nathan Sanders didn’t earn his reputation as the grouchiest player on the Appies minor league hockey team by chance. So when Summer Callahan breezes into his life with her flirtatious smiles and endless charm, he responds like he always he completely ignores her.

But Summer is intrigued by the surly center, and she won’t be deterred quite so easily. She’s convinced that the ones with the hardest shells on the outside are often the softest underneath. And she’s determined to prove it.

Romancing the Grump is a closed door grumpy sunshine hockey romcom with heart and humor, sizzle but no spice. Perfect for fans of sports romance who want a little less heat. Books in the Appies Hockey Romance series connect to Just Don’t Fall & Absolutely Not in Love from the Sweater Weather series, but all books stand alone and can be read in any order.

Thank you to the author for an eARC and gifted copy.

THIS BOOK.

Gosh, Jenny Proctor, DOES NOT MISS. I have been anxiously waiting for another Appies books and this was incredible. An all consuming kind of romance with the push and pull angst that leaves you breathless. And the kissing scenes??? YES PLEASE.

I loved Nathan and Summer (yay for dual POV!). Their chemistry was so easy to see and you just felt that draw between them. I loved how Nathan’s struggles with relationships were handled and that he had space to work through his own trauma to find love with Summer. And I loved how brave and bold Summer was. She leaned into the fear of not knowing how the situation would unfold and I loved that for her. The dialogue and banter was, as always, swoony and fun. And I can’t get enough of the strong friendships and families throughout. I love the support the other Appies players provide and the comradery between everyone.

I could go on and on about how many scenes I adored (why yes, we get another JERSEY SCENE Y’ALL) and the sweetness of the relationship between Summer and Nathan. I loved everything about this.

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: heated kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: workplace harassment, death of a parent (recounted, alcoholism)

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Book Review: The Blooms That Broke Us by Ashley Dill

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 466 pages
Author: Ashley Dill
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: January 30th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Seven Blooms. Three hearts. A second chance.

Jack Barkley has never been jealous of Jules, his twin sister, until she has something he doesn’t—a family. After his failed marriage and a trail of dead-end relationships, he’s given up hope that there could be anyone else for him.

Miranda Howard has spent the last four years with Chris, an abusive and narcissistic boyfriend. Taking care of her son Kacey has been her only priority, and Chris’ home was supposed to be a temporary landing spot in a time of crisis. But finally escaping his clutches leaves her penniless, stranded, and fresh out of options.

When Jack’s father dies, Jack and Miranda find themselves face to face in an attorney’s office, banking on an inheritance that’s locked down until they meet stipulations. Despite their sour history, they strike a deal to help each other. Miranda doesn’t like the proposed arrangement, but it sure beats the homeless shelter she was counting on to keep her and Kacey off the streets.

Can they piece together the past? Or are they still as broken as the shattered vase that ended their marriage years ago?

CONSUMING.

Y’all. I sat down at 45% one night to read for the evening…proceeded to devour this book. The way that second half totally consumed me (I was enjoying the first half a lot too!). This has allllll the angst. I loved the broken marriage trope when it’s done well and this one was hard. A hard read with many shattered pieces that found a way to be glue back into something new, something stronger.

I loved how both parties, Jack and Miranda had things to work one. Of course there’s some blame moments, but also along the journey the separately acknowledged their own personal issues and things to work on. The moments of communication, laying it all out there, heart on the line, had me feeling all of the emotions.

Beautiful book. I loved how everything came together. I will definitely be reading Ashley Dill’s next book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: low-moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: multiple miscarriages, divorce, domestic abuse, loss of a loved one

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Reading Wrap-Up: March 2024

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Spring is here! And apparently that meant READ ALL THE THINGS. A good list of books to add to your TBR below!

Favorite books this month:

  • The Rule Book
  • The House on Biscayne Bay
  • A Drop of Venom
  • When the Moon Hatched
  • Walking on Hidden Wings
  • But He’s My Fake Fiancé
  • Off the Beaten Path
  • The Simple Wild
  • The Blooms that Broke Us
  • Radiance of the Moon
  • The Foxglove King
  • This Could Be Us
  • The Roads We Follow
  • Always Choosing You
  • Betrothal or Breakaway
  • The Rom-Commers

Least favorites this month:

  • A Promise Kept
  • Heart of the Valkyrie
  • On Thin Ice
  • In the Orbit of You
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  • [ARC] A Promise Kept by A.N. Horton
  • [ALC] The Rule Book by Sarah Adams
  • [ARC] The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties (Aunties #3) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
  • Reign of Darkness (The Fallen Kingdoms #2) by K.B. Benson
  • With a Little Luck (Fortuna Beach #2) by Marissa Meyer
  • [ARC] Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus
  • [ARC] The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton
  • The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester
  • An Improper Gentleman (Improper Agreements #2) by Audra Wells
  • Heart of the Valkyrie (The Vinland to Valhalla Saga #1) by Melanie Karsak
  • [ARC] A Feather So Black (Fair Folk #1) by Lyra Selene
  • [ARC] On Thin Ice by Anna Augustine
  • A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel
  • [ARC] A Grave Robbery (Veronica Speedwell #9) by Deanna Raybourn
  • Lore of the Wilds (Lore of the Wilds #1) by Analeigh Sbrana
  • The Blood Vier (Blood Vier #1) by Christy R. Harrill
  • When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall #1) by Sarah A. Parker
  • [ALC/ARC] Funny Story by Emily Henry
  • [ARC] Walking on Hidden Wings by Rachel Scott McDaniel
  • All This Twisted Glory (This Woven Kingdom #3) by Tahereh Mafi
  • [ARC] But He’s My Fake Fiancé (But He’s a Carter Brother #3) by Annah Conwell
  • Off the Beaten Path (The Mountains are Calling #1) by Madison Wright
  • Stay with My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan
  • In the Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher
  • [Reread] The Simple Wild (The Simple Wild #1) by K.A. Tucker
  • Queen of Shifting Sands (Instanolde Chronicles #1) by Kaitlyn Carter Brown
  • [ARC] The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
  • The Words We Lost (Fog Harbor #1) by Nicole Deese
  • The Blooms That Broke Us by Ashley Dill
  • Radiance of the Moon by Ashley Worrell
  • The Foxglove King (The Nightshade Crown #1) by Hannah F. Whitten
  • This Could Be Us (Skyland #2) by Kennedy Ryan
  • The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allen
  • [ARC] If the Tide Turns by Rachel Rueckert
  • See Me As I Am by Cheryl Wanner
  • Fall of the Horizon (Dusk and Dawn #1) by Jessica J. Ayala
  • [ARC] The Hemlock Queen (The Nightshade Crown #2) by Hannah F. Whitten
  • [ARC] The Roads We Follow (Fog Harbor #2) by Nicole Deese
  • Inheritance (The Inheritance Cycle #4) by Christopher Paolini
  • Winds of Change (The Descended Trilogy #1) by Bailey Estep
  • [ARC] Always Choosing You (Scoops Series #2) by K. SInko
  • The Tainted Cup (Shadows of the Leviathan #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett
  • [ARC] Betrothal or Breakaway (D.C. Eagles Hockey #3) by Leah Brunner
  • Divine (House of Oak #2) by Nichole Van
  • [ARC] The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

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Book Review: Trial of the Sun Queen (Artefacts of Ouranos #1) by Nisha J. Tuli

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Nisha J. Tuli
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: November 15th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The Bachelor meets the Hunger Games. Ten women. A deadly contest. Only one can win the Sun King’s heart.

Lor has endured twelve long years of torment under the Aurora King’s rule. Her only desire is to get free and pay him back for every moment of misery.

When a surprise release finds her in the hands of the Sun King, Lor is thrust into the spotlight when she competes against nine other Tributes for the role of queen. If she wins his heart, she’ll earn her freedom and finally get her revenge.

But Lor doesn’t belong in the Sun Queen Trials. She doesn’t understand why she was freed, and she isn’t a citizen of the Sun King’s court. The other Tributes resent her presence and will stop at nothing to ensure Lor is wiped off the gameboard, permanently.

Now Lor must win, because if she loses, she dies. Or worse, she’ll be sent back into the hands of the Aurora King.

THAT’S A NO FOR ME.

This book has a pretty solid rating and I am convinced I must have read a different book because many things didn’t work for me in this one.

The whole the first guy isn’t the true love interest trope can be great, I’ve read ACOTAR, I know the drill. This was executed poorly. Filled with insta-love and unnecessary smut scenes that did nothing for the plot other than to call it “spicy”. That was my biggest turn-off.

I also didn’t love the FMC. And I’m easy to please in that regard. There was this hot/cold nature that did not make sense and I felt like I kept looking at a different character depending on the scene. Could have used some consistency.

The big “twist” with the end could be seen from the beginning of the book. It resembles another few books I’ve read, of which, the secret was hidden much better and felt like a true surprise. While cool, at this point I don’t think I’ll pick up book two.

The idea of the trials was fine, There’s small things here and there I didn’t mind. And it still gets three stars because I think others could enjoy this.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 1-2 open; moderate explicit, some innuendo
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: brief mentions of past rape/sexual assault, near death experiences, loss of loved ones

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