Book Review: Truly Medley Deeply (Sweet as Sugar Maple #5) by Kate Watson

June 22, 2025June 12, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 374 pages
Author: Kate Watson
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 3rd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lucy Jane

The first rule of touring? Don’t fall for your crew.

Especially not the grumpy, emotionally caged, impossible-to-read sound guy who acts like tolerating pop-country singers is pure torture.

Patrick “Patty” O’Shannan clearly doesn’t want to be here. He does his job and barely looks at me unless it’s to scowl. But my last sound engineer quit days before the start of my first tour, and Patty? Well, he was my only option.

The deal is simple: he helps me survive the tour, I help him save his family’s bar, and then we go our separate ways. No complications. No getting attached. No wondering why a small-town bartender is so impossibly good at music.

Only, things get complicated fast.

Like when a rowdy fan gets too close, and Patty steps in before security can. Like when I struggle writing a new song, and he mumbles the perfect lyrics. Like when a booking mix-up leaves us with only one bed, and suddenly, the space between us isn’t enough. Like when I admit I’ve never been kissed, and the label wants me to kiss the famous Connor Nash—and Patty looks at me like it might just break him.

Now, every glance is charged, and every accidental touch lingers. But Patty has secrets, and the closer we grow, the riskier things get.

Can I really fight for the man who refuses to fight for himself? Or should I walk away before I lose everything—including my heart? Truly Medley Deeply is a swoony closed-door rom-com full of delicious banter and crackling chemistry but no explicit scenes or cursing. Books in the Sweet as Sugar Maple Series can be read in any order.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

THIS WAS SWEET.

I’d like to note first off that I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series and didn’t have any issues. There are many moments with the characters from the other stories and I think that would have meant even more to me had I read them though.

The sweet and satisfying moments woven throughout brought some swoony moments. What really sealed the deal for me was the communication. Before things got wildly out of hand both Lucy and Patty would take a beat and actually lean on the trust they had been building throughout the book. It was sincere and well written and gosh I love when couples talk!!

I have some minor quibbles with a few plot points that didn’t quite work for me. Which is fine. I did like the little touch of mystery because hidden identity is one of my favorite tropes. The sass and banter between Patty and Lou worked well and I did feel the chemistry between them.

I don’t think I’ll go back and read the previous books from this series but I do want to continue reading Watson’s new releases.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Content warnings: parental abandonment, car accident (recounted)

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Book Review: An Improper Scheme (Improper Agreements #3) by Audra Wells

June 18, 2025May 8, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Regency Romance
Length: 292 pages
Author: Audra Wells
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: October 10th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sleep—something Henry longs for yet cannot seem to attain. It had never been the case before, but since his younger sister Louisa has been out in society, he is plagued by dreams of failure. And to top it all off, an old acquaintance has asked for his assistance in watching out for another young lady during her first season. He should say no. But his good nature will not allow it.

Violet dreams of lords and balls, and is all that is innocent and naive. Soon after arriving in town, she finds out her brother-in-law has arranged for another man to keep an eye on her. In a moment of boldness, she turns the tables and asks for a favor of her own. But when she sees how much Lord Wood does for others, and not for himself, she decides to help him instead. Only, he does not know of her secret scheme, and would likely not approve of her methods if he did.

But what happens when they gain feelings for the one they are supposed to be helping?

An Improper Scheme is a clean Regency romance and the third in Audra Wells’ Improper Agreements series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but it best enjoyed in order.

CHARMING.

This was another fun read in the Improper series. I adore Audra Wells writing style and I’m happy that I finally decided to pick them up. I love that they are shorter, lighter reads that bring plenty of swoon and heart. I loved Henry and Violet. They had a great opposites attract vibe and lots of good forced proximity moments.

I enjoyed the plot. I didn’t looove the shenanigans Violet and Louisa got up to, but that’s okay. I liked the growth from Henry and Violet and that they both got resolutions to things they were working through.

A cute read and I’m looking forward to the next book!

Overall audience notes:

Regency Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: May 2025

June 1, 2025 GoodeyReads1 Comment

May was a rough one y’all. Almost gave a book one star and had THREE two star books which is generally underheard of for me. Two were new to me authors so at least I tried some new authors??

Some of these reviews are already out and others will be out in the future!

Broken Souls and Bones (Stonegate #1) by LJ Andrews
[ARC] The Enemy’s Daughter by Melissa Poett
What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon
To Steal from Thieves (Thieves & Kings #1) by M.K. Lobb
Watch Me (Shatter Me: The New Republic #1) by Tahereh Mafi
The Things We Water by Mariana Zapata
[ARC/ALC] Cruel is the Light (Cruel is the Light #1) by Sophie Clark
Silver Elite (Silver Elite #1) by Dani Francis
As You Ice It (Appies #7) by Emma St. Clair
[ALC] Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli
Even if It Hurts (Huntley Square #1) by Molly Barlowe
[ARC/ALC] The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom #1) by Rachel Gillig
[ARC/ALC] Rules for Ruin (The Crinoline Academy #1) by Mimi Matthews
[Short Story] The Six Deaths of the Saint (Into Shadow #3) by Alix E. Harrow
The Geographer’s Guide to Romance (Love’s Academic #2) by India Holton
The Long Way Home (Magnolia Parks Universe #3) by Jessa Hastings
A Curse Carved in Bone (Saga of the Unfated #2) by Danielle L. Jensen
The Q by Beth Brower
[ARC] The Friendship Fling by Georgia Stone
A Guarded Heart by Heidi Kimball
All We Lost Was Everything by Heidi Kimball
Enchanted Kingdom (Enchanted Kingdom #1) by Tricia Wentworth
[ARC/ALC] The Beautiful Maddening by Shea Ernshaw
Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley
Rewind it Back (Windy City #5) by Liz Tomforde
Love Sick by Deidra Duncan
Caught Stealing (Southern Sports Sweethearts #1) by M.J. Padgett
[ARC/ALC] A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim
Can’t Get Enough (Skyland #3) by Kennedy Ryan
[ARC] The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater
[ARC] Call of the Loon by K. Sinko
The Floating World (The Floating World #1) by Axie Oh
It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan

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Book Review: If I Never Remember by Meagan Williamson

May 6, 2025March 16, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 317 pages
Author: Meagan Williamson
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 2nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

They’re back for the summer… and changing everything

Teddy’s life isn’t her own anymore. It’s been nine months since the accident, and she still can’t remember anything from before it. When all hope rests on the heart-shaped sketch from the six summers she spent in Bear Lake, she memorizes it. A last resort in the laundry list of failed attempts at restoring her memory. When it becomes just another reminder that she’s disappointing the people she loves, she vows to leave the small town at the end of the summer. Until her path collides with the two handsome faces from that sketch.

Reed is her new coworker at her summer job. He’s confident, eager to spend time with her, and hard to ignore. If it weren’t for their alluded history, she could use a friend. Miles is quiet, reluctant to open up, and pretending not to know her. Avoiding him is impossible while he’s living next door. But he’s the only one who seems to understand what she’s going through.

The more time she spends with them, the more Teddy begins to live her own life again. She’s starting over in the one place she thought she’d need to leave behind. Until a pivotal moment tests just how much she is willing to give up before she defines her future for good.

A coming-of-age romance with nostalgic heart, summer love, and second chances.

THE FEELS.

I kind of waffled with my thoughts on this one but for someone who doesn’t like flashback chapters all that much, the fact that this one had me glued to my kindle deserves the praise. I was hooked on needing to know what would happen.

And I think I’m turning over a new leaf on love triangles. I enjoyed the way this one was crafted and the emotions that went into the push and pull between Reed and Miles. There’s secrets to uncover and truths to be known as Teddy navigates recovery and her past.

It’s fast paced and now that I’ve read two Meagan Williamson books I’m officially a fan and can’t wait for her new series.

Overall audience notes: