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ARC Book Review: Why Trey Let Me Get Away (Famously in Love #1) by Kortney Keisel

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Kortney Keisel
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: April 28th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Second chances are relationship Hail Marys. I’ll either win Whitney’s love or go home brokenhearted.

Trey:

Whitney Savittieri is the one that got away, and I’ll do anything—including strategizing with my teammates—to get her back.

Never mind that she’s giving me the stiff arm and wants nothing to do with me. We’re going head to head, and I’m playing for keeps.

I’ve been in a lot of pressure-packed games, but the stakes are higher this time—my heart and my happiness are on the line. 

Whitney:

I’m avoiding my ex like the plague—like a really, really handsome plague.

While Trey’s risen to fame in the NFL, my life has gone so far off track I’ve derailed and am careening into a ditch.

So I promised myself I’d never love again. It’s too risky—a woman can only take so much disappointment.

Giving us another chance is a mistake my future and my heart can’t afford.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

ALL THE STARS FOR TREY.

This book was a good time and the lighter escapism read I was hoping for when it landed on my kindle. I LOVE sports romances and was ecstatic a closed door author I adore wrote one.

For the football aspects, I thought there was a perfect blend of Trey’s life and practices, games and such, but never so much to take over the point of the story, the romance. Easily one of the highlightable features of the plot. I have been missing football and this helped quench that!

I LOVED TREY. He was the shining beacon throughout the entire book. I loved how nervous he got trying to talk to Whitney. I loved how hard he worked for their relationship and the truly genuine good soul he has. He’s got that big golden retriever energy that never gets old to me. I want to soak up that optimism he holds on to so well.

Whitney was where I ran into issues. I was surprised at her reasoning for breaking up with Trey and how poorly it came off for her character growth. I understand some of her side of the story but I wish Whitney herself had put more effort into the relationship or at least apologizing in general.

In the end though, I loved this book. I needed something quick and enjoyable that made me laugh and grin and OH EM GEE I FORGOT TO MENTION THE KISSING SCENES. Absolutely the hottest thing about this book. Perfectly executed closed door romance kisses are my kryptonite and I was begging for them to kiss and THEY SURE DANG DID.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Sports Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: absent parents, divorce (mentioned)

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Book Review: A Lily in Disguise (Wycliffe Family #1) by Jessica Scarlett

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Regency Romance
Length: 312 pages
Author: Jessica Scarlett
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: July 4th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

One woman.
Three identities.
A handsome lord trying to unmask them all.

To escape the scandals tied to her name, Lillian Markley has gone by an alias for eight years. It was the only way for her to get a reputable job and save enough money to reunite with her sister in America. But when Lily is suddenly let go just as she’s about to reach her goal, she’s offered a salary she can’t refuse in exchange for the unthinkable:

She must masquerade as an heiress at a country estate for the summer.

Being exposed means facing prison, or worse—never seeing her sister again. Run-ins with kidnappers, a suspicious young boy, and a dangerous gentleman who knows her secret quickly has Lily spouting lies as often as she sips her tea—all while battling her growing feelings for Peter Wycliffe, the smiling host who seems to best her at every turn.

Nothing is as simple as it seems. And as the falsehoods begin to mount, Lily must use her arsenal of wits to keep her three facades separate, while preventing Peter—and herself—from discovering the true woman beneath them all.

MOSTLY OKAY.

I am obsessed with book three in this series, A Lady on the Chase. And seriously go read it. This one…not my favorite, but I still plan to read the second book.

There’s a lot of potential here and I did enjoy plenty of moments between Peter and Lily. I thought things got off a bit too quickly on the romance side and it took me awhile to catch up. Some of those swoony ending scenes with confessions of love though? Those were fantastic and I adored everything about them.

I felt like too much was trying to happen in 300 pages. There’s the history behind why Lily goes by a different name. Multiple suitors. Highwaymen attacks. An estranged half-brother and more. Amidst this were fluff scenes of party games, etc. where I felt the pacing was a bit all over the place.

It’s a good book and maybe most of this is attributed to wrong time picking it up scenario. I would still recommend this easily as the writing is enjoyable and the slow burn is impeccable.

Overall audience notes:

  • Regency Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: Kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents, attempted kidnapping, brief weapons violence, domestic abuse

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Book Review: Let Love In (Canyon Cove Stories #3) by Marie Soleil

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 220 pages
Author: Marie Soleil
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: December 13th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

There is one person on this earth I cannot stand: Ethan Taylor. Sure, he looks like he belongs on the cover of a magazine, but don’t let his looks fool you. He is pretentious, arrogant, and self-absorbed. Unfortunately, he is also the son of a reality TV star, and designers who won’t even glance at my portfolio are on his speed dial.

But now he has a proposition for me: If I join him in New York City and pose as his date to his grandmother’s swanky benefit, he’ll take me to Fashion Week and introduce me to the hottest names in fashion. As an aspiring designer, I’d have to be crazy to turn him down. Except that means spending a week with Ethan. Pretending to date him. His hand pressed to my low back. His sweet grandmother fawning over me, imagining our future together.

If only my heart didn’t race a little every time he came near me, this would be a piece of cake.Let’s just hope I can remember all the reasons why I hate him…and keep myself from falling for him instead.

Let Love In is an enemies-to-lovers, sweet romantic comedy that keeps the romance closed-door. It’s book three in The Canyon Cove Love Stories but can be read as a standalone.

Thank you to the author for sending me a gifted copy.

MIXED VIBES.

I’m not quite sure what to think of this one. It was my first book by this author, and I’d like to try another even with this not being my favorite.

The enemies to lovers angle made enough sense that I could work with it, but I think the book was too short to fully execute the necessary growth and changes within the characters and relationship to feel fully on board. Thea spent a lot of the time more mean than necessary, and Ethan spent too much time focused on the wrong things.

There were some sweet moments with Ethan taking care of Thea and I liked the softer conversations where some walls were let down. I would have loved seeing more of these and then that being put forth towards the larger arcs of the story.

New York Fashion week was a fun idea and I love a sweet and only mildly meddling grandmother. I liked the initial exploration of Thea’s relationship with Ethan’s Mom and the last moments with Ethan standing up to his Dad were wonderful too.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warning: emotional abusive father, discussions on weight and eating disorders

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Book Review: Dragonfire (The Starchaser Saga #6) by Renee Dugan

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 550 pages
Author: Renee Dugan
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A call to arms. A race against time. A choice that will change the future.

With her cabal divided, a price on her head, and her power put to the test, Cistine leads the desperate search for Maleck with a kingdom’s worth of enemies seeking them both. Finding him might be the key to winning the war. It might also spell Cistine’s doom.

Risking uncharted territory, Ashe, Aden, and Kristoff seek aid from the dragon legions in wild Oadmark. Only they stand a chance of bringing down the enemy’s abominable hordes. But to gain their alliance, Ashe must prove beyond all doubt who she is—as a warrior and as a Wingmaiden.

Amidst a storm of schemes, missing friends, broken hearts and uncertain horizons, the cabal faces the grim possibility of a world that can’t be redeemed, and Cistine fights to carry the burden no one else does: the weight of the power in her veins, and a weapon that could turn the tide of the war.

A power that could demand her love, her cabal, and even her own life to save the kingdoms from destruction.

NEW FAVORITE OF THE SERIES.

Ohhhhh my goodness, I LOVED THIS BOOK. It took my breath away. At this point I am so immersed in these characters lives that each book is a journey I am chomping at the bit to read through.

I love all of these characters and that it’s multi-POV. Getting to see everyone’s mindset and where they are internally helps create these immerse character depths that I loooove. The romances and friendships are top tier and the sincere bonds of this found family group have me misty eyed.

While amidst the well placed (and written) action scenes that had me holding my breath, there were also ALL the sweet and tender moments too. Good heavens these are my favorite things about a well written fantasy book. I love being enthralled by every aspect.

I can’t speak to much else other than my intense love for this series or I could spoil how things have changed over 6 books. Just know: YOU MUST READ THIS SERIES.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, war themes, torture, depictions of grief and depression

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